Pictures can only tell so much. Behind the Before & After highlights the backstory of the most transformative cosmetic procedures on RealSelf’s Instagram, from the patient’s motivation to the recovery process to how they feel about their results today.
Courtney is a 35-year-old fitness coach living in Las Vegas. “Many people didn’t understand WHY I had a tummy tuck to remove my loose skin. A lot of those people understood after I posted [these] before and after [pics],” she said of her powerful mommy makeover before-and-after. This is her story, edited for length and clarity.
Before I got pregnant for the first time in 2016, I was about 150 pounds and 5’8”. I gained 75 pounds, then lost about 50 after giving birth. When I got pregnant again a year later, I gained another 75. I thought I’d gain a normal amount, like 20 or 30 pounds—I definitely wasn’t expecting it, but I couldn’t help it. So I weighed about 235 pounds when I delivered my second kid via C-section—and that’s when I really knew I had to do something. I had all these stretch marks and was feeling like a stranger in my own body.
Why I decided to get a mommy makeover
When my son was 2 months old, I started following a fitness and nutrition plan. Up until that point, I’d never worked out a day in my life, but after the first month, I saw other people making fitness coaching into a business and I really wanted to stay home with my kids, so I figured I’d try it. It was also a way to keep myself accountable and showing up.
Related: 10 Doctors Give Their Best Mommy Makeover Advice, in 10 Words or Less
It worked: I lost 100 pounds in six months. Unfortunately, I was left with all this loose skin—it looked sort of fine when I stood up straight, but that was really deceiving. I remember when I first met with my plastic surgeon after deciding on the mommy makeover, he asked what bothered me the most. I just sat down and showed him my stomach, and he was like, “Ohh… ” My skin looked melted. After losing 100 pounds and becoming the strongest I’d ever been physically, it was so defeating to put on a bathing suit and have all this sagging skin. All I wanted was to feel pride in my strength and how far I’d come.
That’s why I eventually decided to get the mommy makeover. I think a lot of women are really scared to have a tummy tuck, but since I’d had two C-sections and the second was a pretty rough recovery, I thought, Well, it can’t get much worse than that. I was initially concerned about my mom’s opinion. I live in Las Vegas, where plastic surgery is normalized, but she’s in Canada and it’s not something that is talked about as much. But the more I discussed it with her, the more I could see that she was supportive and proud of me for being willing to give myself this gift after the weight loss I had achieved.
After reading a ton of positive reviews and looking at his before and after photos, I had a consultation with Dr. Bryson Richards [a board-certified plastic surgeon in Las Vegas]. He made me feel really comfortable and confident in my decision, so in November of 2019, I got a tummy tuck and breast augmentation.
Related: 3 Women Get Real About Their Mommy Makeover Experience
At first, I was a bit nervous [to share my surgery journey on Instagram], since I am a fitness coach. I had some haters who said I should just work out more and that I was taking the easy way out. But for every negative comment, there were a hundred positive ones. So many women reached out, saying [that a mommy makeover] is a dream for them and their motivation to keep losing weight and trying to hit their goals. I know what it’s like to be the woman who is so uncomfortable in her skin she can’t even look in the mirror, and she’s who I speak for every day—so I just had to close my eyes and press Post.
The first three days after surgery were a fog, and having the drains in and trying to move around with my kids was really difficult, but the pain was very manageable with medication. Day 10 was a game changer—I felt like a human again. Overall, I would say it was comparable to the C-section and not too, too bad.
I felt very mentally strong [going into surgery], and I think that’s important. If you’re having emotional issues, take your time and think about it. I had a great experience and I’m so happy with my results, so I would absolutely recommend it to anyone with loose skin who has worked their ass off to get to where they are.
