The thing I love most about my job is being able to help people. A large part of what I do allows me to help a specific set of individuals to restore confidence in themselves. These very deserving individuals are moms! While being a mother is one of the most gratifying jobs a woman can have, it is also one of the hardest! Childbearing commonly changes a woman’s body , and these changes often do not resolve with time. If this is true for you, a mommy makeover may be the way to restore your pre-baby confidence. This can mean targeting different areas, depending on each woman’s body type and the changes that have occurred with childbirth. Each woman will experience this differently, and have different areas she might not be as happy with. Although all of these changes are completely natural and have brought along an amazing gift with them, it is our job to help each mom restore her confidence in her body. Today, I will go over a few of the most common surgical procedures involved in our mommy makeover process.
Breast Lift
A breast lift, or mastopexy, is a surgical procedure that aims to lift the breast and recreate the appearance of firmer, more youthful breasts. Our moms often find that after having children and breast feeding, their breasts have a deflated appearance and sit lower on their chest. A breast lift can tighten loose skin, reduce the size of the areola, and move the nipple higher up on the breast. A breast lift does not change the size of the breast significantly, but can be combined with a breast augmentation or breast reduction if larger or smaller breasts are desired.
Breast Augmentation
When fuller, rounder breasts are the goal, a breast lift in combination with a breast augmentation may be the right mommy makeover option for you! A breast augmentation can restore the fullness of the breasts, often lost with childbirth and breast feeding. Implants can achieve larger, shapelier, fuller breasts that many women (and moms!) desire. A breast augmentation alone can also have a small lifting effect, depending on the size of the implant. This is a way to avoid some additional scarring that is created with a breast lift. During your consult, we would go over implant size/style/shape, implant fill (silicone vs. saline), implant position (preferred method below the pectoralis muscle), and implant incision site. All of these options are tailored specifically to each of our moms, creating the most natural but voluminous shape that restores the youthful appearance of the breasts.
Tummy Tuck and Liposuction
Not only are a woman’s breasts often affected by childbirth, but also her tummy! After all, this area is asked to grow and stretch in many ways to make room for a new baby. In doing so, a woman’s muscles can be stretched and widened. She can also have extra loose skin in this area. A way to correct these issues can be with a tummy tuck, which will address a few changes that can happen to a woman’s abdomen after childbirth. One of these changes is the widening of the abdominal muscles. In the tummy tuck procedure, the underlying abdominal muscles are tightened to create a firmer abdominal wall. This can recreate a “corset” appearance and improved contour. The surgery will also eliminate excess skin by removing loose sagging skin and tightening remaining skin. Along with skin and muscle, excess fat will be removed with liposuction. This creates a curvy contour to the abdomen and flank (side) areas.
Other Procedures
While these are the most common surgeries involved in the mommy makeover, it does not mean the list stops here! We will work with you to find the specific procedure that is right for you, depending on what your goals are.
If you are interested in learning more about the mommy makeover process, you can call us at (312) 266-6240 or email me at lexy@northwesternplastics.com. Being a mom is the most rewarding gift, and we look forward to helping many more moms have the best possible mommy makeover experience!