Your body goes through an incredible transformation before, during, and after pregnancy. More often than not, these pregnancy-related changes can leave you with stretch marks, loose abdominal skin, and deflated breasts, droopy breasts. You also have to contend with the extra baby weight that stubbornly sticks around and won’t respond to diet and exercise. If you long to have your firm, pretty curves back, turn to Dr. Vu of California Aesthetic Center in Huntington Beach, Orange County for a total body makeover known as a mommy makeover.
What Is a mommy makeover?
A mommy makeover is a collection of plastic surgery procedures that are meant to restore your pre-pregnancy physique. Some of the procedures chosen for this may include, but are not limited to:
- Breast augmentation
- Breast reduction
- Breast lift
- Tummy Tuck
- Liposuction
Who Is A Good Candidate for a Mommy Makeover?
Childbirth or pregnancy is hard on your body. Other factors such as breastfeeding and sleepless nights add to the problem. If you live in Huntington Beach, Orange County and you are having trouble restoring your body back to its pre-baby days after pregnancy, plastic surgery can address and correct these changes. Ideal candidates for the procedure are usually women who:
- Don’t plan to have any more children
- Have certain bodily issues that have not responded to exercise or diets
- Are done with breastfeeding in order to undergo breast procedures
- Have taken time off to allow for a full recovery following their Mommy Makeover
- Are in good general health
- Have realistic expectations for their combination of surgeries
- Are in good psychological health
- Are non-smokers, as smoking may complicate your plastic surgery and recovery process
What Areas Does a Mommy Makeover Target?
Breasts
The breasts are often fuller and firmer during and after pregnancy. However, this is generally short-lived as they can sag and droop over time. The skin can sag, and the areola may widen. Procedures such as breast augmentation where you add silicone or saline implants can help restore the breasts back to their original appearance or enhance them.
Abdomen
During pregnancy, the abdomen tends to stretch out as the baby grows and the breasts become full of milk. After giving birth, new mothers begin to lose weight, but their skin won’t shrink back to its pre-pregnancy tautness. Additionally, women frequently suffer from diastasis recti, or separated abdominal muscles, during pregnancy. This occurs as the abdominal wall muscles separate, causing a bulge that cannot be corrected without surgery. And finally, women who have a C-section may have uneven scars, or in the case of an emergency C-section, a vertical scar that extends well above the bikini line.
Thighs & Hips
Taking off the weight gained can be much harder after giving birth. Fat usually accumulates on the outer thighs, the hips, and the back region. It can become downright impossible to get rid of it through traditional means that might have worked before like exercise plans and diets. Procedures such as liposuction can contour these areas to achieve your desired look.
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What Procedures Are Part of a Mommy Makeover?
Breast Augmentation
This surgery strives to bring your breast cup size back to its original appearance pre-pregnancy state and even allows you to go a little bigger if you’d like. Also known as breast enlargement, this surgery accommodates the use of silicone or gel-based implants. The final result depends on the patient’s body, the look or shape desired, and the desired cup size. Dr. Vu of Huntington Beach, Orange County, works very carefully with you to select the most flattering breast size. While some women only want to regain the volume they’ve lost, others want to move up a size. As such, special consideration must be made to ensure that the breast implant size, shape, and profile will suit your frame.
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Breast Lift
This plastic surgery procedure is meant to improve the appearance of sagging breasts that have become that way due to pregnancy and breastfeeding. Also known as mastopexy, this surgery addresses the skin of the breasts, volume, and connective tissue. In other words, it removes or reshapes excess skin, repositions the nipples, and raises the remaining tissue.
Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck procedure relieves skin sagging in the abdomen and repairs separated abdominal muscles. While this surgery does not you lose weight, it is meant to flatten an area that just won’t tighten. Tummy tucks come in three categories:
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- Mini tummy tuck – This is a scarless tummy tuck that results in very small scars. It is used to tighten the lower skin of the abdominal wall.
- Standard tummy tuck – This procedure tightens the skin of the abdominal wall and involves moderate scarring.
- Extended tummy tuck – This involves extreme cases of skin and tissue. It is used to tighten the abdomen, sides, or flanks.
Liposuction
While liposuction is not a weight-loss procedure, the surgery can around remove 4 lbs of fat per session, on average. However, liposuction can remove stubborn fat deposits that won’t go away despite proper diet and exercise. The procedure can take anywhere from two hours to 45 minutes. The fat is removed through a vacuum-like process and is designed to create a smoother body contour.
You probably have a good idea of the areas of your body that you’re most unhappy with. Dr. Vu will work with you to prepare a personalized treatment plan that is just right for you.
What Can I Expect During Mommy Makeover Recovery?
If you decide that a Mommy Makeover is for you, Dr. Vu will give you a list of do’s and don’ts that you must follow for optimal results. To be clear – in order to achieve your goals and have a speedy, safe recovery, you must be committed. One of the greatest benefits of a Mommy Makeover is that you are able to recover from your combination of surgeries at the same time, which helps busy moms in Huntington Beach, Orange County who don’t have the luxury of downtime.
These surgeries require general anesthesia, and you will need assistance for at least several days. Assistance includes everything, note:
- Until the bandages are removed, patients shouldn’t shower or get the surgical sites wet.
- Surgical garments will need to be worn to promote healing and prevent blood clots from forming.
- Swelling and bruising is to be expected but will subside with time.
- Avoid engaging in any strenuous activities for an extended period.
Remember that a Mommy Makeover is a serious surgery, and although you may be feeling better, you cannot risk the chance of tearing your stitches or incurring other complications, such as an infection. Take it easy – this is “me” time. Dr. Vu knows that it’s hard for busy moms like you to find time to focus solely on yourself. But you’ll need to enlist the help of friends, family, or an in-home care team as you recover from your plastic surgery procedures because, despite your instincts, you’re going to need to put yourself first for a few weeks. This means you won’t be able to lift or carry small children, you’ll need plenty of time to rest and recover, and you won’t be able to run errands or perform your other normal household and mommy tasks.
Get Your Mommy Makeover in Huntington Beach, Orange County
While bringing life into this world can be an incredible experience, it can do a lot of damage to your body. A mommy makeover helps transform it back into a youthful, toned, sculpted figure! Schedule a consultation at our Orange County office in Huntington Beach today at (714) 848-1133 to learn more about how a mommy makeover can restore your pre-baby body.