What is a Mommy Makeover?

A mommy makeover is a combination of various procedures designed to restore the breasts and abdomen after pregnancy. The effects of child-bearing are unique to each patient, and Dr. Yates tailors her techniques to meet the exact needs of her patients. Breastfeeding often causes sagging of the breasts, which may be addressed by a mastopexy (breast lift), breast augmentation with implants, or a combination of the two procedures. In addition to these procedures, abdominoplasty and liposuction procedures will flatten the abdomen and contour the waist. In other cases, if childbirth has caused stretching of the labia minora, then Dr. Yates can remove the excess skin.

How much does a Mommy Makeover cost?

$12,000-$18,000 depending on what is being done, i.e., tummy, breast, neck, arms, thighs, or combination of all the above. Each patient is different, and costs may vary based on complexity. After the initial consultation with Dr. Yates, you will receive a cost estimate based on your desired areas of transformation.

Am I a good candidate for a Mommy Makeover?

You are a good candidate for the Mommy Makeover procedure if:

• You feel that your family is complete and you are not planning to get pregnant in the future;
• You are done breastfeeding at least six months before undergoing the intervention;
• You have a stable, normal weight;
• You want to improve the aspect of the breasts and tummy that were affected by pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Will a Mommy Makeover give me back my pre-pregnancy body?

The intervention is performed with the aim of enhancing the overall aspect of the body; however, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll look just as you did before you got pregnant. There are changes in the body that affect us in the long run. What a Mommy Makeover can do is to refine and redefine every aspect of your body. In some cases, patients look better than before getting pregnant!

Make sure to discuss your expectations from the surgery during the initial consultation with Dr. Yates to get satisfactory results after the procedure.

What are the benefits of a Mommy Makeover?

Addresses multiple sites of the body in a tailor-made plan for each patient to reverse the body changes due to childhood, such as abdominal bulges, loose skin, stretch marks, deflated, or sagging breasts.

After undergoing the Mommy Makeover procedure, patients can enhance the aspect of the body on multiple levels, as the intervention targets more than one area. Hence, the results are impressive, and the change is radical.

Procedures performed as part of the Mommy Makeover?

The Mommy Makeover intervention is customized to cater to the needs of specific patients. Generally speaking, we address areas such as the breasts and the tummy, but, in some cases, other areas of the body can be targeted during the surgery.

When it comes to the breasts, there are different procedures that can be performed during the Mommy Makeover. If after pregnancy and childbirth you are left with droopy breasts that look deflated, like empty bags, the chances are you need a breast lift to get perky breasts again.

If you are satisfied with the size of the breasts, the breast lift procedure ensures the breasts' volume stays the same, and the breasts are elevated on the chest wall. However, if you are not happy with the size of the breasts, the breast lift intervention can be performed with breast implants to add more volume. The procedure is similar to the breast augmentation intervention; the main difference is that Dr. Yates will also eliminate the excess skin and reposition the glandular tissue in a normal position on the chest wall.

Breast reduction surgery is also an option for patients getting the Mommy Makeover procedure. During the breast reduction intervention, Dr. Yates eliminates the excess of glandular tissue, as well as the surplus of skin to create smaller, perkier breasts.

Aside from the breast procedure, the Mommy Makeover intervention also entails liposuction and a tummy tuck.

Liposuction is one of the minimally invasive plastic surgery procedures that can deliver impressive results. We use liposuction to get rid of unwanted fat deposits from different areas of the body. In the case of Mommy Makeover, Dr. Yates often performs liposuction on the abdominal area, but in some cases, other areas might need to be addressed with liposuction. With liposuction, we can sculpt the body and get a better-defined contour in areas with fat bulges or other imperfections caused by the excessive fat deposit.

The tummy tuck is the intervention performed to help the patient get a firm and flat tummy. The tummy area is one of the most affected when it comes to pregnancy. The abdominal muscles can be affected by the growth of the uterus and develop a condition called diastasis recti – the distension of the right and left abdominal muscles. Because of this condition, it might look like there is a gap between the right and left abdominal muscles, and the tummy never looks flat, even if you don’t have an excess of fat in the area.

The tummy tuck procedure is often performed on patients with an excess of skin tissue at the level of the inferior part of the tummy. In some cases, the skin sagginess is severe, and the “belly apron” can cover the suprapubic area partly or entirely. If the skin sagginess is also present at the level of the flanks, a more complex abdominoplasty might need to be performed – circumferential tummy tuck.

What should I do to prepare for my Mommy Makeover?

• Optimize your nutrition
• Stabilize your weight
• Arrange help for their family and childcare for two weeks during recovery

Preparing for the Mommy Makeover intervention is an important step in achieving satisfactory results. Patients are advised to avoid overly strict diets, as well as excessive eating before the procedure. Anti-inflammatory medication, as well as birth control pills, should be stopped at least two weeks before the procedure is scheduled.

As the procedure targets new mothers, it’s also important to make sure you have help available for at least a week or two after the intervention. As the intervention works on different levels of the body, you are not allowed to stretch your arms too much to not rupture the incisions. At the same time, lifting your little ones in your arms is to be avoided for at least two weeks for the same reason.

What happens during a Mommy Makeover surgery?

As we’ve mentioned before, the Mommy Makeover is a tailor-made surgery. In other words, the surgical plan is customized to fit the needs of each patient. One patient can get a breast lift and a tummy tuck, while another one can have a breast lift with implants, liposuction, tummy tuck, as well as other procedures that are considered necessary.

The surgery can take up to five hours and even more, and it can only be performed with the patient under general anesthesia. After this, incisions are performed on the first area targeted with the procedure, usually the breasts. A breast lift, breast lift with implants, breast augmentation, and even a breast reduction can be performed to enhance the appearance of the breasts. The tummy area is addressed next. Dr. Yates will perform liposuction if needed, then make the incisions for the tummy tuck. Weak abdominal muscles are strengthened, a potential umbilical hernia is corrected, and the excess skin is removed to get a firm and flat tummy after the surgery.

What is the recovery process for a Mommy Makeover?

For a few days after the Mommy Makeover procedure, the patient can experience mild pain and discomfort that are easily alleviated with the help of analgesic medication. However, this doesn’t mean that you’ll spend all day in bed. Getting off the bed and walking for a few minutes every few hours is necessary for a fast recovery period.

To maximize the results achieved with the intervention, the patient might need to wear a special post-operative bra to sustain the weight of newly augmented breasts. Walking with the back slightly bent is also recommended for the first week after the surgery to avoid unnecessary pressure on the incisions of the tummy tuck.

If liposuction was a part of the Mommy Makeover, a corset might refine the results even more and help reduce swelling that can occur after the procedure.

Keep in mind that it can be up to six weeks or more before the patient can return to the gym and heavy weight lifting.

What happens if I get pregnant after getting a Mommy Makeover?

The recommendation is to schedule the procedure when you are not planning to have any more children. An ulterior pregnancy and breastfeeding can alter the results achieved with plastic surgery.

To ensure long-lasting results after a Mommy Makeover, patients are advised to keep a stable weight. Pregnancy is often associated with considerable weight gain, so this will affect the aspect of the tummy and breasts. More than this, the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and breastfeeding can also affect the results of the surgery.

Want to learn more about Mommy Makeovers

• 5 Mommy Makeover Myths
• How to Get Your Body Back after Pregnancy
• Best plastic surgery procedures for new moms
• When is a good time for a Mommy Makeover?
• Thinking of a Mommy Makeover? Here are the Top Benefits