Mommy Makeover
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A Mommy Makeover is a comprehensive treatment involving a series of personalized procedures designed to restore your pre-pregnancy figure, or improve the cosmetic concerns that often result from childbearing. Having children can be a transformative experience for countless reasons, one of them being the physical transition that the body undergoes as a result of pregnancy and nursing. The abdominal musculature is typically stretched and separated from its original position in the midline, skin begins to lose elasticity and loosen, localized fat begins to accumulate around the body, and the breasts often lose volume and experience some degree of ptosis (drooping).
If you wish to reverse the physical changes caused by pregnancy and breastfeeding, board-certified plastic surgeon Geoffrey Leber, MD can develop a treatment plan tailored to address your unique concerns at his Scottsdale practice.
Why Choose a Mommy Makeover?
For patients who have more than one aesthetic concern or who would like to improve multiple regions of the face/body, a combination treatment plan can have many benefits. On top of attaining a more harmonious and comprehensive outcome, a Mommy Makeover can allow patients to achieve many of their aesthetic goals simultaneously. Whether your surgical plan is completed during one procedure or in stages, a Mommy Makeover can be personalized to:
- Repair abdominal muscles separated by pregnancy
- Smooth bulges around the body or reduce a “double chin”
- Get rid of loose skin in the abdominal area
- Rejuvenate drooping breasts
- Restore/enlarge breast volume
- Reduce signs of facial aging
More than one procedure can often be performed at the same time, yielding the benefits of multiple treatment options for a single recovery period. This all depends on the details of your treatment plan, which Dr. Leber will review with you to ensure you understand what to expect from your Mommy Makeover.
Who is a Candidate for a Mommy Makeover?
A Mommy Makeover can be an effective treatment option for women who want to address more than one aesthetic concern caused by pregnancy and/or nursing, such as deflated breast volume, loose skin, stretched musculature, or excess fat. Most of these issues cannot be improved with dieting and exercise alone, prompting many patients to seek out cosmetic treatments to help them achieve their ideal look.
If you’re considering a Mommy Makeover, Dr. Leber will review your medical history, evaluate your concerns, and discuss your overall goals to help ensure you:
- Have realistic expectations for the outcome of surgery
- Be in good enough physical health to contend with recovery
- Have no unmanaged medical conditions that can inhibit the healing process
- Are at or near your ideal weight
Although these cosmetic procedures should not affect your ability to get pregnant or breastfeed in the future, Dr. Leber recommends undergoing a Mommy Makeover only after you do not plan to have more children. Future pregnancy will likely affect the outcome achieved with your Mommy Makevoer and may even recreate the same issues you sought to resolve in the first place.
What Does a Mommy Makeover Consist Of?
A Mommy Makeover is customized according to your needs and cosmetic goals. In general, the abdomen and the breasts usually experience the most changes throughout pregnancy and nursing, making abdominoplasty and breast surgery popular options in a Mommy Makeover. Upon an initial consultation, Dr. Leber will ask you about your reasons for surgery, review your medical history, and examine your areas of concern. Together, the two of you will formulate the most ideal treatment plan to achieve your desired aesthetic.
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
One of the most prominent effects of pregnancy is the appearance of a protruding abdomen, which typically results from stretched abdominal muscles combined with loose skin and fatty deposits. If you wish to achieve a slimmer and smoother look in the abdomen, a tummy tuck may be the solution to your concerns. Medically referred to as abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck can improve your body contour by bringing together separated musculature, removing excess skin on the abdominal wall, and tightening remaining tissue for a more rejuvenated aesthetic.
Breast Surgery
After pregnancy, it is not uncommon for the breasts to lose volume and appear flat or “deflated.” Breastfeeding—compounded by the natural effects of gravity, aging, skin laxity, and weight fluctuation—can also cause breast sag and a loss of youthful projection. Dr. Leber offers a variety of surgical procedures to rejuvenate the breast aesthetic for an improved silhouette and natural-looking results.
If you wish to restore lost volume and/or correct asymmetry, breast augmentation is a popular treatment that can be customized to attain your ideal breast size and shape. A breast lift is also frequently pursued as part of a Mommy Makeover to reshape the breasts and raise them to a more youthful positioning on the chest wall. Dr. Leber often performs both treatments in conjunction with each other, combining the benefits of both surgeries in a comprehensive breast lift with implants procedure.
Liposuction
When stubborn fat pockets remain unaffected by dieting or exercise efforts, liposuction can be an excellent treatment option to remove targeted areas of localized fat for a smoother, leaner aesthetic. The procedure involves gently suctioning out excess fat through a narrow tube called a cannula for meticulous and targeted removal. Common treatment sites include the abdomen, flanks, upper back, thighs, and arms, with liposuction capable of improving the contour in virtually any body area.
