WHAT IS MOMMY MAKEOVER?
Mommy Makeover consists of restoring the body to its previous state by eliminating in a single session the body deformities that can occur in women after childbirth. Although different problems appear in each woman, the sagging of the abdominal area, the loss of volume by emptying the breasts and the widening of the hips are the most important problems.
Even though it is thought that the deformities that occur during and after giving birth are accepted by women as an inevitability and not as a problem, this is not the case. Although women try to pretend that the deformity of their body is not a problem, it reflects negatively on their mood, their work and family life, and even their sexual life. If the increased workload after childbirth and the changes in their social life require them to be more motivated, this factor is an unavoidable obstacle for them. Plastic surgery, which the Americans call “Mommy Makeover”, which we translate into Turkish as “Maternity Aesthetics”, allows women to get back to their old bodies as quickly as possible. As each woman has unique problems with her body structure after birth, the operations to be applied and the healing process vary. It usually includes operations such as tummy tuck, breast reshaping, liposuction, etc. The operations last between three and five hours and the patient can be discharged from the hospital within one to two days.
HOW IS MOMMY MAKEOVER PERFORMED?
The effect of hormonal changes during pregnancy is most noticeable in the abdomen and breasts. The process that causes the abdominal wall to bulge and possibly create irreversible effects begins as the baby grows and pushes the abdominal wall forward. Loosening of the abdominal muscles and the ligaments that connect them leads to undesirable problems such as a protruding abdomen and loose skin. If there is only a bulge after birth, the problem can be resolved without leaving a scar by endoscopic application to the abdominal wall. If more severe problems have developed, the area is restored by removing excess skin with an abdominoplasty. During and after pregnancy, depending on the age factor and the elasticity of the person’s skin, a loss of volume and sagging can be seen in the breasts. During the operation, if it is only a remodeling of the breasts, the breast tissue is not removed, only the breast is remodeled and the excess skin is removed. If there is excess breast tissue, the breast can be reduced as much as necessary. If there is insufficient breast tissue, breast augmentation surgery with a silicone implant is performed during breast lift surgery. Diet and exercise cannot be a solution to the accumulation of fat that occurs during pregnancy, especially in areas such as the hips and inner legs. The most ideal method to stop these fat accumulations and restore the body to its previous natural appearance is liposuction.
WHO CAN HAVE MOMMY MAKEOVER?
Mommy Makeover is for women whose bodies are deformed during and after childbirth and who want to quickly return to their former appearance. It is an ideal method, especially for women who have given birth more than once. In women who have given birth more than once, the fat clings to the body more intensely, and sports and dieting cannot remedy this. This procedure is performed on women whose workload is increasing, whose lifestyle is changing and who want to adapt quickly. However, the operation is not performed immediately after birth. Women who undergo these procedures must have completed the breastfeeding period, and in some cases, six months must have passed after the breastfeeding period.
Mommy Makeover is usually performed on women who do not plan to give birth again. If the procedure is performed by the right doctors and with the right methods, there is no danger in the event of a new pregnancy, since the milk ducts under the nipple are not affected. In addition, although some sagging of the breasts and abdomen is observed in women who become pregnant after the operation, pre-aesthetic deformities are never observed.
THE RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS AFTER MOMMY MAKEOVER
The main objective of maternity aesthetics is to return women to their natural pre-birth body structure. In keeping with this goal, surgeries are performed based on women’s body structure and the information their bodies have undergone. While some women only undergo liposuction of the belly, it is also seen that liposuction of the belly and breast lift operations are performed together. In this case, women should take into account the advice of doctors specializing in this subject rather than their wishes and decide accordingly. However, for the whole process to work properly, it is necessary to wait for the necessary time after the birth. In other words, the mother’s breastfeeding period must end, the milk from the breasts must be emptied, the uterus must return to its original size and the body must change. If the necessary time is not waited, it should be taken into account that the operation performed cannot completely remove the deformation of the body and will only have a short-term effect. During this period, it is also important for women to decide whether they want to become pregnant again. Although the body never returns to its pre-pregnancy state, sagging and stretch marks can be seen depending on the body structure when there is a new pregnancy. The most important thing is that breast surgeries are performed without damaging the blood vessels for women who may become pregnant again. This issue is very important in surgeries performed by specialist doctors and the necessary precautions are taken.
THINGS TO PAY ATTENTION TO AFTER MOMMY MAKEOVER SURGERY
Plastic surgeries are in the easy group of surgeries in terms of frequent application and specialization of doctors in this field today, and it is found that patients can go home after one or two days of rest in the hospital. However, as this is a more unique situation, the situations to be considered become more sensitive. Review the situations to consider before and after cosmetic maternity in articles:
- The mother must have finished breastfeeding and have waited the necessary time for the operation.
- The fact that the mother has had surgery before and that she has given birth more than once before are determining factors for these operations and it is important to discuss them in detail with her doctor.
- Since the surgical procedures to be performed can vary from one woman to another, women should discuss their wishes openly with their doctor before the operations. Since the doctor considers not only regional but also whole body aesthetics, decisions should be made based on his or her recommendations.
- Depending on the plastic surgery procedure performed, the patient may go home the same day or within a day or two. However, it takes a week for the patient to begin non-tiring work and two weeks to resume the rhythm of daily life. It is important that the mother be aware of these processes prior to surgery and take steps accordingly.
- In order to make the post-operative procedures permanent and achieve better results, the patient must wear a corset and supportive bra for up to three weeks, depending on the operation.
- Creating a healthy program with a dietician after surgery will be the greatest contribution to maintaining the shape gained from the surgery.
