Mommy Makeover is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin and fat from the pubic area, and also procedures such as breast lift, breast augmentation and tummy tuck. As a result of body changes post pregnancy, women may have difficulty losing weight. A mommy makeover helps to improve women’s confidence about their bodies and gives them a self-esteem boost.
In this guide, we review How Much Weight Do You Lose With A Mommy Makeover, mommy makeover death rate, mommy makeover cost, and What happens if you lose 20 pounds after tummy tuck?
How Much Weight Do You Lose With A Mommy Makeover
You may have heard of a mommy makeover and wondered what it is or how much weight do you lose with a mommy makeover. Let’s get straight to the point-a mommy makeover is a combination of cosmetic surgery procedures that are usually performed together to address areas of the body that change during pregnancy.
What Is a Mommy Makeover?
A mommy makeover is a combination of cosmetic surgery procedures that are usually performed together to address areas of the body that change during pregnancy. The procedure can include breast lift, breast augmentation, tummy tuck and liposuction.
How Much Weight Do You Lose With A Mommy Makeover?
A mommy makeover can help you lose weight in a number of ways. The procedure will remove excess skin and fat from your abdomen, thighs, hips, buttocks and breasts. You will also be able to achieve a slimmer silhouette overall by tightening the muscles that support these areas of your body.
The amount of weight that you can expect to lose will depend on how much excess skin needs to be removed after giving birth and breastfeeding multiple children over an extended period of time (the more pregnancies or babies you have had in recent years). For example: if someone has two kids within five years but still has some stretch marks from their first pregnancy; they may only need minor liposuction around their waistline while someone who has three children over eight years might require more extensive surgery including breast reduction surgery as well as tummy tuck revision surgery which would include removing excess skin around each side of their belly button area along with tightening up loose abdominal muscles beneath those areas where they had previously been stretched out due to child birth weight gain during each pregnancy cycle throughout those eight years.”
A mommy makeover is a combination of cosmetic surgery procedures that are usually performed together to address areas of the body that change during pregnancy.
A mommy makeover is a combination of cosmetic surgery procedures that are usually performed together to address areas of the body that change during pregnancy. The procedure may include breast augmentation, liposuction and tummy tuck or abdominoplasty.
The amount of weight you lose after your baby is born depends on many factors including age, genetics, diet and exercise habits before pregnancy as well as after delivery. Most women lose about 25 percent of their pre-pregnancy weight within six months following childbirth; however some women will not reach their goal until years later.
mommy makeover death rate
Interest in plastic surgery is at an all-time high, but stigma and misinformation still surround the industry and the patients. Welcome to Life in Plastic, a new series by Allure that aims to break down cosmetic procedures and provide all the information you’ll need to make whatever decision is right for your body — no judgment, just the facts. Here, we’re covering everything you need to know about the “mommy makeover.”
Mommy makeover: It’s the cutesy term for a serious package of surgical procedures aimed at returning a woman’s body to its pre-pregnancy state (one could easily argue the term is pretty problematic, too). And, fair warning, uttering the phrase repeatedly while interviewing the smartest aesthetic minds in the country will absolutely make you feel like a puerile twit.
The moniker irks many doctors as well. “I find it simplistic and annoying when surgeons say, ‘I’m doing a mommy makeover today,’” says Steven Teitelbaum, a plastic surgeon in Santa Monica, CA. “What does that mean? A breast lift and a bit of lipo? Or a giant reduction, a full tummy tuck, and a total body contour? It’s wiser for patients and surgeons to be specific in their language.” Indeed, the classic makeover involves a combination of a tummy tuck (aka abdominoplasty) and breast surgery. But within that framework, there are variations galore: the mini tuck, full tuck, skin-only tuck (as in, cutting away lax, stretch-marked skin but not repairing and tightening the abdominal muscles, which commonly separate in pregnancy); and for breasts, there’s the lift, reduction, augmentation (implants), or some hybrid therein. What’s more, “the modern-day concept of the mommy makeover has broadened further to include liposuction, fat injections to the buttocks, and vaginal rejuvenation,” says Jeremy White, a plastic surgeon in Miami.
If you’re thinking that seems like A LOT, that’s because it is. “The Internet sometimes presents cosmetic surgeries as the same as going and getting a haircut, but these are significant procedures,” says Robert Singer, a plastic surgeon in La Jolla, CA. “While the vast majority of patients who have them done are thrilled with the results, people need to be aware of the risks and understand that while it seems desirable to have everything done at once — one anesthesia, one downtime, one recovery — there are some limits as to what can be safely done as far as risk factors.” As a general guideline, he adds, an elective surgery should never run longer than six hours, as “risk factors go up after that.” Yet, a tummy tuck alone can take three to four hours.
