Postpartum physical recovery is a process that can take a long time, often leaving women frustrated by the delay in returning to the figure they had before pregnancy. The concept Mommy Makeover® comes precisely to combine, in a single surgical procedure, several aesthetic procedures aimed at restoring the female silhouette, It focuses on the specific needs of women after becoming mothers.
The postpartum period can be a difficult time for women due to bodily and physical changes, sometimes fuelled by hormonal changes. Find out all about the Mommy Makeover® in this article.
Self-esteem after pregnancy
Postpartum recovery is a phase in a woman's life that can be particularly complicated. This is because during and after pregnancy, women go through profound emotional and physical changes.
Each woman's experience is unique and bodily recovery is variable, depending on factors such as the type of birth (vaginal or caesarean), complications during labour and the woman's general health. Lack of personal time and self-care is also a common complaint among new mums, as most of their time and energy is devoted to the baby.
One of the main sources of dissatisfaction after giving birth is due to bodily changes, This is because the female body undergoes changes that can cause discomfort and have an impact on self-esteem. Pregnancy and childbirth can lead to weight gain, stretch marks, sagging abdominals, changes to the breasts, among other transformations. These can negatively affect a woman's self-confidence, as she wants to quickly return to the physical shape she had before pregnancy, but sometimes she can't do so.
Bodily changes
As mentioned above, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding can lead to profound transformations in a woman's body.
In the breasts, due to weight gain and increased breast volume, there can be a significant increase in breast size. On the other hand, breastfeeding can contribute to atrophy of the mammary gland and/or an increase in excess skin on the breasts, leaving them looking droopy and deflated.
In the abdomen, the most common problems are sagging, excess skin, the appearance of stretch marks, a bulging appearance, any changes in the shape of the navel and abdominal diastasis.
Additionally, the genital area can also be affected by childbirth, This can be caused by a relaxation of the vaginal canal, or hormonal changes, which can cause hypertrophy of the labia minora.
Have you heard of the Mommy Makeover®?
The Mommy Makeover® consists of a series of procedures that are carried out in a single operation, focussing on the specific areas of the body that are usually most affected after one or more pregnancies: the chest, belly and genital area. The aim is to help women regain their pre-pregnancy appearance.
In fact, it combines several procedures to meet each woman's individual needs. The procedures to be carried out are defined in consultation with the plastic surgeon, taking into account the initial state of the woman's body and the desired results.
The most common procedures included in the Mommy Makeover® are:
Abdominoplasty
As the abdomen is one of the areas of the body that undergoes the most changes during pregnancy, abdominoplasty can be a woman's true ally after giving birth.
Abdominoplasty removes excess skin and flab from the abdomen and corrects the separation of the rectus abdominis muscles (abdominal diastasis). This procedure restores the abdominal contour, which becomes firmer and more toned.
Liposuction
The liposuction removes localised fat deposits in specific areas of the body, such as the abdomen, flanks, hips, thighs and back, the “bra bump”, the “mound of Venus”, among others.
This plastic surgery helps to sculpt a more proportional and harmonious silhouette, improving body contour.
In many cases, a lipoabdominoplasty - a procedure that combines abdominoplasty and liposuction - is recommended to treat not only excess fat accumulated in the abdomen, but also excess skin and sagging.
Breast Augmentation
With breastfeeding, milk drying up and sometimes weight loss after pregnancy, there can be a reduction in breast volume, resulting in a deflated-looking breast. A breast augmentation restores lost breast volume by placing breast implants, providing a fuller neckline and a more harmonious appearance with the rest of the body.
The woman may want to return to a breast size similar to the one she had before pregnancy or take the opportunity to increase its volume.
Mastopexy
The mastopexy, The main purpose of a breast lift is to lift and firm sagging breasts - known as breast ptosis.
Once again, pregnancy, weight fluctuations and breastfeeding can leave the breasts sagging, which is why mastopexy plays a fundamental role in many women's postpartum recovery.
This procedure can be carried out with or without the use of breast implants, if the patient also wishes to increase breast volume as well as correct sagging breasts.
Reduction mammoplasty
If the breasts don't return to the size they were before pregnancy, the following may be indicated reduction mammoplasty which, as the name suggests, aims to reduce breast volume.
Often, with increased breast volume also comes increased sagging. In these cases, breast reduction is carried out using the autoprosthesis technique, making it possible to reposition and correct the marked sagging of the breasts.
Colporraphy
The functionality of the genital area can also be altered by childbirth. A colporraphy aims to correct the relaxation caused by vaginal birth by "tightening" the vaginal canal.
In other words, this surgical-aesthetic procedure restores the normal function of the vaginal wall muscles, improving quality of life and intimacy.
Labioplasty
To restore the appearance of the genital area, the Mommy Makeover can also include the labioplasty. Due to the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, a woman may experience hypertrophy of the labia minora - a condition characterised by the prominence, sagging and excess skin of the labia minora of the vagina, which is a potential source of emotional embarrassment for the woman.
Labioplasty, or nymphoplasty, can be used to reduce and reshape the vaginal lips, removing excess skin from the labia and clitoral hood whenever necessary.
Other procedures
In addition to the various procedures described, Mommy Makeover® can also combine, for example, buttock augmentation, treatments for scars and stretch marks, among others.
Who is the Mommy Makeover® for?
Ideal candidates for postpartum recovery procedures must have been mums for at least six months and not have been breastfeeding for six months. To have the procedure, the woman must not be planning to have any more children, as another pregnancy could jeopardise the results.
Apart from anything else, it's important that the woman is healthy and has realistic expectations of the procedures.
A personal decision
The choice to have a Mommy Makeover® is a personal one and should be made after a detailed consultation with a qualified plastic surgeon.
It is this professional who, together with the patient, will determine which surgical procedures are appropriate, based on the woman's individual needs and goals.
When considering this set of procedures, you should also take into account the recovery time, the risks associated with the surgery and the expected results.
