Tall 38 Year Old Gets Mommy Makeover with Tummy Tuck and Breast Augmentation

I wasn’t going to do one of these because, uh...nekkid pictures on the internet, but I found this community to be so helpful that I wanna help, too!
Deciding to have the surgery was a 5 year process. I originally consulted with Dr. DeMars about liposuction of my belly. I’ve always had a belly, even at my fittest and pre-pregnancy, but pregnancy just made it all pruney saggy. I was sick of having to literally stuff my skin into the top of my pants when I dressed every morning. At that first consult 5 years ago, Dr. Demars explained that he could make the belly smaller, but that it would require a tummy tuck to do anything about the sagging skin. I wasn’t quite ready for that at that point.
Five years later and a very solid decision that I was done having kids, I was back in Dr. DeMars’ office asking about a Mommy Makeover. I figured that if I was going to get the belly fixed, I might as well tune up the boobs, too. I had planned on just getting a lift, but he explained that my skin was actually in good shape--I had just lost volume from nursing. To replace that volume and achieve the best result, he suggested implants.
It took me a while to wrap my head around the idea of getting implants. I was solid on my decision to get a tummy tuck, but implants felt like a whole new ballgame to me. To make a long story short that’s already long, I decided on silicone implants. My Dr. is one of the best in my area and has an impeccable reputation. I never felt the need to micromanage him. We never did sizers or talked ccs, I only carefully explained the result I was after and trusted that his 30+ years of experience would help him make better decisions about the details than I ever could. I paid and scheduled and I was on my way.
The month before surgery was an emotional one. What message was I sending my daughter? Was I buying into the BS American beauty ideal? Would I miss still having a mommy belly to remind me that I had grown a baby in there? What the hell was I doing spending all this money on something so selfish? Thankfully, my husband was very supportive and talked me through it all. He had seen me agonize every time I got dressed, for years. We both knew it was the right decision.
My surgery day details were pretty run-of-the-mill; nothing you can’t read on most other reviews around here. Now, onto the recovery.
Ow. I consider myself to have a very high pain tolerance. I’d had 9 major surgeries and a baby before this particular surgery and none of them were anything like this. The boob pain was nothing too terrible (the pain pump helped) but the tummy tuck taught me the meaning of patience. The hardest part was getting up and down to pee. I pee A LOT, and I honestly think that if I had had a catheter for the first few days, things would have been much easier. If I were to do it again, I'd ask for one.
As it was, I was set up on one of those anti-gravity lawn chairs and it worked okay. I was moving around pretty well by day 4 or 5 but still in quite a bit of pain. It took me a couple of weeks before I didn’t need pain meds anymore. Getting in/out of bed was THE WORST, even with my giant 6'3 husband basically lifting me in and out. Definitely follow the other advice around here and get/rent a recliner, or even better a lift chair. It will be money well spent.
Those of you who were able to return to work after 2-3 weeks deserve an award. I have a very physical industrial job and I am still having a tough time with it 10 weeks later. Swell hell is a real thing and the soreness lasts a long time.
I was getting around pretty well after the first ten days or so and could stand up straight by then, at least in the morning before the swelling went crazy, which it did by about 1pm. Of course, I overdid it a couple of times and had to force myself to lay around again for a while. Like I said, this surgery teaches patience like nothing else. I ended up with a pesky small seroma that had to be drained several times but it resolved itself after a couple of weeks and was just more of an annoyance than anything.
I did experience the emotional roller coaster that people talk about, too. I freaked out about the size of my boobs. They seemed HUGE, especially when they were still swollen. But once my brain got used to my new body, and my breast settled, I fell in love with them.
My advice on size is to find and choose a doctor you trust, even if it takes consulting with many of them. Don't bargain shop. Ask around if you're not shy about it and get recommendations. Go in with an idea of what you want and allow your surgeon to guide you from there. Try to have realistic expectations; your frame and existing breast shape will have a lot to do with your outcome. For example, I wanted a natural look with more upper pole fullness. My breast crease is naturally "low" on my chest because I am very tall (6'1) and that wasn't going to change. Neither was the fact that my breasts naturally sit apart because of my frame width. The Dr. explained all of this to me; they'd still be "my" breasts. Just better.
Don't be afraid to go a little bigger than you're comfortable with if your Dr. suggests it. My Dr. and I focused more on my result than on specific implant profiles/ccs, but when I was freaking out about having gone too big directly after surgery, I read reviews here for hours from women who regretted spending all of that money and going too small. The general consensus was that women who thought they had gone too big right after surgery were happiest once everything settled. Those who were thrilled with their size directly after surgery were disappointed once their swelling went down. The former was definitely my experience.
I am very tall (6’1) and Dr. DeMars chose 600cc Natrelle Inspira SRM (moderate projection) under the muscle for me. Those are big implants, but so is my frame. They are perfect. My TT scar is suuuuper low and looks great. I can wear most bikini bottoms without it showing, and will have even more options once the scar fades. Yay for not having to wear bikini bottoms that go up to my armpits anymore!
I am so very happy that I decided to have this surgery. I have struggled with body image issues my whole life and it's like they’re...poof! Gone. I used to shop for and chose clothes solely for their ability to flaten/hide my belly and boost the boobs and it was always an exercise in futility. My closet was Fred Flinstone style; all the same versions of leggings, jeggings, and flowy tops. Now I can’t stop shopping because I can wear ANYTHING I WANT. It’s wonderful. Remember to budget for a new wardrobe! If you're anything like me, you won't want to stop shopping. There is one caveat to that, though: bras. Seriously. It's hard, but wait a couple of months before you race out and buy expensive bras. Your breasts will change a ton over the first couple of months and anything you buy early on (other than maybe sports-bra type bras) won't fit anymore. I got a couple of cheapies on Amazon to get me through.
My parting advice is that if you are considering a Mommy Makeover, give yourself time to be certain it's what you want to do. Make sure you have support people to talk to and help you through recovery. Then GO FOR IT. You're worth it. I can't count how many ways this transformation has positively affected my life. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made for myself.