Being a mother is often considered as one of the most precious moments in a woman’s life, but there is a challenging situation which most women have trouble coping with: the way their bodies change after giving birth.
In today's culture, celebrity women who have regained their former body shape and look fit only a few months after giving birth,as if they had never given birth, have an influence on all the women.
"Mommy makeover" emerges as a great solution for a new mother who has gained weight during the birth process and is trying to cope with deformations covering her whole body.
“Most women are concerned about the changes in their breasts and abdomen after pregnancy. The baby pushes the abdominal muscles out, causing a swollen appearance and then stretching the skin and causing cracks. Tummy tuck resolves both problems by tightening the muscles, making the abdomen flat again, and removing excess skin which also can get rid of the cracks.”
Although it seems a little scary, the technology and expertise behindplastic surgery nowadays make it safer and painless than ever with faster recovery periodsfor “mommy makeover”.
Also known as "maternity aesthetics" or "postpartum aesthetics,” mommy makeover typically includesone or more of breast reduction, breast lift, and breast augmentation operations; tummy tuck and trunk liposuction procedures focus on the abdominal area;in a combination of leg, arm, and trunk liposuction surgeries which aims to bring back your appearance before pregnancy.
Contrary to popular belief, "mommy makeover" cannot revert patients to their pre-birth condition only weeks or months after the birth. It is not safe to undergo these surgeries right after giving birth. You should remember that both pregnancy and childbirth causes a lot of stress on your body, so having surgery soon will be dangerous.
All the experienced plastic surgeons wait for at least 6 months after birth to perform these surgeries. This period will give your abdominal tissue a chance to completely recover before undergoing tummy tuck surgery.
So, how can some movie stars orperformance artists, known as celebrities who have a mommy makeover, get into shape so quickly after giving birth? They use several different strategies. First of all, they have a chance to work with personal trainers and nutritionists during pregnancy.
By having a healthy diet and doing gentle exercises, they prevent fat accumulation in the first place (most of the rapid weight loss is simply "water loss" as hormone-related bloating decreases after birth). We recommend you do the same. Gaining unnecessary and unhealthy excess weight during pregnancyworsens the aesthetic problems associated with givingbirth. The more weight you gain during pregnancy, the more weight you will have to lose later on. You will also have looser skin that needs to be surgically removed (by tummy tuck surgery) after sagging.
On the other hand, if you avoid gaining excess weight during pregnancy, you will be more likely to get rid of sagging problems with a mini tummy tuck surgery. “Mini tummy tuck” is more advantageous with less scarring and a shorter recovery period. Secondly, most celebrities are aware that breastfeeding is a way to spend a lot of calories.
Breastfeeding your baby instead of giving formula may help you lose some of the excess weight you gained during pregnancy. Finally, most celebrities work hard with personal trainers during this process. They are guided on how to slowly return to regular exercise without harming their bodies.
However, some situations cannot be corrected withonly diet or exercise. New stubborn fat deposits collected in a certain area (hips, upper abdomen, side belly) with the effect of pregnancy hormones can be removed with mommy makeover and liposuction.
Pregnancy often causes the skin to loosen and the abdominal muscles to be damaged. As the abdomen expands to accommodate a growing baby, it is expected that a woman's abdominal muscles get separated from the midline, taking a curved shape and tearing down. Separation of the abdominal muscles (diastasisrecti) causes the upper abdomen (stomach) to protrude even in very thin women. Once the abdominal muscles are relaxed, there is nothing to effectively hold back organs and tissues. A bloated tummy, especially after eating, is a disturbing aesthetic problem.
Tummy tuck surgery is the only way to correct damaged abdominal muscles (repair of diastasis recti). No exercise can strengthen them enough to perform their normal functions. Instead, the patient needs a surgeon to gather the torn tissue between the separated abdominal muscles up, so that the abdominal muscles can recover properly.
"Mommy makeover" or "maternity aesthetics" is required to eliminate the problems in breasts and vagina. Some women experience a loss in breast volume after breastfeeding (especially if they have more than one delivery) and breast sagging is seen commonly. Likewise, the skin of labia in the genital area can be stretched and deformed during childbirth.
Please read on for more information on how a mommy makeover can fix these problems.
If you need a mommy makeover, your doctor will plan an individual treatment for you according to your needs. Not everyone has the same mommy makeover surgeries; some women have less deformity and one or two operations can be sufficient while some women require more surgical or non-surgical procedures. The only way to determine which mommy makeover surgeries you need is to contact a plastic surgeon.
