Three Common Procedures Used During a Mommy Makeover

Pregnancy and childbirth are an amazing feat, but it can wreak havoc on a woman’s body. It can be extremely challenging for women to undo the changes made to their bodies after having children through diet and exercise alone. While waiting for your new bundle of joy was so worth it, moms are often left behind with frustrating sagging skin and stretched out abdominal muscles. A mommy makeover is a highly effective way to reclaim a woman’s pre-baby physique. This combination of cosmetic procedures rejuvenates the areas of the body most affected by pregnancy to help moms feel and look their best.

For patients in Northern Virginia, the plastic surgeons at Austin-Weston, The Center for Cosmetic Surgery are leading experts in mommy makeovers. Their attention to detail, skillset, and expertise in the field of plastic surgery has earned them a reputation they are proud to claim. Under their expert care, women are happy to learn that they can recapture a more youthful, slimmer, and tighter figure even after having children. Here is some helpful information on three common surgeries used during a mommy makeover and how the plastic surgeons at Austin-Weston, The Center for Cosmetic Surgery can assist in your body goals.

Reasons to have a mommy makeover

Women’s bodies change dramatically after having children. These changes often negatively affect their self-esteem and confidence. Certain areas of the body change as a result of skin stretching, weight gain, breastfeeding, and even hormonal changes. After childbirth, breasts often lack their once perkiness and can appear deflated. Clothing does not fit the same as women struggle with loose, sagging skin in their lower abdominal area. Leftover fat from weight gain during pregnancy remains settled in new-found places along the hips, thighs, or lower back. While every woman just wants to put her old jeans back on after pregnancy, a healthy diet and exercise may not do the trick. A mommy makeover uses a combination of procedures including a breast lift or augmentation, tummy tuck, and further body contouring via liposuction to combat stubborn pockets of fat and eliminate excess loose skin leftover by pregnancy. These three procedures are expertly performed by the plastic surgeons at Austin-Weston, The Center for Cosmetic Surgery, who have helped countless women in the Northern Virginia area feel more confident about their appearance.

A nip and tuck for dramatic results

The weight gain and hormone fluctuations during pregnancy force the body to adjust to a new normal. During your mommy makeover consultation at Austin-Weston, The Center for Cosmetic Surgery, our plastic surgeons listen to each woman's concerns about their post-baby body and formulate an all-encompassing makeover plan. One significant advantage of the mommy makeover for women in Northern Virginia is the efficiency of incorporating more than one procedure in one surgery. That equates to only one surgical day and one recovery period versus multiple over an extended period.

Three most popular procedures in a mommy makeover

1. Breast augmentation, lift, reduction

The breasts are one of the body parts frequently affected by pregnancy. Fluctuations in hormones, weight gain, and increased breast size due to nursing can all change the breast’s skin elasticity. Reduction in volume, shape, and size are all common factors that moms experience post-pregnancy. While some women opt for just a breast lift to raise their deflated breasts without an implant, others may choose both a breast lift as well as breast augmentation with implants to recapture their pre-pregnancy breasts. Highly customizable and extremely popular, breast augmentation can give women a new and improved overall shape, size, and lift to enhance the appearance to their breasts. A breast lift can tighten and lift breasts that have become saggy or droopy. For women in Northern Virginia who have more significant droop after pregnancy along with oversized breasts that did not decrease in size after childbirth and breastfeeding, our plastic surgeons may recommend a breast lift along with a breast reduction to reduce the heavy burden.

2. Tummy Tuck

Another popular procedure for a mommy makeover is a tummy tuck. The stomach is quite possibly one of the most affected areas post-pregnancy. The main goal of a tummy tuck procedure is to give moms a slimmer, more contoured abdominal area after they are finished having children. A new baby is hard enough, but then to have to struggle with excess fat, skin, and even stretch marks can seem daunting. When moms only need a small amount of excess skin removed and tightened, a mini tuck is usually recommended. Other moms though may have a more substantial amount of excess fat and skin that needs to be eliminated due to pregnancy. They also may need to tighten the underlying abdominal muscles that were stretched when they were pregnant that never came back together. In that case, a traditional or extended tummy tuck may be necessary for the best results and a flatter abdominal area. A reverse tummy tuck is another option for women who have loose skin primarily in their upper torso following weight loss.

3. Liposuction

In most cases, a mommy makeover will involve some liposuction to remove stubborn pockets of excess fat. Liposuction further contours targeted areas like the stomach, thighs, hips, and lower back. The result is a more contoured, slimmer body to create a finished look as part of the overall mommy makeover.

A mommy makeover requires a keen eye for detail and the careful hand of plastic surgeons like the ones at Austin-Weston, The Center for Cosmetic Surgery. Each procedure in a mommy makeover is artistically crafted to ensure Northern Virginia area moms look and feel like their old selves or even better.

The plastic surgeons at Austin-Weston, The Center for Cosmetic Surgery have helped countless moms in the Northern Virginia area transform their bodies with a mommy makeover. If you are considering a mommy makeover and would like to learn more, schedule a consultation with the skilled plastic surgeons at Austin-Weston, The Center for Cosmetic Surgery.