Still, the promise of a flatter tummy and perkier boobs — the chance to reclaim what may have been lost in the turbulent transition to motherhood — that’s compelling stuff for some people. “We’ve definitely seen an uptick in mommy makeover-type procedures,” says Richard Baxter, a Seattle-based plastic surgeon. “I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that most new moms are millennials, and they tend to be more accepting of the idea [of plastic surgery].” According to the aesthetic-industry information mill that is RealSelf, the primary demographic researching mommy makeovers is 25- to 34-year-olds. And 2017 stats from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that nearly 47 percent of all breast augmentations, 55 percent of labiaplasties, and 20 percent of tummy tucks were had by this subset of patients.
Medically speaking, their age is an advantage: “The younger you are [at the time of surgery], the better your skin quality will [likely] be — and the more elastic your skin, the better your results,” says New York City plastic surgeon Z. Paul Lorenc. But that doesn’t mean one should go straight from the delivery suite to the operating room: Plastic surgeons generally recommend waiting at least six months after giving birth, and another six months after weaning (if breastfeeding), “to allow the uterus to contract, the breast tissue to shrink, and the body to recover from the stresses of pregnancy and childbirth,” says White. (One’s emotional readiness is a separate but equally crucial consideration, and many moms do choose to wait until their little ones are more independent before going under the knife.) Makeover-seeking moms should also be “as close to their pre-baby weight as possible, or at least stabilizing at their body’s new set point” before surgery, says Teitelbaum.
While social media-savvy surgeons, open-book patients, and encyclopedic websites like RealSelf have helped popularize and demystify the various elements of the mommy makeover, recent surgical advances are yielding safer operations and less brutal recovery periods. One of the biggest improvements is “the use of long-acting numbing agents, like Exparel, which are injected into the surgical site and block much of the pain for up to three days following,” says Baxter. “Less post-op discomfort means less reliance on opioids and fewer side effects from those drugs.” The built-in pain relief also gets patients on their feet faster, jumpstarting recoveries, and curbing the risk of blood clots (more on that ahead).
In another move to fast-track healing after abdominoplasties, doctors are working to obviate the need for surgical drains, which have long come standard with the procedure. “When a tummy tuck is done, there’s a large space that needs to be collapsed, and the tissue has to grow together,” explains Teitelbaum. Drains are inserted to prevent fluid from pooling and impeding this process. But “everyone hates them — they interfere with bathing, and make people queasy and uncomfortable.” By adopting a technique called progressive tension sutures — special internal stitches that reduce potential fluid buildup — or incorporating tissue glues and compression garments, surgeons can offer drain-free tummy tucks.
Even smaller tweaks to protocol can reap big rewards. Bucking the usual dictum of not eating or drinking after midnight prior to surgery, White follows more recent data “showing that allowing patients to drink Gatorade the night before and the morning of surgery, along with giving them certain anti-inflammatory medicines, can speed recovery by improving hydration and decreasing postoperative pain,” he says.
Laurie Casas, a plastic surgeon in Chicago, is also exploring new ways to ease the surgical aftermath for moms. One of the most meaningful, she says, has been performing noninvasive fat-reduction in the months leading up to surgery. Before CoolSculpting, “I could only offer liposuction, which is an excellent technique but means tacking on one more invasive procedure, and ultimately lengthening patients’ operating time and healing time,” says Casas. Now, she has suitable candidates undergo a course of CoolSculpting ahead of surgery to freeze away fat in exercise-resistant areas. During this preoperative window, she also provides patients with personalized nutrition and exercise plans to restore as much abdominal muscle tone as possible and minimize the need for muscle-tightening during tummy tucks. With this approach, says Casas, “90 percent of my patients do not need muscle work, and the procedure involves only skin excision and possible umbilical repositioning,” making for a smoother recovery.
For such less-extensive cases, Casas gives women the option of having surgery under local anesthesia. “If you ask moms what makes them most nervous about surgery, they’ll say general anesthesia,” says Casas, noting that it sometimes leaves patients foggy and nauseous (the risk is between 10 and 15 percent), while also carrying the obvious, but rare, risk of death. With a cocktail of “oral medicines that induce relaxation and sleep” — plus numbing injections, and music therapy and eye masks to block environmental stimuli — she can perform a skin-only tummy tuck, or a breast lift, for example — sometimes both at once — without the added worry of general. Says Casas, “In seven years and over 500 cases, not a single patient has said they would opt for general.”