“Mommy Makeover is not a term that defines a single surgery, but the general name for a series of surgeries. Therefore, your first step is to consult your plastic surgeon and decide which operations will be suitable for you. "
Since mommy makeover consists of different surgical procedures according to the person’s needs, the cost of a mommy makeover varies depending on the combination of surgeries to be applied. Please contact us for detailed information about "Mommy makeover cost" and suitable procedures for you.
Surgeries that are performed as a part of the mommy makeover are as follows:
Besides, non-surgical aesthetic procedures such as laser skin rejuvenation, focused ultrasound and facial fat injection are also performed within the scope of a mommy makeover.
Most women, especially in their 30s or 40s, need breast lift surgery after giving birth. This is because the breasts expand to a great extent during milk production and subsequently collapse. It is normal that a woman’s breasts to grow a few sizes, but when breastfeeding ends, that will disappear and breasts will lose volume.
At the end of breastfeeding, most women face flatter, sagging breasts that have lost volume. Also, many women realize that their breasts are smaller after the breastfeeding period is over. In this case, we prefer the surgery which is called breast augmentation and breast lift surgery or breast lift surgery with implantor prosthetic breast lift surgery.
If there is an asymmetry in the breasts, a breast lift is preferred. If there is only a volume loss in the breast and lifting is not required, breast augmentation with a silicone implant can restore the necessary shape and volume.
By the effect of postpartum hormones (especially progesterone),regional excessive fat accumulation in certain parts of the body (waist, hip, abdomen) can create a disproportional body structure. Liposuction provides reshaping of the stubborn fat deposit area by removing the excess fat with the help of thin cannulas. For example, fat deposits that do not disappear after birth in the belly area that is also called as “love handle”, abdominal area, and hips can be removed by liposuction through incisions smaller than 1 cm.
Liposuction canbe used to remove fat deposits not only in the abdomen but also in other parts of the body. If there is an excess fat accumulation in the leg area, especially in hips and thighs, during pregnancy in some women, it can be removed by liposuction.
A tummy tuck is an operation in which the excess skin of the lower and upper abdomen that loosens and sags after birth is removed and the entire abdominal area is shaped. During the tummy tuck operation, notonly the excess skin is removed and the abdomen is tightened. In fact, the best tummy tuck surgery consists of 3 different procedures;
These conditions are caused by the stretching of the skin during birth. This inner strap, which holds the internal organs in place, stretches during pregnancy or weight gain and protrudes out of the body. Abdominal aesthetics remove loose, excess skin and fat deposits and tightens the loose fascia, removing cracks and excess skin in the lower abdomen below the belly button.
In tummy tuck surgery, we remove most of the skin and fat between the belly button and pubic hair in a horizontal oval or elliptical shape. Then, the fascia covering abdominal muscles is repaired with stitches. The belly button is redesigned, the old belly button is preserved, but the surrounding sagging skin is removed. The belly button is removed through a small incision and stitched in its natural position.
A tummy tuck scar is typically planned to be hidden under underwear along the groin. The scar will extend along the natural wrinkle in the bikini line.
During tummy tuck surgery, excess fat accumulation areas such as the waist and upper abdomen are also thinned and shaped with Vaser Liposuction. A good liposuction application is an important factor in the success of tummy tuck surgery. In other words, liposuction is the step that makes difference in tummy tuck surgeries. For this reason, we prefer the Vaser Liposuction procedure.
Vaser liposuction allows us to remove a greater amount of fat tissuemore safely with sound waves, which means ultrasound, by showing a specific effect on the fats without damaging veins, nerves, and connective tissues. This method is called "Vaser Tummy Tuck" or "Vaser Abdominoplasty". Vaser Tummy Tuck allows us to get a thinner waist and a flatter abdomen.
During tummy tuck surgery, a new belly button is designed by removing the deformed, low-quality, crackedabdominal skin from the lower abdomen area especially below the belly. Tummy tuck surgery is planned witha "bikini line incision" so that the scar remains in underwear.
Another important issue is the repair of abdominal muscles during abdominoplasty, also known as diastasis recti repair. It is called “diastasis recti” when the abdominal layers separate from each other and cause looseness in the abdominal membrane. The repair of muscle looseness in the upper part of the abdomen, which is called "protrusion in the stomach area", is important in both functional and aesthetic terms.
Another alternative surgery is mini tummy tuck surgery. "Mini tummy tuck" is especially preferred in postpartum aesthetics or mommy makeover cases when there is no excess skin in the upper abdominal area but there is mild looseness in the lower abdominal area.
