29 Years Old, 4 Kids, Looking to Have a Mommy Makeover - Reno, NV

Just thought I put a quick post, everything is going well. My TT incision can hardly been seen. I think a big part of it is because I wore tape for so long. MY PS said that tape was one of the best ways to help nice scars, and I believe it worked. I didn't keep tape on my BL and those incision lights are still pink and can be seen easy, although not as bad as they were at first. My TT line in white, and when I look in the mirror I can't really see if, but if I bent over and look for it, its still there.

For those getting this done and not wanting people to you have it done, it works. A couple of people have mentioned or asked if I've lost weight, but that is happening well over a year later. I wouldn't say my body in perfect and I think everyone should go into something like this knowing your body won't come out perfect. Saying that, I am not self conscious at all in clothes or swimming suits. In fact I feel confident in them, but I also tend to wear a one piece.

I think the first couple of weeks after surgery are the worst, especially the first 2-3 days and then it gets better the longer out you are. It takes time to be comfortable with out the garments they give you to wear, but at some point you'll get used to it. My tummy is still numb from the surgery, and sometimes it feels tight when I'm stretching but I'm the only one who notices that. I back to playing sports and doing everything that I did before, its been a good experience.

I'm 5 weeks today, and feeling a lot more normal although not completely there yet. I can fake normal in front of anyone that I need to, which is everyone pretty much. I still feeling pulling in my breasts when reaching up high, and it worsens if I'm carrying anything with weight behind it, so I don't really do it much. Or I can feel that same stretch when trying shave my armpits.

I've started to carry my 20 month old again, although not much at all. I've been taking him in and out of his carseat and crib since about 2 weeks post op, but I put him on my hip today for maybe 30 seconds and it didn't hurt or anything. Hes sick so hes been wanting to be in my arms, usually I still just sit and hold him or lay with him in a bed.

I still take naps in a day, maybe its because I have the opportunity since I stay at home.

I'ms till wearing my CG all of the time. I take it off for a couple of hours usually every other day, and I used to hate not wearing it but it no longer feels like my insides are falling out when I'm not wearing and I look forward to not having to wear it! I think that is at six weeks, so one more week!

One of the biggest changes for me is every time I shower I love to stare at my self in the mirror, I used to get dressed so fast after a shower and than do things like comb my hair, but not anymore. I love to look at myself again, which I think is a really good thing.

I'm looking forward to going into a hot tube again, hopefully only one more week but I still have one spot under one of my boobs that has a scab and I was told not to go in until all scabs are gone, so I'm hoping this one heals fast!

Other than that things are coming along nicely. One of my nipples got bigger than the other for a short time, but now they are the same again. I was really worried about that, but it has all worked out. I'm pretty sure that my boobs have dropped fully now, and I think they look great. Now it is a waiting game for scars to lighten up.

I also signed myself up for a race in the summer that has obstacles in it. I hope I'm ready for it when it comes and that I have time to rebuild some of my muscles, and can run well again by than.

I returned to normal life, and its been good but different than I expected. I felt like i had recovered so well and now being home with the kids and life I've found myself exhausted and I take naps most days. I'm lucky because I can since I stay home with the kids. I'm still up early 6-6:30 am but the naps are nice.

There are so many things that I can't do that I didn't expect like shouting, calling for my kids who are in the basement, it isn't easy. I guess I can't hold enough air in my lungs to really call for them. I tired blowing a balloon up and I think it may have been dangerous because when I went to put the second breath of air in, all the air in my balloon ended up in my lungs, not in the balloon. I wouldn't suggest trying this, it wasn't fun.

I have however started lifting my 19 month old. I don't carry him, well I have twice but not a normal way. I do use my arms to lift him in and out of his carseat, however he has to walk to his carseat, climb up into the car and than I just lift him into his seat while standing in the car. I haven't left my house yet without my husband, except to pick kids up from school, so I do this once a day. I've been able to do this since I got home, I've been really careful how I do it, but I can do. I still can't put him on my hip though and walk, and I haven't really tried either.