So, what’s the trade-off for getting your pre-pregnancy body back? Both the total price and the downtime will depend on the particular collection of procedures one has done and the complexity of each fix. Patients generally pay between $10,000 and $18,000 (plus OR and anesthesia fees) and are out of commission for a week or two (child care is a must during this stretch). Most require pain medication for the first few days — Tylenol if a nerve block was given, harder drugs if not. And doctors typically forbid lifting, twisting, and other physical activities for four to six weeks.
During that time, complications can arise — infection, seroma (fluid accumulation), delayed healing, bleeding — but most are treatable. The gravest risk with mommy makeovers comes from abdominoplasties done under general anesthesia (essentially the core of these surgical compilations), which carry “a higher fatality rate than most other cosmetic procedures,” says Singer: 1 in 16,600 compared to roughly 1 in 55,000. “Almost all deaths resulting from abdominoplasty are due to pulmonary embolism [a blood clot that travels to the lungs restricting blood flow and decreasing oxygen levels] following surgery,” he says. As to why tummy tucks, specifically, come with an elevated risk of clots, some theorize that tightening the musculature may increase pressure inside the abdomen, thereby compromising normal blood flow and “causing stagnation in the venous system,” says Casas. Throw in immobilizing discomfort on the heels of surgery and you’ve got a recipe for clots.
When you piggyback procedures — a hallmark of the mommy makeover — the risk of death creeps up. Abdominoplasty plus one (be it a breast lift, lipo, or whatnot): about 1 in 13,000; plus two: 1 in 10,082. “Every time we do surgery in an area, we create a certain amount of tissue trauma, and that additional tissue trauma may up the risk of blood clots,” Singer says. What’s more, risks climb with time spent under general anesthesia. Which is precisely why surgeons are coming up with alternatives, like the local protocol used by Casas, and the epidural anesthesia Lorenc often administers to mommy makeover patients.
It would be irresponsible not to note, however, that the aforementioned tummy tuck numbers come from years of accrued data. In 2018, “with a heightened awareness of the risk and greater attention toward preventative measures, the probability of that risk is diminishing and should continue to do so,” says Singer. Researchers are currently investigating the etiology of abdominoplasty-induced blood clots to make the procedure safer overall. And in the meantime, surgeons are bettering the odds by screening to evaluate patients’ propensity for clots, encouraging the use of compression garments during and after surgery, and prescribing blood thinners when necessary.
mommy makeover cost
Pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, aging, and the stresses of motherhood may change your breasts and body in ways that can affect your self-image and confidence. For women who wish to restore a more rejuvenated figure, breasts, and face, experienced board-certified plastic surgeon in Philadelphia—Joseph DiBello, MD—performs mommy makeover procedures, which are customized to achieve a variety of aesthetic improvements. The mommy makeover process is highly personalized to address each woman’s cosmetic priorities with results that look both natural and beautiful.
To learn more about the mommy makeover procedure, please explore the informative sections below and contact DiBello Plastic Surgery to schedule your personal consultation.
What Is a Mommy Makeover?
A mommy makeover is a newer term to describe a combination of cosmetic procedures that address common concerns following pregnancy and breastfeeding. Each of these components are considered “tried and true,” since they have a long, successful, and safe track record.
The joys and rewards of childbearing are often accompanied by effects on a woman’s body that are unable to be reversed by diet and exercise alone. Also known as post-pregnancy surgery, the mommy makeover procedure focuses on procedures designed to address the areas that are affected most dramatically with pregnancy and breastfeeding, specifically the abdomen and the breasts.
Many times pregnancy and breastfeeding will negatively affect the size and shape of the breasts, causing them to lose their youthful shape and firmness. Pregnancy may also result in stretch marks, as well as a loss of skin and muscle tone on the abdomen. There may also be persistent pockets of fat on your waist, abdomen, arms, or thighs that do not improve with diet and exercise.
Dr. DiBello and his staff are there to consult with you, listen to your needs or concerns, provide thorough answers, and always do it with the highest level of care and attention. A consultation with Dr. DiBello will help you determine if you are a candidate for a mommy makeover. At that time, Dr. DiBello will discuss his personalized approach to your surgery as well as important considerations involved in mommy makeover surgery.