The skin is removed from the lower abdominal areathrough a smaller incision compared to in full tummy tuck surgery, by following the cesarean scar. In the same session, repair of lower abdominal muscles and Vaser Liposuction on the whole abdominal area can be performed. The advantage of a mini tummy tuck is that it is causing smaller tummy tuck scar and providing a faster recovery process. Patients can return to their daily lives in about 1 week after mini tummy tuck surgery.
Sometimes a woman's labia minora (the delicate, hairless skin of the inner lips) is greatly stretched during childbirth. This can cause the labia minora wings to protrude beyond the protective labia majora. It is not only embarrassing for women but alsodisturbing.
Because the small lip is very sensitive, it tends to friction, making it difficult for women to exercise or engage in sexual activity. Fortunately, labiaplasty can be used to correct this problem. During labiaplasty, the plastic surgeon carefully removes the excess skin in the labia minora and then closes the area again. After the woman recovers, labia majora will become normal both functionally and aesthetically, without scarring.
You will have a younger breast and a flatter abdomen structure after a mommy makeover.Your clothes and swimsuits look better on your body. It helps you gain a slimmer body appearance after the procedures. Mommy makeover provides postpartum psychological support by improving self-confidence, making the person more satisfied with herself. Because physical appearance and catching the attention of others are very important for a woman.
If you have undergone breast augmentation with a breast implant during a mommy makeover, you should know that breast implants will show their effects until a certain term. Pregnancy and weight gain after mommy makeover surgeries may adversely affect the benefits you gained from these surgeries.
In order to have a mommy makeover, 6 months should pass after the birth. You are required to comply with the following criteria for themommy makeover.
For those who undergo mommy makeover, first of all, their general health condition should be suitable for these surgeries. Since mommy makeover involves more than one plastic surgery, there must be no health problem that prevents the operation.
According to the reviews of people who underwenta mommy makeover,you should quit smoking at least three weeks before the surgery. Even common conditions that could occur after pregnancy, such as type 2 diabetes, can make the mommy makeover procedure risky. In addition, you should talk to your doctor about how any medication you take before a mommy makeover may affect your eligibility to have this surgery.
You must be in a healthy weight before mommy makeover. As stated above, a mommy makeover is not a "weight loss" procedure. Although it is true that some amount of fat will be removed during a mommy makeover, however, you will have to lose most of the excess weight after the birth before having mommy makeover surgeries. We recommend that you do not havemore than 25 pounds regarding your ideal weight.
You should have a general idea about mommy makeover prices. Mommy makeover prices will vary depending on each person. It’s because mommy makeover involves more than one surgery and the operation process is planned individually considering whichever surgeries are required. Therefore, post-pregnancy aesthetics prices will be different for each woman.
It is important whether women consider a new pregnancy after having a mommy makeover.According to the reviews of women having undergone mommy makeover, they should postpone mommy makeover surgeries if they are thinking about having a baby soon. Those who have post-pregnancy aesthetics can get pregnant again and give birth to a child.
If there is a plan for pregnancy after a mommy makeover, but not in the near future, it should be kept in mind that postpartum revision surgery can be performed. Re-stretching of the skin of your abdomen and breasts (and also potentially loosening your abdominal muscles) can fundamentally change the results of your surgery.
Recovery after a mommy makeover will vary depending on the number and combination of surgeries to be performed. Combinations and timing of post-pregnancy surgeries should be well planned. Different strategies can be planned in the operation sequence of "mommy makeover. In this process, such factors as the patient's priorities and weight loss process are taken into consideration.
In my clinical practice, I prefer to perform breast lift surgery after everything else. For post-pregnancy aesthetics, I prefer to make the leg thinning and tummy tuck surgeries first and then correct sagging and shrinking breasts since the patient’s diet process continues during this period.
When the weight loss process is over, breast shaping is done by correcting, lifting the breasts in their final form, and increasing their volume with breast implants if necessary.
Having a small baby who needs care is a very important factor in the mommy makeover process. For this reason, mothers who have post-pregnancy aesthetics should plan how many days they will be away from their child’s care and how much of this period will be spent in bed. According to those who underwent mommy makeover reveal that they plan this periodwith their doctors.
For example, one week of bed rest is certainly necessary after post-pregnancy tummy tuck surgery, and it requires 2-3 weeks to return to social life after the surgery. Those having undergone mommy makeover say that they made the planning of the childcare process according to the information they received from their doctors.
