Mommy Makeover treatment addresses the various areas of the body that are affected by pregnancy and breastfeeding. This makeover is popular because concerns are addressed in a single surgical process. The typical Mommy Makeover consists of 2 to 3 surgical techniques, such as breast lift, breast augmentation, liposuction, and abdominoplasty. By combining techniques, risks and recovery are diminished while rewards are maximized. Understandably, the idea of multiple procedures at once can seem intimidating. Not to worry, we’ve got you covered with simple tips to help you recover well.

Arrange Sufficient Time Off

Surgeons typically advise patients to take 2 weeks off from a desk job and 3 or 4 weeks off from a job that is more physically demanding. It is important to acknowledge motherhood itself as a physically demanding job. Therefore, for the month after a Mommy Makeover, patients will need additional hands on deck taking care of children, pets, and the home.

Healthy Habits to Embrace after a Mommy Makeover

Healthy habits feed the mind and body during the healing process. Suggestions from doctors and patients include:

Manage stress. Moms fill many roles, most of which need to be handed off to lower stress after surgery. Prepare with tasks such as:

• Meal prep before surgery so quick, healthy meals are readily available.
• Create a chore chart for the family.
• Create a “caregiver” list to include those who will help with bathing, medications, and keeping company.
• Handle all loose ends at work before surgery. Let work associates know you are unreachable for at least one week after surgery.
• Change your voicemail to reflect that you are unavailable until a certain date.
• Have the house cleaned the day before surgery so you return from surgery to a stress-free environment.

Prioritize Hydration

We are advised to drink 8 glasses of water a day. That equates to 64 ounces. However, when recovering from surgery and taking prescription pain medications, dehydration may occur more easily. At this time, it is beneficial to increase water consumption to at least 80 ounces of water a day. Prioritize hydration by:

• Keeping a large water bottle on the nightstand or wherever you are resting. Make water more interesting by adding sliced lemon or cucumber to the bottle. Cranberry juice can also be mixed in to add flavor.
• Eat water-dense foods like cucumbers, celery, watermelon, and citrus fruits.
• Keep a humidifier in your space to hydrate from the outside in.

Read Some Books

One of the toughest parts about surgical recovery is that boredom can set in very quickly. After a Mommy Makeover, you cannot exercise for several weeks. While you can take short walks, this doesn’t take up much of your time. The recovery period after a Mommy Makeover is a great time to read that book you bought but never opened. Other options include coloring, word-searches or crossword puzzles. The point is to keep your mind occupied and fed with uplifting or intriguing entertainment. This strategy is very useful in preventing the blues that can occur after surgery.

Stay in the Positive

Being surrounded by positivity is good for all of us at any time, but especially when healing from surgery.

• Put positive quotes where you can see them
• Write in a journal
• Diffuse calming or uplifting essential oils (think lavender and wild orange)
• Open the windows to enjoy fresh air and sunlight
• Play uplifting music
• Keep in touch with close friends

Now is a great time to learn more about a Mommy Makeover. To schedule a consultation in our Cincinnati office, call 513.985.0850.

For as long as plastic surgery procedures have been performed in our country, there has been a stigma around them. Celebrities who had plastic surgery were “outed” later, after vehemently denying the work they’d had done. We may be told in subtle and not-so-subtle ways that we should look younger naturally, without any assistance. Some people who express an interest in plastic surgery are questioned about their motives and even their emotional health. These viewpoints do not exist in other countries. In Brazil, for instance, plastic surgery is viewed as a pathway to enhance self-esteem, not to correct something that is “wrong.” A woman in Brazil would receive no flack for wanting plastic surgery. For a woman in America, wanting to reverse what pregnancy and breastfeeding have done to her body may be met with disdain and shaming.

Motherhood is an honor that comes with sacrifice. Not all of the sacrifices a woman makes for her children have to go on forever, though. At some point, children grow up and leave the nest. Why should Mom be left with a lasting “badge of honor” that robs her of her self-confidence? When a Mommy Makeover can correct the common cosmetic concerns of motherhood, there is no reason NOT to do this for you and you alone.

Reasons for a Mommy Makeover

A Mommy Makeover may be sought for several different benefits, such as perkier breasts or a flatter stomach. Beyond benefits, though, a Mommy Makeover by be sought because:

Healthy Habits May Not Be Enough

A woman may eat all the right things to lose the baby weight. She may walk or swim or hit the gym several days a week to drop pounds and tighten her muscles. However, many women discover that this isn’t enough. To eat well and exercise can feel like an amazing thing to do for the body. But when results fall short of expectations, there is an inevitable let-down. Diet and exercise may help with overall weight, strength, and vitality, but they may not fully tighten the abdomen and are very unlikely to lift the breasts.

Pregnancy-Related Changes aren’t Merely Cosmetic

Sometimes, the stretching that occurs during pregnancy expands the midsection to such an extent that the abdominal muscles separate. This is referred to as diastasis recti. Exercise can tone the abdominal muscles but will not cause them to grow back together. Other medical concerns related to severe abdominal laxity include urinary incontinence, hernia, and low back pain.

It’s Nice to Regain Control

Motherhood changes a woman in many ways. A woman may quickly learn that much of what happens in motherhood is beyond her control to prevent. Pregnancy-related physical changes don’t have to be included in that. A Mommy Makeover can reinstate the shape that reflects a woman’s sense of her feminine self beyond motherhood.

Learn more about your ideal Mommy Makeover process. Schedule a consultation at our Cincinnati office by calling 513.985.0850.