After a year long search of plastic surgeons, I found Dr. DiBello to be very professional and highly recommended. My results were far beyond what I expected. Dr. DiBello performed a “Mommy Makeover” and I look amazing. He is a phenomenal surgeon, has a great staff, and very nice office. At my initial consultation I was sold by everything Dr. Dibello had to offer. Most importantly, HE KEEPS HIS WORD. (There were no hidden fees). Dr. DiBello shows his concerns and appreciate you for being a patient. Thank you for helping me get myself back!
What happens if you lose 20 pounds after tummy tuck
The best results from a tummy tuck come when the person loses weight in addition to the surgery itself. A big question frequently asked to me is, “When is the best time to lose weight with my surgery? Should weight loss be before surgery or is weight loss after ok?” This educational writing will review this extremely important topic. I will review the advantages and disadvantages of weight loss before and after abdominoplasty. This writing was done at the request of a patient of mine from Philadelphia, PA.
Overview
In general, fat is the enemy! The goal of a tummy tuck or an abdominoplasty is to look smaller, flatter, and more sculpted in the abdominal area. Fat loss will help with these goals. Liposuction is part of a tummy tuck, and liposuction involves sucking out excess fat. Tummy tucks involve surgically removing excess skin and fat. Weight loss will compliment these procedures. The goal is fat reduction. Weight loss will magnify these results and help with thinner appearances and flatter abdomens. Weight loss is always important. It is important before AND after surgery. Two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. It’s extremely important to understand that weight loss is part of the process of looking better. It’s not just surgery, but the combination of diet, exercise, and proper nutrition to look better.
Weight Loss Before Surgery
Weight loss before surgery is safe and healthy. It can help lower risks for surgery and give better results. In the olden days of plastic and cosmetic surgery, the view was that weight loss had to be done before surgery. It was recommended that patients lose enough pounds to be within 10% of ideal body weight. According to the National Institute of Health, ideal weight for a 5′ 4″ women would be between 110 to 140 pounds. This would mean that a women who was 5′ 4″ and weighed 175 pounds would have to lose approximately 20 lbs to get to about 155 lbs, to be within 10%. That’s a lot of weight to lose. If it was that easy, most people wouldn’t be overweight or need the help from cosmetic surgery. This recommendation doomed many patients. They were told to come back after losing 20 lbs or more, and then they could get there abdominoplasty. Too many people left the consultation frustrated and disappointed, and they never lost the weight or got the procedure.
There are two reasons for this recommendation of weight loss before the operation:
1 : Weight loss before is healthy. Losing weight before surgery is smart, and smaller body weights lead to safer operations and less risks. All this is still important and true today.
2 : Weight loss after surgery might lead to excess and loose skin. The idea is that the result could be ruined if someone has a tummy tuck and then proceeds to lose weight afterwards. It is believed by some that too much weight loss after surgery is bad because of the possible development of loose skin and worse results. Weight loss is pushed by some doctors as being necessary before surgery.
I can confidently say that weight loss is good before surgery AND good after surgery as well. Weight loss after surgery does not ruin results, in my opinion, but makes things even better! This is reviewed in the section below. I strongly recommend weight loss at all times, and after surgery it will make the results even better.
Weight Loss After Surgery
If a tummy tuck patient wants the best results after surgery, lose weight and really try harder after surgery. I will tell my patients if you want to turn the home run into a grand slam, then lose weight. As I have said FAT IS THE ENEMY! In contrast to the belief that weight loss after surgery will lead to excess skin, I have not found this to be clinically true or relevant in this situation. In my vast cosmetic surgery experience, I have never seen weight loss afterwards to be anything but good.
I explain and describe it this way. If we do a tummy tuck, most people are very happy with the results. Now imagine you lose 10 lbs, the person is even happier. They are now flatter and thinner. Lose 20 lbs, the person is typically ecstatic over the results now. I have never had a single patient lose weight after surgery and be unhappy. The development of loose skin in this situation is rare because the excess skin has already been removed. I once had a patient lose 100 lbs after surgery. In this extreme situation, she had developed some extra skin in the stomach area, but she was still completely happy. The surgery had helped her achieve this transformation. She was still happy as could be with her results. As I have said, I have never seen weight loss after surgery do anything but make better results and make people happy.
I recommend weight loss before and after surgery. Weight loss before is healthy and leads to safer operations and lower risks. If a patient is extremely overweight, I won’t do surgery until we can get weight down to a level where surgery is safe. After surgery, I educate the patient on the most modern and latest methods of weight loss. After surgery is the best time to lose the pounds in my opinion!