The recovery period after mini tummy tuck surgery, which is performed as a part of mommy makeover surgery, is shorter, and returning to social life is faster than in full tummy tuck surgery. Unfortunately, few of those who have post-pregnancy aesthetics are suitable for "mini tummy tuck surgery". It would be useful to have someone ready to help you withyour basic daily activities in the first few days of recovery aftera mommy makeover.
Finally, it must be remembered that you cannot notice the results of mommy makeover surgeries immediately. Your abdomen and breasts will be edematous during the first three to six weeks of your recovery period. It is an expected situation and there is nothing to worry about, it is your body’s natural reaction to the inflammation which helps you heal. Therefore, your breasts and abdomen will be slightly edematous, but this effect is temporary.
Post-pregnancy aestheticshave been designed to correct body deformities caused by childbirth and aging in women. If you face the following situations after giving birth, you might be a suitable candidate for "post-pregnancy aesthetics".
One of the aesthetic problems of the post-pregnancy period is the “cesarean scars”. Postpartum cesarean scars usually heal slightly. However, sometimes there is an indent and adhesion to the underlying tissue where the cesarean scar occurs. Adhesion and aesthetic problems in the scar area are usually the results of an infection, local bleeding, or improper healing of the scar after cesarean section.
Weight gain after birth makes this indented and flapped appearance more noticeable. Especially the weight gain after birth makes this depression more prominent. There are surgical and non-surgical options for the procedure known as cesarean scar removal.
Cesarean scar removal during tummy tuck surgery; If there are sagging, cracks, and an unpleasant cesarean scar on the abdomen after giving birth, it is possible to completely correct these problems with a tummy tuck or mini tummy tuck surgery.
Cesarean scar removal with scar revision; If there is no deformity in the abdomen, but the cesarean scar is so prominent and there is an indented, adhered appearance to the underlying tissue, cesarean scar correction that is called “scar revision” can be possible. Only the cesarean scar area is anesthetized with local anesthetic drugs and it is a very small surgical procedure. If there is also an indent in the cesarean scar area, fat injection can also be suitable.
Cesarean scar removal with fractional carbon dioxide laser; Cesarean scar treatment with laser can be a suitable treatment for those who do not have indented scar in the operation area and a level difference between the upper and lower part of the cesarean scar. “Cesarean scar revision with laser” requires more than one session, but no incision or injection is required.
Liposuction after pregnancy can be performed with the aim of removing the regional fats in the abdomen, waist, and hips after birth or it can be performed together with tummy tuck surgery. We recommend performing Vaser Liposuction on the upper abdomen (the part referred as the stomach) and waist (love handles) with a tummy tuck. In addition, liposuction after pregnancy is also effective on the chest, thighs, neck, upper arms, and knees.
During liposuction after pregnancy, a liquid containing a local anesthetic agent will be injected into the adipose tissue in the area where liposuction will be performed, in order to minimize bleeding and reduce pain. After receiving anesthesia, very small (1cm) incisions will be made near the area where the fat will be removed.
Vaser Liposuction is unique for targeting the fat while leaving other important tissues intact. Thanks to VaserLipo, we have the chance to treat multiple areas in a single procedure with less pain, swelling, and faster recovery time. We prefer the Vaser Liposuction technique in post-pregnancy aesthetics for fast and precise shaping,
ByVaserLipo, the fats are liquefied with ultrasound (sound waves) at first, and then the liquidized fats are removed with millimetric cannulas of a high vacuum device. A compression garment (corset) is used for 3 weeks after fat removal with Vaser Liposuction.
Pregnancy and childbirth cause changes and deformities in the bodies of women, especially in breasts. Breast skin expands during birth and breastfeeding since milk glands constantly grow. Women face breast shrinkage after pregnancy, and the thinned and cracked breast skin cannot adapt to shrinkage and therefore sags down.
The areola (the brown part surrounding the nipple) also expands and gets deformed due to the growth in breasts. These situations may cause the need for breast aesthetics after giving birth.
Women concern about whether their breasts will remain the same after pregnancy. If there is sagging in the breasts that disturb the mother after birth, or if the sagging existing before pregnancy has increased a little and the breasts seem to have decreased fullness and hollowness, this situation can be corrected with post-pregnancy breast aesthetics performed after the breastfeeding period. If the patient has a desire to increase the breast volume as well as correct the sagging breast, breast augmentation surgeries are performed with breast implants.
"Post-pregnancy breast aesthetics can be easily done 5-6 months after the end of the breastfeeding period when the breast takes its final form."
Since the milk ducts under the nipple are usually not cut in breast reduction surgeries, breastfeeding functions are often preserved. If the operation has been performed with certain techniques, mothers can breastfeed their next babies mostly after the operation.
