How To Best Maintain Your Mommy Makeover

Expert Author
Smita Ramanadham Plastic Surgeon East Brunswick, NJ

Led by board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Smita R. Ramanadham, our New Jersey practice provides quality aesthetic procedures to create desirable results for our patients in the New York City metro and Tri-state areas. Dr. Ramanadham works with each patient to understand their needs and cosmetic goals before creating a... more

Are you interested in getting your pre-baby body back? You may want to consider a mommy makeover, which can restore the appearance and shape of your body after having children. Many women notice changes in their bodies after having children, especially in the breasts, abdomen, genitalia, and buttocks. A mommy makeover typically involves addressing the following:

  • Sagging breasts and increasing breast volume
  • Enhancing breast symmetry
  • Repairing stretched nipples or areola
  • Removing sagging skin from the belly
  • Repairing stretched abdominal muscles
  • Reducing pockets of fat in the abdomen, on the sides, and legs

A mommy makeover is usually performed all at once and can include many procedures, depending on your goals and anatomy. The most common procedures in a mommy makeover are:

How To Maintain Your Results

There are several things you can do before and after your mommy makeover recovery to prolong your results as long as possible:

Make Sure You Are Fully Recovered

A common problem for some patients is they try to do too much too soon. Keep in mind that the typical mommy makeover includes invasive surgeries, such as breast augmentation and a tummy tuck.

These procedures are usually highly successful, but they take a toll on the body. You need to give your body at least four to six weeks to heal before you get back to your regular activities, including vigorous exercise.

Remember: Doing too much too soon can affect your results and lead to complications. So, take it easy for a while!

Maintain Your Health By Working Out

While you should take easy immediately after surgery, eventually, you should get back to a regular workout routine. One of the best ways to stay healthy and fit for life is to get regular exercise.

Also, you can maintain your health by eating a healthy diet and getting at least eight hours of sleep per night.

Keep A Stable Weight

It’s essential to maintain a stable, healthy weight after your mommy makeover. Not only does this help to maintain your results - particularly for breast augmentation, tummy tuck, and liposuction - it also makes it easier to exercise and keep moving.

Major weight fluctuations will affect the results of your mommy makeover procedures. This is why surgeons recommend that patients be at a stable weight before surgery, ideally a weight they are confident they can maintain for years.

For example, if you gain or lose 15 pounds or more after a tummy tuck, it will stretch the tissues and skin, and undo your results.

Also, gaining or losing 15 pounds will affect your breasts, either causing them to sag, stretch, or enlarge.

You can help to keep a stable weight by avoiding yo-yo dieting. Instead, eat a healthy diet all the time, such as fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.

Don’t Get Pregnant

Children are a blessing, but it’s best for your mommy makeover results if you wait until you are done having children before having this procedure.

After you have breast augmentation and a tummy tuck, another pregnancy can undo all of those results. So wait until you are sure you don’t want more children before contacting your plastic surgeon about a mommy makeover.

Stay Out Of The Sun

After surgery, you will have some scarring and incision marks on the body. While your surgeon will do her best to keep them discreet, you should keep them out of the direct sun for several months.

If you expose incision marks to the sun before they have fully healed, they will darken and may even thicken. So, keep your incisions out of the sun until they fade to your regular skin color.

When To Have A Mommy Makeover

Deciding the best time to have this procedure comes down to you and your plastic surgeon. But there are several factors to consider when you are deciding when to have a mommy makeover:

  • You need to be recovered from having children before you have surgery.
  • If you want breast augmentation, you should wait three to six months after breastfeeding to allow your breasts to get back to their normal shape and size.
  • Some nonsurgical procedures, such as Botox and dermal fillers, aren’t recommended if you are breastfeeding.
  • It’s best to wait until you are finished having children before you have a tummy tuck or breast lift.
  • After your procedure, you should not lift anything more than 10 pounds for a month after surgery, so be sure to have arrangements ahead of time for child care.

Outlook

A mommy makeover can help you get back the body you had before you had children. If you do your part and work to maintain your results, you can expect to enjoy your new figure and contours for many years.

For more information about a mommy makeover and Dr. Smita R. Ramanadham of New Jersey, please visit her online.

References

Dr. Smita Ramandham Mommy Makeover. (n.d.). Accessed at https://www.drsmita.com/procedures/body/mommy-makeover-new-jersey/

Mommy Makeover Overview. (n.d.). Accessed at https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/mommy-makeover

Mommy Makeover Overview. (n.d.). Accessed at https://www.americanboardcosmeticsurgery.org/procedure-learning-center/body-procedures/mommy-makeover/