Mommy Makeover, Hubbard-style

I had 2 c-sections in my early thirties and nursed both babies for a year each. Prior to pregnancy, I was always thin, fit and had a great metabolism. Although I didn't struggle to lose weight after either pregnancy, something shifted in my late 30's. I slowly gained 25 lbs over a few years. I exercised almost daily and realistically did my best with diet, but there wasn't much that seemed to change about my body no matter how hard I tried and the weight stuck. My self-confidence was hit hard.

I turn 40 in late August of this year and after debating for a few years whether or not I should consider plastic surgery, I finally scheduled an appointment with Dr. Hubbard. Several surgeons were recommended to me by local friends but after reviewing all their online before/after portfolios, I initially felt drawn to Hubbard. My initial consultation only heightened the draw. I had primarily made the appointment to discuss a breast lift and augmentation, but I asked him to tell me what he'd recommend, on a whole, to improve my overall appearance. He, myself and my husband talked for an hour and he was incredibly thoughtful and forthcoming with his recommendations and expectations for what my result would be with a full mommy makeover. His impression was that I would be pleased with a breast/lift augmentation, tummy tuck with umbilical slide and liposuction of my flanks. He took his time, answered every single question I had and made me feel completely at ease about a pretty intense surgery. I left with a quote for the entire surgery along with a quote for each individual part of the overall mommy makeover. I wanted time to process and make an informed decision and felt zero pressure to schedule or commit to anything that day.

After several days and discussions with my husband, we agreed that we wanted to proceed with the entire surgery before my birthday. I called to schedule and was disappointed that Hubbard would not be able to fit me in to his schedule for almost 2 months. However, this was only due to the amount of time the full mommy makeover surgery takes to perform. He needed 5 hours. Waiting almost 2 months was honestly the most excruciating part of the whole process. I spent weeks debating internally if I had made the right decision or not!

Pre-op with Rheanna was fantastic. She is one of the kindest, most patient people I have ever dealt with in a medical office. She answered every question and resolved every concern we had. The morning of surgery was intimidating, but I was immediately put at ease by Kate. Dr. Hubbard talked me through everything well before they put me under general anesthesia. Once I woke up from surgery, I felt terribly nauseated and stayed in recovery for about an hour. I did not opt to stay overnight in the hotel, and it felt a bit rushed to get out the door and home but I left with everything I needed and the pain was nothing I couldn't tolerate. I spent most of that first night feeling sick to my stomach but I was well medicated and able to rest comfortably without too much pain.

The first week of recovery was tough but manageable. I used pain medication around the clock as recommended for the first 3 days and then tapered off to nothing by the end of the week. I started walking around 15 minutes for every hour by day 2 and made sure to take all the deep breaths each hour, as recommended by Kate. We texted and spoke to her several times throughout the week and she was very assuring and helpful. It was tough to stay asleep at night and I woke up constantly. I would highly recommend having or borrowing a recliner or some kind for this recovery. For me, the drain was the least desirable part of the experience. I had to keep it in for 2 weeks until fluid output was at an acceptable level (it just came out today, actually!) and removal was a breeze. Kaylee has handled all of my post-op appointments and she is just a DREAM. She is patient and thorough, never made me feel rushed. I had to call and talk to her and Rheanna several times during the first two weeks and they were just above and beyond supportive and informative. Kaylee's drain removal was fantastic, it didn't hurt at ALL.

I can't yet speak to what my final results will be, but as of today, I am so incredibly pleased. I have an hourglass shape for the first time in my life! I've always been very straight/lean built. My breasts are absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to see how they fall in to place. There is still swelling and bruising but I expect to be happy with my end results. I would absolutely recommend Hubbard and his team to anyone considering plastic surgery. I think his office is the only "no-brainer" part of the entire process. Recovery from a mommy makeover is definitely not a cakewalk, but it also isn't as terrifying as several sources made it seem to me, especially when you can text or call your awesome surgeon and/or his team at any time. Ultimately, I would do it again and again.