I'm still using my freezer meals to cook dinner, which is nice, but I can do most things to cook a meal and its isn't hard on the body. Things like carrying a vacuum cleaner, not a good idea, unloading the dishes isn't always easy if thing are in top cupboard because I still have a hard time stretching way up with my arms above my head. Don't get me wrong I notice improvements there all the time, but I can still feel the stretch when I try to put things away and if they have weight to them its a lot harder, a stool in recommended.

I notice that I still have to focus on walking straight, I can do it and once I'm up walking straight its easier but with my kids I stopped focusing on it and realized because it was easier to be every so slightly leaning forward that I did that, so I make sure not to.

I know I don't have pictures up, and I tried once and couldn't get any to go up and now I've deleted them because I didn't want someone to stumble upon them. However I was so nervous for people to be able to tell that I got my boobs done, well because I worse a push-up bra as well as stuffed my push-up bra, I look the same as I did when I wear clothes. Its when I take my clothes off that I still have boobs. Its funny because my husband always mentions it. lol Its safe to say that he likes them, and so do I. My boobs seem huge to me when I'm naked but normal when I'm clothes. The thing that I never considered was how the TT would change my looks. I don't really look skinnier from a side view (maybe that will come as the swelling continues to go down). When your facing me I have so much shape and curves now that I didn't have before, my waist is so small. That has been the hardest thing to "hide." Although I'm hoping and it seems to be working that people just believe me when I say I've been watching what I eat, which is true and I've been doing that for a while. I could be better at it though.

Recovery is a really hard thing. I thought it won't be bad as long as I'm in the mind set that it will last this long. Well it does get hard. My husband has been taking care of me and the kids when hes not at work so much and I feel great amount of guilt when he does stuff that I used to do all the time like it was nothing and now its him who does it, I also enjoy this part a bit too. For example he still gets up in the night with my 20 month old ( I know he should be sleeping through the night and I've tried everything, my 4 others were all sleeping through the night so its not like I don't know what I'm doing but he is stubborn). My hubby is still helping out around the house a lot.

The swelling part I seem to deal with just fine, I'm excited for it to be gone, but I can deal with it. The hard part for me is not doing the things I'm used to doing. Trying to do thing and realizing that I can't do it. I also have to fake everything too because no one knows besides my husband and my best friend that I did this. That makes it hard, and just how long it takes for recovery to happen.

Mine might be taking a tad longer in some cases because I had an infected stitch and that has caused a lot of pain. My husband had to find the stitch which is hard because they are clear and cut the knot out (it was one that the dc. didn't do before we left probably because it was where to incisions met). It wasn't hard and than we looked for others because they are easy to miss and we pulled one other out. I think it is now starting to get better but its slow going and sore.

Its also weird to watch your boobs heal because some days they look the same and other days they look different. I know they won't look exactly the same once they've settled into their spots because they didn't look exactly the same before although I thought they did until I saw my doc. The one thing I've having a hard time with is one of my nipples has gotten larger since surgery but one of them has stayed the same. I'm wondering if the one has healed faster and if the other one will follow suit or what because I really would like them to be the same size!

I totally know the meaning of morning boob now, and if I massage them fast it goes away fast. My implants are under the muscle so you can't hold them and squeeze them so I find it is hard to tell if they are softening up or not. They are softer now than right after surgery but I think some of that has to do with the skin relaxing. Although I felt a "bubble" in the inside of one of my boobs and my doc. says its probably the implant that I feel and apparently this often happens in thinner patients but it probably won't go away. It doesn't change the look of anything, its just really weird so I feel it all the time with my hands.

Oh another thing I've found weird is that a lot of my bones get sore. Maybe from compress, not sure. It just wasn't something I expected, my ribs get sore my collarbone as been sore.

My compression garment, I can't wait to be done with it! I have a hard time not wearing it at the same time because its nice on my tummy area but where it stops on my ribs is very sore. Also under my boob that had the infection has a hard time with possible rubbing i think so I don't wear the shoulder strap on that side and it helps. I would just love not to wear and bra at all times. I still wear one because I'm told but I take breaks from that one for sure (mostly because of the infection under my breast and its rubs lots with a bra).

I think that is all that I can think, hope this helps someone out there who is planning on getting this done.