The decision to get a mommy makeover is a big one. Many women struggle with body image issues and self-confidence after having children, as your appearance is not quite the same. Many women would restore their pre-pregnancy shape if given the opportunity—and that is precisely what a mommy makeover is designed to do.
A mommy makeover is designed to be specific to you. Usually, a mommy makeover includes a tummy tuck with a breast augmentation or lift (sometimes both) but can consist of liposuction, facelift, and a Brazilian butt lift.
It’s best to schedule your mommy makeover during a “calm” time for your family. This can be tricky, as sometimes with kids, there seem to be no periods of calm, but if your spouse has a slow period at work or when the kids are at camp would be the best time to schedule your surgery.
Table of Contents
You Will Need Help Around the House
Post-op Day 3-5 are the Most Difficult
You Will Not Be Able to Lift Anything for a Couple of Weeks
Prioritize Health and Nutrition
Reach a Sustainable Weight
Before deciding to undergo a mommy makeover, it is best to reach a healthy, sustainable weight. This means you don’t have to do extreme diets and or exercise to stay that weight.
Adopting healthy lifestyle habits that you can maintain long-term is the best option. Crash dieting before your surgery will weaken your body and may cause complications when going under the knife.
A mommy makeover can help your body become slimmer by removing excess skin and fat, tightening your abs, and sculpting the body. However, it is essential to remember it is not a weight-loss procedure. Weight loss after surgery can cause sagging skin and breasts, undoing the work of your surgeon.
It’s best to lose any weight and keep it off well before your procedure. Remember, it’s a lifestyle change, not just a diet.
You Will Need Help Around the House
While undergoing a mommy makeover procedure is an exciting thing, the initial recovery can be stressful. Many women underestimate the difficulties that they are going to be faced with. For a large portion of your recovery, you will be out of commission from work and even mothering duties – approx. 2-3 weeks, and you may have activity limitations for up to 6 weeks.
It is important to schedule your mommy makeover date when friends and family members are available to help. This will include things like cooking, cleaning, childcare, and transportation.
Post-op Day 3-5 are the Most Difficult
Any way you slice it, undergoing any part of a mommy makeover is a major procedure. Recovering from just one procedure can be painful, so combining multiple surgeries together can produce some uncomfortable results.
It’s normal to feel extreme fatigue, tightness, soreness, and even constipation after surgery. These symptoms will hit their peak at around day three to five but reduce day by day after that. Many women often wonder if what they did was a mistake, but don’t worry, this is normal too.
You Will Not Be Able to Lift Anything for a Couple of Weeks
After your procedure, you will not be able to lift things over 10 pounds for at least 4-6 weeks. This includes picking up your children. This is because lifting heavy objects engages your chest and abdominal muscles and puts strain on your incision sites.
Putting strain on your incision sites can delay healing, negatively affect your results, widen your scars, and even open the incision sites back up again. It will be difficult not to pick up your children, but it is a crucial element of your recovery.
Prioritize Health and Nutrition
A healthy, well-rested body will heal faster than one that is not. Therefore, good nutrition, not only in everyday life but in recovery, is essential. Eating a whole foods-based diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins will aid you in an excellent recovery.
Your doctor might recommend taking vitamins to help heal, but do not take any vitamins, supplements, or medications without speaking to your doctor or surgeon first.
If you want to find out more about top foods to eat post-op, click here.
You Will Feel Post-op Blues
With any surgery, there is an emotional element involved. Post-op blues are just one of the things that come along with undergoing any major surgery. You may be focusing on your physical recovery, but it is important to look after your mental health as well.
Increased dependency on others, coupled with physical pain/discomfort, fatigue, and having to rest for long periods of time, can be difficult when you’re used to a more active routine. It may also take a while to get used to your new appearance, especially if you can’t see the results right away. Patience is key.
Post-op blues are usually short-lived and start to lift as you recover and become more active. However, you should be mentally prepared to give your body the time it needs to heal correctly so you can see the full results and start to enjoy them.
Do What is Best for You
Mommy makeovers are typically an all-in-one procedure. There are benefits to having just one recovery period, but that doesn’t mean you have to have all the surgeries at once. If you are more comfortable splitting your mommy makeover into stages, there is nothing wrong with that!
Start with the area that bothers you the most and reserve the rest of the procedures later. Splitting surgeries will also give you insight into the recovery process after surgery and provide you with time to prepare.
How Can Beautifi Help?
The Beautifi team is always here to help when choosing a surgeon or financially planning for a cosmetic procedure. Learn how our process works or fill out an application to start your procedure journey!