Who’s a Candidate for a Mommy Makeover?

While having a child may be one of the most joyous events you experience, it can cause a lot of unwanted physical side effects, like sagging skin and extra pounds, which in turn can affect your self-confidence. At McHugh Plastic Surgery, we understand your concerns and offer mommy makeovers to help you restore your pre-pregnancy body.

The mommy makeover is an innovative surgical approach that reduces, and sometimes even eliminates, the lingering and unwanted effects of pregnancy on your body. Through different techniques, we can address sagging, deflated-looking breasts, loose skin, and excess fat on your trouble zones, including your abdomen, waist, and buttocks.

Depending on your needs and goals, we may recommend a breast lift or augmentation, tummy tuck, or liposuction. We also use non-invasive procedures to complement your mommy makeover, like enhancing your body contour with SculpSureⓇ or improving the look and feel of your genitalia through vaginal rejuvenation.

Yet mommy makeovers aren’t the right procedure for everyone. The best candidates for these body-restoring surgeries are those who meet the following four criteria.


You should be in good health

A mommy makeover is not a minimally invasive procedure. It often consists of multiple surgeries, and there are risks involved with the procedures. If you are unhealthy or have serious medical conditions, a mommy makeover may not be the right option for you.

For instance, if you have diabetes and struggle to maintain your blood-glucose levels, your condition could affect how your body heals and put you at risk for infection. When you have high blood pressure or issues with your cardiovascular health, we may recommend that you avoid general anesthesia unless there’s a medical need (the mommy makeover is considered a cosmetic procedure, not a medically necessary one).


You should be close to your ideal weight

A mommy makeover is a body-restoring procedure, not a weight-loss treatment. We may remove pockets of fat from your abdomen or hips, but that’s not designed to eliminate large amounts of fat. Therefore, we recommend that you reach your ideal weight (or close to it) before your mommy makeover.

What’s more, by waiting until you lose your excess baby weight, you get the best and most long-lasting results from your procedure. We can stretch and smooth your skin, fitting it to your current size and shape, without risk of a 20-pound weight loss that could lead to more loose skin and sagging breasts.


You should be done having children

Another pregnancy could erase the effects of your mommy makeover, making your skin and breasts saggy and leaving unwanted pockets of fat across your abdomen, hips, and buttocks.

Before deciding on a mommy makeover, think about whether you’d like to have another child. If you think you may want to get pregnant again, we recommend you wait to have your mommy makeover until you’re completely, 100% done having children.


You must have realistic expectations

To move forward with a mommy makeover, the best candidates have realistic expectations. You should understand what a mommy makeover does and what it doesn’t do. Know you may still have visible stretch marks and that no results are 100% guaranteed.

Ideal mommy makeover candidates also thoroughly understand what to expect after their procedure. You should know that you may experience pain and that full recovery can take months.

Be realistic about what you can accomplish on your own and have a support team in place that can help with young children and household chores in the weeks following your mommy makeover.

Author
Dr. Thomas McHugh

You Might Also Enjoy...

Who Can Benefit From a Tummy Tuck?

You have a body-shape goal in mind, but your tummy just isn’t fitting into that picture thanks to loose, sagging skin. A tummy tuck is a great way to complete your picture, helping you to achieve your goals.

My Chest Is Getting Wrinkly. What Can I Do About It?

You find yourself avoiding clothing that shows too much of your chest or you’re resorting to scarves to cover up. If the signs of aging in your chest have you down, then chin up and chest out because there is a solution.

How Pregnancy Changes Your Body

The changes your body goes through during a pregnancy are nothing short of astounding. While many of these changes disappear in short order, some linger and become permanent — much to your dismay.

The Link Between Medications and Gynecomastia

The road to better health can often come with unwanted side effects, which is certainly true of medication-related gynecomastia, or enlarged breast gland tissue in men. Here’s a look at some of the common culprits and how we can help.