100% Worth It! So Much Relief, and Excellent Care

My experience with Dr Hayes was excellent from the beginning. It was a little tricky to find an initial consult time at first, but I'm so glad I waited. I chose to get a consult with him because of his reviews and before & after photos, and ended up choosing him for surgery for a number of reasons- 1st, he focuses on surgery and doesn't offer a huge array of other procedures. Second, it was oddly a body-positive experience when I went in for the consult. The first doctor I met with, who was female, commented on my body in a way that made me feel like 'I needed a lot of work.' She told me she'd want to do liposuction with the Tummy Tuck, etc etc. Dr Hayes, however, was complimentary in a non-creepy way and made me feel validated about wanting to get my diastases repaired and to feel better in my body after an abdominoplasty. For some backstory, I had twins and a c-section, and after consistently taking care of myself through diet and weightlifting with a coach, I realized nothing was going to change how slack my stomach was. I joked that I felt 'ripped underneath' but that no one would ever know:) It turned out I had an 8cm diastases/separation, which explained how weird my core had felt since pregnancy.

I felt totally prepared for the surgery and the recovery, which was about what I expected. Now I'm 3 months out and just got to enjoy a family vacation in a bathing suit without mind-drama about my body, which is worth so much in itself. My clothes fit better, and I don't feel like I'm trying to 'deal with' my hanging tummy anymore. I can finally do core workouts without worrying that I'm damaging something, and weight-lifting in general feels so much better and more cohesive.

When I saw the surgery photos at my first post-op appointment, I was so excited to see what I'd look like once my swelling went down! I highly recommend you ask for or look at those if you choose to move forward, as the first week or two is rough walking bent over, being swollen, etc.

This surgery was one of the most expensive things I've paid for in my life, though I have had zero regrets. I feel like my 'old self,' and agree with what so many people shared on here before, that I feel like I'm able to be a better partner and mom without having to worry about my body so much.