10 Apr 2024 | by Dr. Sean Doherty, MD, FACS
Mommy Makeover, a term that was probably made up by a marketing team somewhere, has become part of our aesthetic lexicon. It refers to a combination of plastic surgery procedures that address the two most common problem areas for women who have had children — the breasts and the abdomen. While many plastic surgeons extoll the benefit of performing the two surgeries at once, I often split the procedures as I’ve found that women who have had multiple children tend to need considerable rejuvenation. This entails bigger surgeries that I don’t always feel are safe to perform at the same time. A Mommy Makeover can deliver truly transformational results, but it is important to have realistic expectations about the procedures and the recovery.
Mommy Makeover is a Journey
Children are a gift. Having said that, pregnancy and breastfeeding can take a serious toll on the skin, tissues and muscles of your body. While some women bounce back, others, despite a healthy diet and consistent exercise routine, are never able to retrieve their pre-pregnancy body. This is particularly true for women who had multiple children and/or carried twins.
Women who come in to see me to discuss a Mommy Makeover are frustrated with how they look, and, more importantly, they often talk about not feeling like themselves. I think this is why a Mommy Makeover can deliver such a profound result as it rejuvenates both your body and your soul. But despite what the internet may imply, you are not going to get overnight results. A Mommy Makeover is a journey. Also, my typical Mommy Makeover patient has children to take care of at home and maybe another full-time job as well. This is why it is so important to consider every aspect of your life when considering surgery and recovery.
What to Expect with a Mommy Makeover in Boston
I find that most women who’ve had multiple children are not always great candidates for a breast augmentation alone as the skin of the breast can stretch to the point where it needs to be surgically lifted. For this reason, most of my Mommy Makeover patients typically require a:
• Breast Lift, also known as Mastopexy
• Mastopexy Augmentation (Breast Lift with an Implant)
• Breast Reduction
All three of these procedures are more intense that an augmentation alone, requiring longer surgical time. This is why I often split the abdominal and breast procedures as it is the overall surgery time that dictates safety. And a safe, exemplary result is always the primary goal. Furthermore, rejuvenating the abdomen is often going to entail a full tummy tuck, not a mini tummy tuck. This is probably the most robust procedure that I perform. I will also usually combine it with liposuction to the hips, flanks and back in order to sculpt your ideal torso. Incredibly powerful, a tummy tuck does require significant downtime. Having these two big procedures at once may be too much. During your initial consultation, I will examine you in person and we can have a frank conversation about the best choices for your anatomy as well as whether or not it makes sense to perform the two procedures at the same time or split them.
To find out more about a Mommy Makeover, or any other surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Sean Doherty at Boston Center for Plastic Surgery, contact us today or call (617) 450-0070 to schedule a consultation.
