Here at Northstate Plastic Surgery, we understand the toll that pregnancy and breastfeeding can have on a female’s body. Located in Chico, CA, Dr. Kevin Myers will strive to help you achieve the body you want to have with a Mommy Makeover. This is the term used for a combination of multiple different procedures unique to each patient that focuses on common areas affected by a pregnancy, including the breasts, abdomen, and butt.
What Procedures Are in a Mommy Makeover?
Each individual has a unique body and desires, so discussing all the options with one of our surgeons is vital. However, the list of most common procedures typically used to restore a body’s shape post-pregnancy include:
- Tummy Tucks
- Breast Lift
- Breast Augmentation
- Breast Reduction
- Liposuction
Which procedures are chosen depends on the:
- Health history of the patient
- Expected results
- Motivations for the procedure
- Incision placements
- If/Which kind of implants are used
Tummy Tuck
Also known as an abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck removes loose skin and fat between the belly button and pubic area and also tightens your body’s inner connective tissue and abdominal muscles. These muscles and tissue get stretched during pregnancy, so in most cases, a tummy tuck will restore weakened muscles creating a body profile that is smoother and firmer.
Although tummy tucks cannot fix stretch marks in the skin, it is possible that they will be removed during the procedure if they are located in the areas of excess skin that will be removed. Tummy tucks are not a replacement for proper exercise and dieting but are for when those methods cannot achieve the goals you desire.
Tummy tucks are technically permanent, but the outcome will be affected by any significant changes in your weight. Therefore, if you are planning on future weight loss or any pregnancies, it may be advised to postpone your tummy tuck.
Breast Procedures
Pregnancy and breast-feeding can alter a body’s appearance significantly. It can result in sagging or uneven breasts, decreased breast volume, or increased breast volume to the point of disproportion and back pain. It’s possible to correct this by including breast lifts, augmentation, or reduction in your makeover, schedule a consultation with our doctors to find out if one of these may be right for you.
Breast Lift
A breast lift, or mastopexy, removes excess skin to raise the breasts and tightens tissue to support new breast contours. Nipples and areolas usually remain attached to the underlying tissue, which typically preserves the nerves and the ability to breastfeed.
Breast lifts can treat sagging breasts, decreased volume, drooping nipples, and stretched areolas, giving your breasts a more youthful shape. However, breast lifts do not significantly change the size of your breasts. If you’re looking to make your breast fuller, consider adding breast augmentation to your Mommy Makeover.
Breast Augmentation
Commonly referred to as a “boob job” by patients, this procedure can greatly enhance your self-confidence. Breast augmentation uses saline or silicone gel implants or a fat transfer to increase the size of your breasts, achieve a more rounded breast shape, or correct breast asymmetry.
However, breast augmentation doesn’t correct severely drooping breasts, so for sagging breasts to be able to look fuller, your surgeon might suggest adding a breast lift to your augmentation, which can be done at the same or in a separate operation depending on the decisions you and your surgeon make.
Breast Reduction
It is typical for breasts to swell during pregnancy and for some women, this change in size remains even after childbirth. This result can be pleasing for some, but others may find that the increased size can cause them to have poor posture, rashes, breathing problems, and low self-esteem.
If that’s the case for you, a breast reduction may be a good choice. The procedure removes excess fat, glandular tissue, and skin to adjust the breast size to be more in proportion with your body and relieve any physical or emotional discomfort. In combination with excision, your surgeon may also use liposuction to remove excess fat, and if the main cause for the breast size is fatty tissue and not excess skin, liposuction may be used alone.
Liposuction
Liposuction, or lipoplasty, can target a wide range of locations in the body, but for this makeover, it typically focuses on the legs, arms, or trunk of the patient. By removing the excess fat deposits in your body, you can slim and reshape specific areas and improve your body’s contours and proportion.
Liposuction works by using a thin, hollow rod which is inserted using a small incision, then suction forces the fat into the rod and out a high-vacuum hose. This procedure should not be used as a treatment for obesity or a substitute for proper exercise and is not effective against cellulite or loose, saggy skin.
How to Know If a Mommy Makeover Is for You
It’s important to talk to our doctors to see which of the procedures you are able to undergo. This is especially true if your pregnancy has:
- Impacted the size and shape of your breasts
- Left you with unwanted stretch marks
- Left pockets of fat that do not improve with diet and exercise
If you are in good general and medical health and are not planning any weight loss or pregnancies, you are most likely a good candidate for a Mommy Makeover procedure.
Get Started Today
Every procedure listed above has been in practice for many years, and have long, safe track records. Our doctors are expertly trained and certified in the procedures to provide you with the results you desire. Contact us at Northstate Plastic Surgery in Chico, CA to schedule an appointment today. We’re happy to help you feel and look your best!