We women are very conscious of our bodies; and while we all view pregnancy as beautiful, we often don’t feel so beautiful afterwards when our body doesn’t go back to the way it was. After pregnancy the breasts can become deflated or drop; or instead they may increase in size, becoming very large and uncomfortable. Often the abdominal muscles and skin get stretched to a point where they become weak and sag down. Sometimes the hormones of pregnancy cause weight gain – especially in trouble areas that then do not go away after the baby is born.
In many cases, a new mother is overjoyed to have a happy and healthy baby, but then feels guilty about wanting surgery to “fix” her body. The reality is that in some women, the changes from pregnancy can not only cause psychological and emotional distress, but can also cause muscle weakness that makes physical activity much more challenging. As a new mother, it is ok to love having your babies but to also want to restore your body to your pre-pregnancy condition.
For women who feel this way, plastic surgery provides options for repairing the changes caused by pregnancy. The most important thing to remember, however, is that each person should focus on what bothers her personally and resist letting anyone talk her into doing more than she actually wants. She also needs to make sure that the optoins she chooses are done safely. That means working with a dedicated and experienced Plastic Surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and who operates in an Accredited Ambulatory Surgery Center with Board Certified Anesthesiologists. There are no short cuts when safety and health are concerned.
This kind of post pregnancy surgery has come to be known as the “Mommy Makeover.” Typically, the Mommy Makeover involves surgery of multiple areas, including the breasts and body. This could be breast lift, with or without an augmentation, or a breast reduction with lift, and then a tummy tuck and/or liposuction of the abdominal area. In many cases, it includes “fat grafting” techniques to contour the body. In fat grafting procedures, liposuction is performed to reduce some areas and then the fat is injected into another area to make it fuller. For example, fat can be removed from the “muffin top” and injected into the buttock for a “Brazilian butt lift;” or fat removed from the abdomen can be injected into the breasts to make them more full (sometimes called an “auto-augmentation.”) The Mommy Makeover” is the specific set of procedures that are used to reconstruct the parts of a particular woman’s breasts and body that have been irreversibly altered by pregnancy. The specific procedures that are done are different for each woman, but the goal is always to address those areas that are causing problems and correct them in the safest and most natural way possible.
Most importantly, finding the right surgical plan requires an extensive discussion with a surgeon who is well-trained in all the procedure options and who will really listen to you in order to fully understand what you are trying to achieve. Together you can then formulate a surgical plan that will be safe and will accomplish your goals. Our goal is to help you get back to feeling comfortable and confident so that you can fully embrace and enjoy your new role as a mother.
Call the Sullivan Integrated Aesthetic Center today at 410-571-1280 to schedule your
consultation with Dr. Kelly Sullivan.