How soon after pregnancy can I get a mommy makeover?

The time period following the birth of a new baby is so exciting – filled with joy, love, and lots of new memories as a new life is welcomed into the world! Most mothers are thrilled about their new little bundle of joy – but many are not so happy about the toll pregnancy has taken on their body, leaving them with an enlarged abdomen, saggy skin, and stretch marks. While plenty of women embrace these “battle scars”, others feel less confident, unattractive, or just not like themselves due to these changes to their bodies. While some post-pregnancy changes improve with time and lifestyle changes, women are sometimes disappointed that they are not able to get their “pre-baby body” back despite all of their hard work. For these people, cosmetic surgical procedures such as the “mommy makeover” may be a good option to explore! In this post, I will explain this procedure in detail as well as answer a common question asked by moms who are eager to get their body back: How soon after pregnancy can I get a mommy makeover?

The mommy makeover is a highly effective combination of a tummy tuck with liposuction (or liposuction alone, if desired) and a breast augmentation procedure. Prior to the tummy tuck portion of this procedure and according to patient preferences, Dr. Traci Temmen performs targeted liposuction to remove fat from the stomach, back and sides in order to sculpt a slimmer, shapelier physique. This helps create an hourglass figure, in addition to eliminating stubborn lower back fat and muffin tops. Performing liposuction first also slightly reduces the size of the incision that must be made to achieve optimal results during the tummy tuck portion of the procedure, resulting in a smaller scar. Most patients are very pleased that the scar from their tummy tuck is only slightly longer than a C-section scar, and can usually be easily concealed behind a pair of underwear or bikini bottoms. After liposuction, the standard tummy tuck technique is used to remove excess fat and skin is from the abdomen, creating a flatter, tighter stomach. This helps remove saggy skin and stretch marks acquired during pregnancy, eliminating the post-partum “pooch”.

In addition to liposuction and a tummy tuck, the mommy makeover procedure also includes breast augmentation to enhance the appearance of the breasts. Many women are unhappy with the shape, size, or symmetry of their breasts after the toll of pregnancy, breast-feeding, and aging. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen works closely with each patient to form a surgical plan that perfectly suits their anatomy, lifestyle, and aesthetic desires. The breast augmentation portion of the mommy makeover is extensively personalized to each unique patient. Many women are unhappy that their breasts hang lower than they would like and are good candidates for a breast lift, where excess tissue is removed from the breast and it is lifted to a higher position on the chest wall. This helps the breasts appear more youthful and perky. Depending on patient preferences, Dr. Temmen can also place breast implants during a mommy makeover to increase breast fullness and add beautiful, natural-looking volume. There are many different types and sizes of implants to choose from, and Dr. Temmen spends one-on-one time with each patient going over the different options to help every patient find the perfect match.

As you can see, the mommy makeover is a combination of procedures designed to target many of the key areas women are unhappy with after child-bearing in order to create a more youthful, slim, and shapely physique that makes every woman feel radiant and confident. So now the question is, how long does a woman have to wait after pregnancy to have this life-changing procedure? It is typically recommended that women wait at least six months to have this procedure to allow time for the tissues to recover after pregnancy. This gives time for the uterus to contract, abdominal wall muscles to tighten, and overlying tissue and skin to contract to their full extent. (While it may take about six to twelve weeks for the uterus to contract back to its original size, it takes six to twelve months for the abdominal muscles to return to their original positions and for the overlying abdominal skin to contract.) To ensure patient safety and produce the best result, a mommy makeover should not be performed sooner than six months after pregnancy, and it is typically recommended that patients wait six to twelve months to give the body time to recover. It should be noted that having a mommy makeover (or surgery in general, particularly intra-abdominal surgery) immediately following vaginal birth or C-section is associated with an increased risk of dangerous complications such as blood clots and significantly increased overall mortality, and should therefore never be pursued. In addition, a woman should ideally be done have children before deciding to have this procedure as the body will change with subsequent pregnancies, undoing much of the work that was done. Finally, it is preferred that a woman is at her normal, healthy, ideal weight before having a mommy makeover in order to reduce the chance of significant weight changes after the procedure having a negative impact on the results. In summary, it is important that every woman wait six to twelve months following pregnancy, and ideally be finished having children and at her stable, ideal body weight before having a mommy makeover. It is well worth the wait to ensure patient safety as well as the best-looking result!

Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen’s impeccable surgical skills and gentle bedside manner make her the perfect choice for helping women get their body confidence back through the highly effective combination of procedures known as the mommy makeover. To view some examples of real patient transformations by Dr. Temmen, go to the “Mommy Makeover” section of the Before and After tab on this website. To learn more about if you may be a good candidate for this procedure or any other cosmetic procedure you may be interested in, call 813-771-6393 to book your one-on-one consultation with Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Traci Temmen, MD, today!