Even with the most diligent exercise and diet routine, many of the changes associated with pregnancy and childbirth will stick with you. From stretched abdominal muscles to “deflated” breasts and stubborn fat deposits, the physical toll of motherhood leaves its marks on the body. Thankfully, if this sounds like you, a mommy makeover can comprehensively address these issues for a major aesthetic and confidence boost.
At Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Centers of El Paso, we understand that every mother brings her own experiences, motivations and hopes to the treatment experience. Our board-certified plastic surgeons, Dr. Mark Jabor, Dr. Richard Reynolds and Dr. Jaime Aburto, specialize in creating personalized mommy makeover procedures that address your specific concerns while prioritizing your safety and achieving natural-looking results.
What Exactly Is a Mommy Makeover?
A mommy makeover is a highly customizable surgical procedure designed to address the unwanted physical changes that come with pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. This combined approach allows us to incorporate multiple surgeries into one procedure, saving recovery time while delivering the most impactful results.
The beauty of a mommy makeover lies in its flexibility. Every patient will benefit from a unique combination of surgical techniques. The procedures most often incorporated into a mommy makeover target the breasts, waist and buttocks. Complementary treatments, including lip augmentation and Botox, can also be included for a more comprehensive outcome.
Breast Procedures
Pregnancy and breastfeeding can significantly alter breast shape, size and positioning. To address these changes in a way that yields sustainable results, our providers at the Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Centers of El Paso will recommend the following procedures:
Breast Augmentation: Restores lost volume and enhances breast size using implants or fat transfer. Many women experience a loss of breast volume after breastfeeding, and augmentation can help restore fullness and improve overall breast shape.
Breast Lift (Mastopexy): A breast lift addresses sagging by removing excess skin and repositioning the nipple and areola to create a more youthful, perky appearance. This procedure is particularly beneficial for women whose breasts have lost their shape due to the weight changes of pregnancy.
Breast Reduction: Reduces overly large breasts that may have developed during pregnancy or nursing, providing both aesthetic and functional benefits including relief from back and neck pain.
Abdominal Procedures
The abdominal area often bears the most visible impact of pregnancy, with stretched muscles and loose skin that don’t respond to traditional exercise.
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty): This procedure tightens separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) and removes excess skin and fat from the midsection. A tummy tuck can range from a mini procedure focusing on the area below the belly button to a full tummy tuck addressing the entire abdomen.
Liposuction: Removes stubborn fat deposits from areas like the abdomen, love handles, thighs and arms. The fat removed during liposuction can also be purified and used for fat transfer to other areas of the body.
Buttock Enhancement
While not always included in traditional mommy makeovers, buttock procedures have become increasingly popular as part of comprehensive body contouring.
Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL): Uses your own fat harvested through liposuction to enhance the shape and size of your buttocks, creating a more curvaceous silhouette.
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Mommy Makeover?
The best candidates for mommy makeovers are women who do not intend to have any more children and who are in good overall health.
You should be at or near your ideal body weight at the time of the procedure. The longer you can maintain this body weight, the better you will safeguard your results over the long term. Keep in mind that a mommy makeover is not a weight loss procedure but is meant to deliver targeted body contouring for areas that resist diet and exercise.
Having realistic expectations about your results and a clear understanding of the recovery process is important to your success. You should also be a non-smoker or willing to quit, as smoking can significantly impair the healing process.
Popular Procedure Combinations
When properly planned and executed by experienced surgeons, combining multiple procedures in a mommy makeover can be safe and effective. The key is understanding which combinations work well together and which require special consideration.
Commonly Combined Procedures
Tummy Tuck + Breast Surgery + Liposuction: This classic mommy makeover combination addresses the most common post-pregnancy concerns. The procedures complement each other well, and the recovery requirements align naturally.
Breast Augmentation + Breast Lift: Often performed together to both restore volume and improve positioning, this combination can achieve more dramatic and harmonious results than either procedure alone.
Liposuction + Fat Transfer: The fat removed during liposuction can be purified and used to enhance other areas, such as the breasts or buttocks, making this a natural pairing.
Time and Anesthesia Considerations
In order to prevent the risks associated with longer time spent under general anesthesia, mommy makeovers are carefully planned to balance effectiveness with expedience. Experienced surgeons can often complete the surgery in three or four hours by streamlining the process.
The duration of anesthesia is a critical safety factor in mommy makeovers. Being under general anesthesia for an extended period can lead to potentially serious complications.
The BBL Controversy
While many procedures can be safely integrated into a mommy makeover, the inclusion of a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) with other major procedures has become a topic of significant debate in the plastic surgery community.
The Safety Concerns
The Multi-Society Task Force for Safety in Gluteal Fat Grafting released an advisory on January 31, 2018, regarding the significantly high mortality rate of the BBL compared to other cosmetic procedures. Looking at the relatively higher risks associated with BBL by itself, it’s clear that receiving the BBL along with other surgeries, such as the tummy tuck, is a more substantial risk.
The controversy around combining BBL with other mommy makeover procedures stems from several factors. The BBL procedure requires specific positioning and recovery protocols that can conflict with those needed for other procedures. During the first two weeks of recovery after a BBL, you cannot sit down or lie directly on your back, which creates complications when combined with a tummy tuck, where patients need to avoid standing straight and often want to recline for comfort.
Expert Opinions Vary
The plastic surgery community remains divided on BBL combinations. While some experienced surgeons perform these combinations safely under specific circumstances, others recommend separating these procedures entirely.
What to Expect During Your Mommy Makeover Experience
Consultation and Planning
Your journey begins with a comprehensive consultation where you’ll discuss your goals, medical history and expectations with us. This is when your personalized treatment plan is developed, taking into account your anatomy, goals and expectations, and safety considerations.
Surgery Day
Most mommy makeovers are performed under general anesthesia in an accredited surgical facility. In many cases, all of the included procedures can be performed in one day, taking up to four to six hours, though your specific surgery time will depend on which procedures are included.
Recovery Timeline
Recovery varies based on the procedures performed, but most patients follow a similar general timeline. The first few days involve managing pain and discomfort with prescribed medications while getting plenty of rest. You should have an adult available to help you at all times for the first 24 hours.
Within the first week, you’ll have a follow-up appointment to check your progress and ensure proper healing. Most patients can return to desk work after two to three weeks, though physical restrictions continue for several more weeks.
The mommy makeover healing process can last about six months, with most swelling subsiding and final results becoming apparent by this time.
Making the Right Decision for You
A mommy makeover can be a life-changing procedure that helps restore your confidence and addresses the physical changes of motherhood. However, the decision to combine multiple procedures should not be taken lightly.
At Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Centers of El Paso, Dr. Mark Jabor, Dr. Richard Reynolds and Dr. Jaime Aburto bring decades of combined experience to every mommy makeover procedure, ensuring that your safety comes first while delivering beautiful, natural-looking results.
Call 915-543-5600 for our West El Paso location, 915-855-7800 for our Eastside office, or contact us online to take the first step toward feeling like yourself again. Our board-certified surgeons will work with you to create a safe, personalized treatment plan that addresses all your questions and concerns while helping you achieve the beautiful, natural results you deserve.
