POSTED UNDER Mommy Makeover REVIEWS
34yo Mom, 5'3", 116lbs - Mommy Makeover TT (w/ MR and small vertical incision) and BA
ORIGINAL POST
Everyone's stories on this site and others are...
WORTH IT$14,000
Everyone's stories on this site and others are part of what help me feel prepared to make the decision to move forward with my own surgery. I hope my experience can assist others considering these procedures. I will try to update as I go along.
Background: 34yo, married, have one child who is 8yo. I've maintained a healthy weight throughout adulthood, but my child was 9lbs at birth (big babies run in my husband's family), so my abdominal skin was severely stretched. My surgeon believes that I may benefit from a small amount of lipo on my hips, but my overall frame is thin. 5'3" and 116 lbs. My highest non-pregnancy weight is about 125 and my lowest is about 115lbs. I think I gained about 40lbs in pregnancy. I breastfed for almost 24 months and went from an A cup pre-pregnancy, to a C cup and down again. I don't dislike my breast size at all and have never had an issue with being small. However, the deflatedness of my chest is an annoyance. I had hoped as years passed that my body's fat reserves might plump up my breasts a bit, but that hasn't been the case. Either way, the BA portion of my surgery is less important to me and more of a bonus than a goal. I'm going with a very moderate implant to fill in the empty tissue - ~300cc or so.
I'm not as reliable of an exerciser as I would like to be, but when I fit it into my schedule, I focus on weights and resistance training - because it takes less time and shows me more personal benefit. At home we have an adjustable weight set, a yoga ball and a treadmill and that fulfills most of my needs. I probably exercise 0 - 3x week. I work a professional/desk type job but do work remotely most days (from home).
For the past year or so, I've followed a low-carb/ ketogenic type diet and have found this agrees with my body. Basically I eat protein, vegetables, low-GI fruits (berries), low carb flax-type breads and healthy fats in abundance. I do splurge with carbs for social occasions (once every few weeks) and I've learned to cook low-carb desserts to satisfy my enormous sweet tooth.
Pre-surgery, I've taken collagen peptide powder (grass-fed sourced, bought on amazon - stirred in my coffee), Omega 3 fish oil and vitamin D. My surgeon has asked that I stop the fish oil and vit. D for two weeks prior to surgery and add a multi-vitamin, so now I'm just continuing with collagen and a daily multi. After surgery, I plan to double my collagen intake (good source of protein/amino acids), resume the fish oil/D, and add tumeric and bromelain (the substance in pineapple that is good for swelling). Despite what it sounds like, I haven't been very strict on eating, exercising or taking supplements until more recently. I've been a sugar-a-holic most of my adult life, but have been lucky to stay relatively thin. Only in the last few years (since hitting my 30's) have I started really getting disciplined with taking care of myself. Maybe because my child is a bit older now and I have the mental space for it.
I'm nervous about surgery but I think my expectations for the recovery process are in-check. Hoping my post-op swelling doesn't last the full year that others have. Part of the reason for my November timing is hoping my swelling and healing are doing better by the time warmer weather hits.
It took a long time for me to decide to go through with the MM. I first considered it when my child was 1yo but have gone back and forth over the years about whether I wanted to make the trade-off between crepe-y skin and a horizontal scar. I'm grateful to have read so many stories online to better understand the process and how people feel about their results. I'm hoping for a low scar, but due to my relatively thinness, I may need an inverted T scar to include my BB and keep my horizontal scar low.
Background: 34yo, married, have one child who is 8yo. I've maintained a healthy weight throughout adulthood, but my child was 9lbs at birth (big babies run in my husband's family), so my abdominal skin was severely stretched. My surgeon believes that I may benefit from a small amount of lipo on my hips, but my overall frame is thin. 5'3" and 116 lbs. My highest non-pregnancy weight is about 125 and my lowest is about 115lbs. I think I gained about 40lbs in pregnancy. I breastfed for almost 24 months and went from an A cup pre-pregnancy, to a C cup and down again. I don't dislike my breast size at all and have never had an issue with being small. However, the deflatedness of my chest is an annoyance. I had hoped as years passed that my body's fat reserves might plump up my breasts a bit, but that hasn't been the case. Either way, the BA portion of my surgery is less important to me and more of a bonus than a goal. I'm going with a very moderate implant to fill in the empty tissue - ~300cc or so.