It is enough to stay in the hospital for 1 night after post-pregnancy breast aesthetics. The patient comes out of the operation wearing a supportive sports bra. Patients are recommended to wear this bra for a month. Stitches are removed after 15 days.
Sagging breasts that lose their form and volume, and the nipple facing down, and enlarged areolas (the dark skin surrounding the nipple) after pregnancy are one of the biggest aesthetic problems. "Post-pregnancy breast lift" or "mastopexy" surgeries are performed to reverse these changes and to restore breasts to a younger shape. Post-pregnancy breast lift surgery involves removing excess skin and performing volume restoration of the breast. Breast lift surgery after pregnancy can also reduce areola size and position the nipples again in the upper place.
“In the post-pregnancy breast lift surgery, breast augmentation or breast reduction surgeries can also be performed together with a breast lift.”
We prefer general anesthesia for post-pregnancy breast lift surgery. Suture scars that occur after breast lift surgery vary depending on the breast lift technique to be applied. The technique to be applied in breast lift for a mommy makeover can change according to the size of breasts, the need to breastfeed afterward, and the preferences of the patient and surgeon.
Most women find that their breasts have a fuller size and better shape during pregnancy.Later, a natural reduction in breast size leaves some women with hollow, sagging breasts discussed in the breast lift section above. For many other women, the breasts remain larger than desired after birth. In these cases, breast reduction surgery may be the solution after pregnancy.
Another reason why some women have a demand fora breast reduction after giving birth is to restore the breasts to the smaller size they had before pregnancy.
In addition, post-pregnancy breast reduction surgery can reduce common symptoms of large breasts such as pain, posture problems, rashes caused by bra strip, breathing problems, skeletal deformities, and low self-esteem. Post-pregnancy breast reduction surgery is performed to achieve smaller, more shaped breasts that are more proportional to the rest of the body.
“During the planning phase of breast reduction surgery, women who are considering breastfeeding in the future should be informed that they might lose breastfeeding functions. Because the milk ducts leading to the nipples may be cutafter breast reduction surgery. "
The suture scar caused by the breast lift surgery after pregnancy might be in the shape of “inverted T”, “hockey stick”, or “inverted J”. During post-pregnancy breast reduction surgery, liposuction can also be performed on the sides of the breast for lubrication that extends towards the back.
The fat and breast tissue in the body increase and breast volume enhances with the weight gain and hormonal effects during pregnancy. After pregnancy, breast enlargement and breast sagging are among the most frequent complaints. Meanwhile, the nipple turns downward. However, in some women, only volume loss is seen in the breasts without displacing the nipple. In other words, breasts become almost empty without sagging.
Post-pregnancy breast augmentation is a suitable surgery for these people. We use breast implants for "post-pregnancy breast augmentation" in breasts that have faced atrophyor in other words, which, have lost their volume and shrunk. Silicone breast implants do not prevent breastfeeding in the next pregnancy.
Post-pregnancy breast augmentation surgery does not prevent the patient from getting pregnant again. However, if the woman gives birth again after the operation, breast lift surgery can be performed at the end of the breastfeeding period. Breast augmentation is also known as augmentation mammoplasty.
In women who have given birth and want breast augmentation, sagging after pregnancy which is seen in the breasts and other parts of the body is a very common deformity. During pregnancy, breasts start to grow due to the effect of pregnancy hormones. Because the primary function of breasts is to provide nourishment to the newborn baby. The whole body prepares for this purpose in pregnant women.
After the breastfeeding period ends, the breast tissue begins to shrink. This shrinking breast tissue and breast skin start to face with loosening and sagging. This causes the breast tissues to shrink, leading to smaller and sagging breasts. Therefore, breast lift and breast augmentation surgeries are performed depending on the patient's request.
If the breasts are small and saggy, and if this situation disturbs the patient, breast lift and breast augmentation surgeries can be performed in the same session. These aesthetic operations can be performed 3-6 months after the end of the breastfeeding period.
In breast lift surgery with implant, silicone breast implants are placed in the same session with breast lift surgery.
If you want larger breasts as well as less sagging or if you want to preserve the projection and roundness of the breast, breast lift surgery with implants may be suitable for you. In breast lift surgery with implant, the implant is placed under the pectoral muscle, under the breast muscle sheath, or in a pocket opened under the breast tissue.
If there is a little reduction in the breast volume and there is no sagging after birth, breast augmentation with fat injection can also be performed.
Assoc. Prof. Tarık ÇavuşoğluPlastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery Specialist