Exploring a booming trend: the “Mommy Makeover”

As a father of three, I can attest to the fact that children are among life’s greatest treasures, but as far as bringing them into the world is concerned, not much is said on birth announcements about the physical cost to the mother for giving birth. For many women, the initial joy of childbirth is later joined by another emotion: worry, as they realize that many of the changes their bodies went through during pregnancy do not seem to revert back to their normal state. They find themselves confronting stretched and sagging breasts, stomachs with loose and permanently damaged skin, accompanied by weight gain on the hips and thighs. What’s worse is that repeated pregnancies can augment the damage.

Since the beginning of time, these results were “accepted” as part of being a mother, largely due to the fact that there was little recourse. In recent years, however, many women are no longer accepting it. As a plastic surgeon in Newport Beach, every week, I consult women on what is commonly referred to as the “Mommy Makeover.”

Many women feel affected psychologically after childbirth. A combination of stretched skin and stubborn pockets of fat leave many feeling undesirable, unmotivated and frustrated, especially if they are working out regularly and still can’t manage to reclaim their pre-motherhood bodies. Every week, women of all nationalities, size and shape, come to me to explore their options and reclaim a sense of confidence and self-assurance that may have been lost post-pregnancy.

The most commonly requested procedures include tummy tucks and liposuction, as well as breast lifts, with or without implants, to resurrect sagging breasts that have also lost volume. This is not unique to Orange County - statistics back up the trend and the boom in recent “Mommy Makeovers” may be attributed to more women having children later in life and also the affordability of plastic surgery, once a luxury available only to the very wealthy.

The effects of childbirth are so pronounced because the skin, like a coiled spring that’s been pulled past its breaking point, has lost its recoil. This leaves the breasts sagging, the stomach skin loose, and stomach muscles weakened and spread apart. Combining that with the weight gain of pregnancy often results in a slippery slope to other bodily woes, like “love handles” and “saddlebags.”

Luckily, the answer to many of these woes is body reshaping with plastic surgery: tummy tuck to tighten muscles and remove loose stretched skin, a breast lift and/or implant to fill out and lift sagging breasts, and liposuction to treat stubborn fat. Once a woman decides her childbearing days have come to an end, it is important she wait approximately six months after her last pregnancy to undergo plastic surgery. This allows time for the body to maximally mend itself and for weight to stabilize, so the best possible results can be achieved from a “Mommy Makeover.”

While husband and significant others appreciate the results, the fact remains that it is my patients, the recipients of the “Mommy Makeover,” who are the most thrilled.

Many of the patients who come to my Newport Beach practice are there simply due to frustration over the initial signs of aging such as wrinkles, crow’s feet, expression lines and age spots. For those who are not yet ready to pursue plastic surgery options such as a full face lift, forehead lift or neck lift, non-surgical facial rejuvenators and fillers may be an ideal solution.

I know that selecting a surgeon that is right for you can be difficult – it is personal and I encourage all of my patients to speak to more than one plastic surgeon before undergoing any procedure. When you come in for your private consultation, I evaluate your concerns and make recommendations on the right facial rejuvenators and fillers, depending on your goals and desires. If you have any questions about the “Mommy Makeover” or any other procedures, please contact me directly at 949.759.0980 or visit www.finesse-aesthetics.com.