After the changes in weight and constitution that take place during pregnancy and childbirth, the woman’s body, especially in the breast and abdominal area, may suffer from sequelae.
The term mommy makeover refers to the “remodeling” or “renewal” of the woman after the experience of becoming a mother. Pregnancy and breastfeeding produce changes in the female body that leave a mark that is difficult to recover with physical exercise, diets and cosmetic treatments. The mommy makeover phenomenon is a set of surgeries aimed at restoring the pre-pregnancy figure, especially in the abdomen and breasts, which can be performed in the same session. In recent years it has become fashionable because many celebrities have opted for surgery to regain their lost figure.
The surgeries most commonly performed after childbirth focus on the areas most affected by the changes during pregnancy:
- The abdomen: correction of the cesarean scar, a mini-abdominoplasty or a complete abdominoplasty, associated or not with liposuction of other areas.
- The breasts: mastopexy (breast lift), breast augmentation with prosthesis or breast augmentation with own fat after liposuction.
- The body contour can be affected by fat accumulation “rebellious” to diet and exercise. Liposuction is a good technique to treat them.
Two areas can be treated in the same surgical procedure. For example, an abdominoplasty can be performed to treat distension of the abdominal muscles and excess skin; and also a breast surgery, either a breast augmentation to fill the redundant skin of the breast after breastfeeding or a breast lift, called mastopexy. Liposuction can be associated to sculpt areas such as cartridge and waist where fat deposits are often difficult to lower after pregnancy.
Abdominoplasty, mastopexy, breast augmentation and liposuction are common surgeries that carry few risks and complications. The combination of two or more procedures reduces the total operating room and postoperative time compared to if performed separately.
If the patient is treated in two areas in the same surgery, for example the abdomen and breasts, you must rest for a maximum of three weeks, and can return to normal life in a month. During the first weeks, lymphatic drainage will be performed to reduce the postoperative edema.
Plastic surgery at the time of cesarean section?
This type of surgeries oriented to reestablish the woman’s figure after pregnancy are not recommended to be performed at the same time of the cesarean section; since the abdominal tissues are in their maximum expansion and it is necessary to wait for the tissues to recover their shape, as far as possible.
In fact, specialists in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery recommend waiting six months to undergo this type of surgery. In this way the hormonal balance will have been reestablished and the tissues that have been distended will have returned to accommodate as much as possible. A good diet and physical activity are essential to recover as much as possible your previous form. In the case of breastfeeding and breast augmentation surgery, you should wait between three and six months after the end of breastfeeding, as the mammary gland undergoes an involution, that is, it decreases in size.