Facial Rejuvenation
If your cosmetic goals include refreshing a tired, stressed, or aged appearance, surgical or non-surgical facial rejuvenation can act as an effective complement to other Mommy Makeover procedures. Minimally invasive treatments like BOTOX® Cosmetic and injectable dermal fillers can smooth away pronounced facial creases, such as frown lines, nasolabial folds (parentheses wrinkles), marionette lines, and other common indicators of age, without surgery or downtime. For patients seeking more enduring results than can be achieved with non-surgical treatment, fat transfer to the face is often utilized to restore volume in the cheeks, tear troughs, or other regions that lack youthful fullness.
What is Recovery After a Mommy Makeover Like?
The recovery period for a Mommy Makeover is different for each patient and usually depends on the details of your treatment plan, including whether each treatment was performed in one surgery or separated out in multiple stages. Dr. Leber will provide detailed recovery instructions for your Mommy Makeover in person, but most patients typically require one to two weeks of downtime before making a full return to their daily routines.
Mommy Makeover Recovery Tips
Our team understands that most Mommy Makeover patients are used to juggling the responsibilities of having a child around the house, which can make their recovery period more demanding when compared to other individuals. To help ensure you receive the rest your body requires after surgery, Dr. Leber recommends arranging for assistance in childcare duties that involve the supervision of toddlers, driving, or heavy lifting for the first few days of recovery. Since mobility will likely be limited, this help can be invaluable—especially immediately when you are in the initial stages of healing. Other recovery tips following a Mommy Makeover include:
- Meal prepping before your surgery to minimize the need to cook during recovery
- Lightly ambulating (walking around, standing, etc.) as soon as you are able to
- Enlisting childcare to keep your kid(s) occupied and entertained while you rest
- Not attempting to prematurely resume your everyday responsibilities before you are ready
Please don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Leber or our office for advice or additional information about what to expect after a Mommy Makeover.
Do Mommy Makeover Results Last Forever?
In general, the outcome of a Mommy Makeover is designed to last indefinitely. Depending on the procedures included in your surgical plan, results should endure for at least 10 to 15 years — perhaps longer. It’s important to remember that undergoing a Mommy Makeover can allow you to look younger and more sculpted than individuals who have similar concerns and never received surgery.
Ultimately, your breast and body contours should remain stable as long as you don’t experience any significant weight fluctuations. That said, we recommend maintaining an active lifestyle consisting of a healthy diet and regular exercise to preserve the integrity of your final results. Since pregnancy and breastfeeding can also change the shape of your contours, Dr. Leber usually suggests undergoing a Mommy Makeover only after your family is complete. Having children after surgery can recreate the same concerns treated during your procedure(s) — such as stretched skin and separated abdominal muscles — potentially reversing the outcome of your Mommy Makeover.
How Much Does a Mommy Makeover Cost?
Since each Mommy Makeover is tailored to an individual’s unique concerns, the cost of a Mommy Makeover will also vary from patient-to-patient. Factors that can affect your cost estimate include which procedures your Mommy Makeover consisted of, whether breast implants were utilized, and the overall complexity of your surgical plan. While the exact cost of this series of treatments is impossible to estimate without knowledge of your unique needs, patient reviews from Realself.com approximate the average cost of a Mommy Makeover near Scottsdale at around $16,125, with the price ranging anywhere from $11,400 to $22,100.
After you see Dr. Leber in a consultation, our office will be able to provide you with a personalized quote of your Mommy Makeover expenses. To make the cost of treatment more affordable, Dr. Leber works with some of the leading plastic surgery financing companies in the nation, including CareCredit® and Prosper® Healthcare Lending. These options can make it possible for qualified applicants to pay for their Mommy Makeover over time, rather than in a lump sum, with a number of low- to no-interest financing plans that can be chosen to accommodate your budgetary concerns. If you have any other questions about the cost of a Mommy Makeover or our accepted payment methods, please reach out to our practice to speak to a friendly member of our team.
Will I Have Visible Mommy Makeover Scars?
Every surgical procedure will leave some extent of scarring, but the exact appearance of your Mommy Makeover scars will depend on which treatment options are incorporated into your treatment plan. If you plan to undergo liposuction, the incision is typically very short and discreetly placed near the area(s) targeted for fat reduction. All scars from breast surgery can usually be concealed under a bra or bikini top, with some breast enhancement techniques even confining the incision around the borders of the areola. In most cases though, breast surgery scars often resemble a keyhole or anchor-shaped incision over the breast. Scarring from abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck surgery, is unavoidable but appears very low on the pubis in an area covered by most types of underwear. Facial injectables typically do not leave any noticeable or significant scarring.