I'm not as reliable of an exerciser as I would like to be, but when I fit it into my schedule, I focus on weights and resistance training - because it takes less time and shows me more personal benefit. At home we have an adjustable weight set, a yoga ball and a treadmill and that fulfills most of my needs. I probably exercise 0 - 3x week. I work a professional/desk type job but do work remotely most days (from home).
For the past year or so, I've followed a low-carb/ ketogenic type diet and have found this agrees with my body. Basically I eat protein, vegetables, low-GI fruits (berries), low carb flax-type breads and healthy fats in abundance. I do splurge with carbs for social occasions (once every few weeks) and I've learned to cook low-carb desserts to satisfy my enormous sweet tooth.
Pre-surgery, I've taken collagen peptide powder (grass-fed sourced, bought on amazon - stirred in my coffee), Omega 3 fish oil and vitamin D. My surgeon has asked that I stop the fish oil and vit. D for two weeks prior to surgery and add a multi-vitamin, so now I'm just continuing with collagen and a daily multi. After surgery, I plan to double my collagen intake (good source of protein/amino acids), resume the fish oil/D, and add tumeric and bromelain (the substance in pineapple that is good for swelling). Despite what it sounds like, I haven't been very strict on eating, exercising or taking supplements until more recently. I've been a sugar-a-holic most of my adult life, but have been lucky to stay relatively thin. Only in the last few years (since hitting my 30's) have I started really getting disciplined with taking care of myself. Maybe because my child is a bit older now and I have the mental space for it.
I'm nervous about surgery but I think my expectations for the recovery process are in-check. Hoping my post-op swelling doesn't last the full year that others have. Part of the reason for my November timing is hoping my swelling and healing are doing better by the time warmer weather hits.
It took a long time for me to decide to go through with the MM. I first considered it when my child was 1yo but have gone back and forth over the years about whether I wanted to make the trade-off between crepe-y skin and a horizontal scar. I'm grateful to have read so many stories online to better understand the process and how people feel about their results. I'm hoping for a low scar, but due to my relatively thinness, I may need an inverted T scar to include my BB and keep my horizontal scar low.
UPDATED FROM Dee512tx
7 days pre
Pre-op photos
These are before photos. When standing and looking straight on, I look pretty good. It's hard to see the stretch marks that have faded and are silvery, but they are there - they show up as wrinkles when I'm bent over or in certain lighting. The swimsuit photo is from this past summer and shows how, even in a super high-waisted, vintage style suit, the skin above my navel has a "crepey" appearance and my BB itself looks like a horizontal slash. I'm not looking for perfection, but I'm so done with having a wrinkly belly!
Replies (0)
UPDATED FROM Dee512tx
1 day pre
Night before surgery
It's the evening before surgery! I had a pre-op today at the surgical location; just meeting with the anesthesiologist and going over final forms. My husband and I have to be at the hospital at 5am (and we are a 25 min drive away), so we have arranged for our child and dog to be elsewhere tonight. I've been completely swamped with work and making to-do lists so I don't forget everything after surgery (work lists, home lists, volunteer/school lists). My husband and mom are both helping (on different days) for the first week or so post-op.
I was told to bring a swimsuit bottom to surgery to help with incision placement and I realized I didn't even have a bikini anymore! Good thing there were still some at Target! I grabbed a black pair of bottoms and a bikini set that I hope will fit post BA - it's a c-cup size. I'll attempt to upload photos.
Feeling very nervous about how I will feel tomorrow. I don't mind being sore but I hope I don't have nausea and vomiting post-op or feel too foggy headed. I hate feeling "not myself".
Hope to update when I can in the next two days.
I was told to bring a swimsuit bottom to surgery to help with incision placement and I realized I didn't even have a bikini anymore! Good thing there were still some at Target! I grabbed a black pair of bottoms and a bikini set that I hope will fit post BA - it's a c-cup size. I'll attempt to upload photos.
Feeling very nervous about how I will feel tomorrow. I don't mind being sore but I hope I don't have nausea and vomiting post-op or feel too foggy headed. I hate feeling "not myself".
Hope to update when I can in the next two days.
Replies (3)
March 3, 2018
oh you are so tiny!!! I’m 5’4 & 170 lbs, but I workout like a fiend & I am a fitness instructor at 2 gyms. can’t wait to see your afterpix, going through your review one post at a time! also, we have family in Round Rock, would love to meet in person on a visit one day!
Replies (5)