Breezy in name only, the mommy makeover is among the most complex and carefully choreographed procedures in cosmetic surgery, comprising multiple breast and body operations performed in tandem, typically to help restore a woman’s figure following pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. From the initial planning stages to the eventual recovery process, there are countless decisions to make and concerns to address. And who better to guide you on this journey than a fellow mother—someone attuned to not only the physical changes of motherhood and the emotional toll they can take but also the challenges of prioritizing me time with little ones at home. (Carving out weeks for recovery seems laughable when, most days, you can barely sneak in a shower.) Ahead, top plastic surgeon moms share their best advice for successfully navigating every step of the mommy makeover.
Time it right
“As a mother, I understand when women come to my practice and need to book their surgery six to 12 months out. Our lives are busy—we’re always taking care of everyone else. So before a patient commits to such a big surgery, we encourage them to make sure everyone and everything in their life is taken care of. It is vital to have a support system at home.” —Dr. Renee Burke, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Barrington, Illinois
“If considering an additional child in the future, I defer the procedure for safety reasons, given the possibility of intrauterine growth restriction. I advise, the best time to undergo the procedure is when their youngest child is at least 3 or 4 years old, depending on their family support structure and ancillary help.” —Dr. Effie Politis, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Tampa, Florida
“As a mother myself, I can completely relate to wanting to repair one’s figure following childbearing, but I highly advise holding off at least six months after completing your family, not just in terms of being physically available for your young ones but mentally and emotionally too. Plastic surgery can be an emotional roller coaster for anyone—adding this to the responsibilities and stresses of motherhood can make for one wild ride. Postpartum hormonal changes typically take about six months to balance out, so I’d recommend waiting at least that long to proceed with scheduling consultations and doing all your research so that you can be in the right headspace when finalizing a big decision that affects not just you but your loved ones as well. [Having a mommy makeover] can be a monumental shift in going from caring selflessly for others to accepting that you will now be the one needing to rely heavily on others.” —Dr. Camille Cash, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Houston
Related: Considering a Mommy Makeover? Plastic Surgeons Answer Moms’ Top Practical (and Personal) Questions
Be in a healthy place
“Once a patient shows interest in moving forward [with surgery], we have a long discussion on maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle, to ensure long-lasting results. BMI [requirements] vary among surgeons, but I have a strict cutoff: BMI must be less than 28. Patients cannot be on diet pills, and their weight must be stable for 9 to 12 months. I tell them I prefer not to operate on moving targets. I rarely see a patient with body dysmorphic disorder but do ask pointed questions on my intake form to tease this out. This procedure works best when patients have a healthy body image.” —Dr. Politis
“I encourage patients to be at least within 10 pounds of their ideal body weight before considering any type of surgery. I define ideal body weight as the weight we are most stable at—not our thinnest and not our heaviest. We stress the importance of healthy lifestyles to our patients. Eating nutritious foods and getting enough exercise will only help set patients up for an even more successful recovery.” —Dr. Burke
“As with any body contouring procedure, patients should ideally be as close to their goal weight as possible, which can take quite some time when balancing the demands of being a mom. Liposuction and tummy tuck surgery are not intended as weight loss solutions but, rather, refinement tools to tackle fat deposits that are resistant to diet and exercise and to address loose skin and weakened or separated abdominal wall muscles following pregnancy. Getting close to your goal weight allows me to create a surgical plan tailored around your baseline figure, for long-lasting and natural-looking results. Weight fluctuations after surgery can lead to distorted results, defeating the purpose of investing time and money in looking and feeling your best.” —Dr. Cash
Know what to expect
“I have the Vectra 3D imaging [system] at my practice and love using it during mommy makeover consults. It gives my patients the opportunity to ‘try on’ different implants, with or without a lift, and take home actual images of what their breasts will look like, which is so much better than just placing an implant in a bra.” —Dr. Burke
“Management of expectations is an art that is refined by experience and expertise. As surgeons, we want to select the appropriate patients, plan the appropriate surgery to meet their needs, and execute the surgery with a high predictive value. I use a 3D and 4D virtual imaging program during the consultation because I believe [patients] need to see the surgical possibilities on their bodies. We then discuss our enhanced recovery pathway, which includes a preoperative oral regimen, intraoperative blocks, and postoperative nonnarcotic pain relief. Again, this approach is based on data, to ensure a safer recovery, [with reduced] downtime and [fewer] adverse events. We then have extensive discussions about garment use, postoperative activity, drain care, sleeping, positioning, and so forth.” —Dr. Politis
“It’s important that the goal of surgery is not to go back to their pre-baby body. That is not a healthy or obtainable goal. The goal should be to feel good in their current skin.” —Dr. Kelly Killeen, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California
Explore the procedural possibilities
