Many women wish they could return to the way their bodies looked before they went through pregnancy and childbirth. This isn’t surprising. Childbearing takes its toll on the body. You may notice excess skin and fat in the stomach, stretch marks, cellulite, altered breasts, and more physical changes after having a child.
Mommy Makeovers are a combination of custom-tailored procedures intended to reduce the effects of childbirth on a woman’s body. The procedures often include tummy tucks and breast augmentation among other treatments. The procedures are often completed in one session, but can be broken into multiple sessions depending on the complexity and number of treatments needed. Here are a few things to expect from a Mommy Makeover procedure.
For most healthy women a Mommy Makeover can be an excellent solution to the negative body effects of a pregnancy. Women that smoke or use other tobacco products should not get a Mommy Makeover unless they have quit for a sufficient amount of time. Tobacco inhibits the healing process. A Mommy Makeover is not a good idea for women that plan on having more children in the future or for those that aren’t sure yet if they would like to have another baby. A Mommy Makeover should only be performed on women that are finished having children because a future pregnancy can undo the effects of the Mommy Makeover surgery.
Many women are able to go home the day that the procedure is performed. It can take a while to heal so you should get help caring for your children during the recovery process. You must allow your body plenty of time to heal properly. Many women find that they can return to work after two to four weeks. This does depend on your body’s healing capabilities, the complexity of your Mommy Makeover procedure, whether it was done in one or more sessions, and other factors such as overall health and nutrition that aid in the healing process. You will need to stick with your surgeon’s recommendations at this time and follow through with all medications prescribed and instructions given. You won’t want to do any strenuous physical activity, but it is important that you walk around frequently to prevent blood clots from forming. Expect some pain, swelling, bruising, and wound draining during the recovery period.
Of course, women undergo Mommy Makeovers for the purpose of physically changing their bodies. You can expect the removal of excess skin and fat deposits, firmer and lifted breasts, flatter stomachs, and improved contours among other physical benefits. Unfortunately, as with all major surgeries, incision scars are inevitable. Speak with your surgeon for advice on how to minimize the scars from the procedure. Following through with postoperative instructions can greatly reduce the appearance of scars since you are allowing your body to heal correctly. Be sure to shield your scar tissue from the sun when going outside to prevent further discoloration and skin damage.