Get the real deal on beauty treatments—real doctors, real reviews, and real photos with real results.Here's how we earn your trust.

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...

User Avatar
Dee512tx
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.

Dee512tx's provider

Mahlon Kerr, MD, FACS

Mahlon Kerr, MD, FACS

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.8 | 255 Reviews
PROFILE

Replies (5)

November 8, 2017
How are you doing? My operation is Nov. 17th.
User Avatar
December 13, 2017
Hi Dee512tx! You look great! This site is fantastic, and I am SO glad I saw your post! I am scheduled to have my TT/BA on January 10th, and I was told by my PS that I, too, would need a vertical incision. I need to have him repeat why this would be necessary, but I believe it had to do with my skin not being lose on the top of abdomin, though I do not understand the theory behind this. I'd like to ask a couple of questions if you don't mind. First, I thought I saw that you had 346cc implants, is that right? Can you tell me which implant type you had (teardrop vs round, and profile type). Im still unsure of which implant I need to get the results I would like. I wanted to aim low, only wanting to "refill" what I once had (Im an A cup, hoping for a high B-low C) and I want them to look as natural as possible, but I have heard so many people that say they wish they had gone larger. I want NO regrets! I am a petite person too (5'1, 105lbs). Also, can you tell me a little bit about your recovery, like returning to activities of daily living, and exercise. For example, when could you wash your own hair?? I know that sounds like a ridiculous question, but recovering from any surgical procedure has its limits. I am also planning a vacation to Costa Rica 9 weeks after my surgery, so I want to have realistic expectations, mostly on how everything will be healing. Thanks again! You look fantastic! Please continue to post updates and pictures with your progress.
User Avatar
December 13, 2017
Thanks! I find this site invaluable too - reading others experiences is the only reason I finally went through with surgery! In terms of the vertical incision, it has to do with whether or not you have enough laxity in your skin to bring your previous belly button (or more accurately, the skin cut away from around your BB) down to meet the horizontal scar. If not, it has to be stitched together as a vertical incision or sometimes an upside down T incision, where the vertical and horizontal scars meet. I was very likely to need one since there was a large distance between my BB and my pubic line, where the horizontal scar would be. I also have/had significant stretch marks that mean the skin above my BB was thin and not super elastic. Ultimately, I'm so glad I got the vertical incision because the alternative is having a higher horizontal scar that's harder to hide under swimwear/underwear. To me, the horizontal scar is what screams "TUMMY TUCK" and I wanted it hidden, even with the trade off. I also found a lot of comfort in reading others reviews with vertical incisions - I've saved some of them, you can look under my profile to find them. Seeing how light the scars get and how unnoticeable they are after a year made me feel good about the decision. In terms of the BA, I have a 345 (R), 365 (L) Inspira silicone SRF implant. It's round, smooth, full projection implant. I was somewhat limited based on my small breast width size (11 or 11.5cm) and my surgeon also prefers Inspira for its natural feeling. I liked the look of teardrop implants, but the width of them is a bit wider and there is some risk of them rotating (so I've heard?). I am one of the few people who wished I would have gone a hair smaller. Prior to surgery, I was thinking closer to 250/300 and right now, I'd still say I wish I went with that size. BUT, I'm not done dropping/fluffing yet and as they drop and become more naturally shaped, I may feel differently. I think its important to ask yourself which would bother you more, if you went a little too big, or a little too small? I'm in the latter camp, but like you, everyone kept saying the 90% of women wish they would have gone bigger. No idea how I'll feel in 3 months, but in general, I'm happy. There's a pic of my with pre surgery sizers vs my results a few weeks back in my review - check that out to compare. Last, I think you will be very ready to do Costa Rica 9 weeks po, assuming you dont have any complications. I needed help washing my hair for my first shower after surgery (3 days po?) but after that, I got to doing it myself by day 5 or 6. I haven't been cleared to get back to exercise yet, but I was back to most normal household activities by day 12 or so post op. The thing that mostly stopped me early on was getting a sore back walking around hunched! As long as you take your time, rest and do a little more each day than you did the day prior, you'll feel like you're back at 80% or so within a couple weeks after surgery. At 1 month po, I feel 90% except for the lack of exercise and night cramps!
User Avatar
December 13, 2017
Meant to say the "former camp" - I'm more bothered by being a little too big than too small
August 30, 2019
You look absolutely amazing. Hope you are even better now.have a wonderful day
UPDATED FROM Dee512tx
7 days pre

Pre-op photos

User Avatar
Dee512tx
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

User Avatar
Dee512tx
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.

Replies (3)

November 9, 2017
Can't wait to see your after pics! Your post baby bod is a lot like mine and I can't wait to get my mommy makeover!
User Avatar
December 13, 2017
Yay! I would definitely recommend it. It's been so worth it already.
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!