“We can safely pair abdominal-based surgery with liposuction and corrective surgery on an additional area. Most requested by my younger patients is breast rejuvenation paired with abdominal rejuvenation—this can involve a breast reduction, breast lift, implant-based augmentation, or a hybrid approach including fat grafting. My older patients tend to opt for brachioplasty in conjunction with abdominal surgery. Others are interested in vulvar rejuvenation (labiaplasty), which I perform in the office six weeks prior to the mommy makeover or three months following. I prefer not to perform a labiaplasty at the same time as an implant-based breast augmentation—due to the possibility of implant cross contamination—or a tummy tuck because of the difficulty in recovery.” [Editor’s note: Some plastic surgeons routinely perform labiaplasties during mommy makeovers. Ask your surgeon about their protocol.] —Dr. Politis
“Most mommy makeovers in my practice are a combination surgery of a tummy tuck 360 with a mastopexy augmentation [breast lift with implants]. I love this combination because the abdomen, love handles, waistline, and breasts are usually the most concerning, post-baby. I address all these areas, including the fullness under the arms and [on the] upper back, creating a shrink-wrap effect of the entire trunk and abdomen. Also, the abdominal muscles may separate significantly during pregnancy, resulting in a diastasis, which can be difficult to hide in clothes. I address this with tightening of the muscles during the tummy tuck. I almost always address the breasts at the same time, because it is usually the area of the body that the women want to feel the most confident about, especially after breastfeeding.” —Dr. Burke
“Although it is always tempting to do everything at once, I find patients do better when they stage procedures. You heal better and faster if your body is focusing on healing one area versus multiple. Positioning is an important consideration as well—surgery on the front and back of the body at once makes [recovery] rough for a long time after surgery. I think it’s important to focus on only one or two areas and not get overwhelmed.” —Dr. Killeen
Ask how to hold children after surgery
“A lot of moms worry about being able to interact with and carry their young children for the full no-heavy-lifting period in their recovery, which can be six weeks. As a mom of little ones, I know it is impossible to not hold your child for that long, so I modify the post-op lifting in certain ways. Generally, I have patients make sure that for one full week, no one can be dependent on them. In other words, someone else needs to be available to take care of their family and do meals, baths, drop-offs, et cetera. After one week, moms are usually okay to have their child on their lap and are even okay to stoop down, bring the child close to their body, and then stand, when needed. I advise them that this should not be a regular occurrence. What moms truly want to avoid for four to six weeks is bending over and picking up their child from the ground or out of the crib—that movement creates tension on the incision line. I also tell them to avoid surprise jumps from children—from the counter onto Mom, for instance—as that ‘shock’ can cause problems in terms of the sudden sharp movement it creates. As long as the movement is careful and controlled, it generally is okay to interact with and even hold your children as you recover.” —Dr. Amaka Nwubah, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Nashville, Tennessee
Consider keeping kids in the loop
“An issue that comes up, over and over, is whether to tell kids about what you are doing. I think it’s really important to be honest with your kids and let them know what is happening. It’s scary to see Mom not at her normal. They don’t need to know the details, but they should be kept in the loop. I think this also helps reduce the stigma of surgery. If you speak honestly about your experiences with your children, they are less worried during your recovery and you empower them to make good decisions in the future.” —Dr. Killeen
Spring for aftercare, if you can…
“I have my patients go to aftercare for a few days, to give them a break from the kids to recover and also to not scare the kids when they are home after surgery.” —Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California
…Or line up lots of help at home
“I tell moms who get breast and body cosmetic surgery that they will need to line up someone to take care of them, number one, and someone to take care of their children as well. This is usually two different people, as it’s very difficult for their partner to all of a sudden be thrown into the role of taking care of a fresh postoperative patient as well as small children. It’s time to call upon their mother, sister, or friend to come stay over and help out.” —Dr. Jennifer Walden, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Austin, Texas
“Most women have a hard time asking for help. I encourage people to be really honest about how helpful their spouses are. If your spouse is not helpful with the kids, it’s likely they will not be helpful with your recovery. It’s a great time to call in a favor from [their] mom or siblings, if needed. I tell my patients to plan ahead for multiple meals and potentially hire a cleaning service for the first few weeks. You will not likely feel up to the task, and it’s so nice to have these things taken care of.” —Dr. Killeen
“When discussing postoperative care during consultations, I tell patients that they will not be able to be the primary caregiver for their children for several weeks, so it is important to identify who will be taking care of the children during recovery, in addition to who will be there to help the patient recover. Patients will not be able to lift anything over 10 pounds for six weeks, which means someone else has to help children get into and out of bed, high chairs, car seats, and the bathtub. This applies to fur babies as well, so if you have a large pet that requires walking or extra attention, you may need someone else to care for them for a few weeks.” —Dr. Cash