When’s the Best Time for a Mommy Makeover?
Dr. Leber generally recommends postponing a Mommy Makeover until approximately six months to one year after having children. While many patients are eager to regain their pre-pregnancy figure as soon as possible, this waiting period allows your body time to properly recover after the stressors of pregnancy and having your child. The outcome of a Mommy Makeover may also be enhanced when a patient has fully recuperated from childbirth and is able to better withstand surgery and the subsequent recovery period.
Another factor to consider when gauging the best time for your Mommy Makeover is whether you’re near your ideal weight. In general, the quality of Mommy Makeover results is superior when a patient is close to their desired weight range. Since the procedures incorporated into a Mommy Makeover are not designed to produce weight loss, the six-month waiting period can give individuals the opportunity to lose any excess weight gained during their pregnancy prior to surgery.
Depending on which procedures you’re interested in, you may be able to undergo less invasive procedures like liposuction and facial rejuvenation relatively sooner. Dr. Leber will help you assess this possibility during your consultation.
Are There Alternatives to a Mommy Makeover?
A Mommy Makeover can help many women achieve the more sculpted, defined appearance they desire, but it may not be the best treatment choice for every patient. For some, a lower body lift can be more effective in addressing loose skin, sagging tissue, and a general lack of skin elasticity. A lower body lift is also a comprehensive treatment plan that combines multiple procedures, only the concerns addressed are typically the result of weight loss rather than pregnancy and breastfeeding. Excessive weight loss can leave behind hanging skin in the thighs, buttocks, hips, and abdomen, sometimes resulting in issues like chafing and irritation on top of aesthetic concerns. Depending on the location of excess skin buildup, a body lift can include any combination of a tummy tuck, thigh lift, buttock lift, or arm lift. Dr. Leber would be happy to advise you on the best treatments to achieve your goals after evaluating your concerns in person.
Additional Mommy Makeover FAQs
Will a Mommy Makeover be performed in one surgery?
A Mommy Makeover is completely personalized according to your preferences and aesthetic concerns, therefore the details of each treatment plan vary from patient to patient. The timeline of your Mommy Makeover will depend on the types of procedures chosen and your individual needs. While some patients may complete their Mommy Makeover in one surgery, others may require multiple separate procedures to attain an optimal outcome. Dr. Leber will recommend the best approach for you once he has a more thorough understanding of your goals.
Is a Mommy Makeover just for mothers?
Although a Mommy Makeover is frequently pursued to reverse the changes brought on by pregnancy and breastfeeding, any patient who would like to address more than one region of the face or body can be a candidate for treatment. In essence, a Mommy Makeover is simply a combination treatment plan consisting of multiple cosmetic surgery procedures. While these aesthetic services are popular among those who have had children, a patient doesn’t necessarily have to undergo pregnancy to receive a tailored surgical plan. For individuals who have lost a significant amount of weight through dieting or a bariatric procedure, Dr. Leber also offers a lower body lift to remove excess skin from the thighs, abdomen, and buttocks, among other regions of the body. This option also involves a personalized surgical plan, and may be more ideal for patients who are primarily concerned with correcting loose, excess skin.
How safe is a Mommy Makeover?
When planned and performed by an experienced plastic surgeon, a Mommy Makeover is considered a safe and effective way to restore your pre-baby figure. While every surgical procedure involves some degree of risk, selecting a well-trained aesthetic surgeon to achieve your goals is key to maximizing your safety throughout the entire process. Board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons (ABPS), in particular, is a credential that ensures your surgeon is qualified to perform surgery on the face and all areas of the body.
ABPS-certified plastic surgeons have completed a minimum of five years of surgical training following medical school, including an accredited plastic surgery residency program. In addition, members of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) are at least in their third year of active practice following ABPS certification, and have experience performing a wide range of cosmetic procedures. Maintaining these certifications requires ongoing education. Remember, any licensed physician is legally allowed to advertise as a “plastic” or “cosmetic” surgeon — even if he or she has no formal training. Selecting an ASAPS-member plastic surgeon is our assurance of quality training and credentials. Choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon to perform your Mommy Makeover can give you the confidence of knowing you are in the best possible care.
Can I still gain weight after a Mommy Makeover?
Yes, undergoing a Mommy Makeover does not prevent patients from gaining weight after their procedure. While most Mommy Makeovers incorporate a body sculpting procedure that can remove excess fat, cosmetic surgery in general does not negate the possibility of weight gain. Fat cells can still shrink and enlarge with future weight fluctuation, which means patients should commit to a healthy lifestyle after their Mommy Makeover in order to maintain their results.
Questions? Please contact our practice to learn more about a Mommy Makeover, or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Leber.