Mommy Makeover

A Mommy Makeover is a combination of cosmetic procedures that restores a woman’s body to its pre-pregnancy beauty. Mommy Makeovers target the areas of the body most affected by pregnancy such as breast, abdomen, love handles, hips and thighs. The combination of a tummy tuck or liposuction with breast augmentation with or without a breast lift is what generally constitutes a mommy makeover.

Rediscover Your Pre-Pregnancy Body

Children are a true blessing in our lives, but let’s be honest, giving birth will change your body in ways you never thought possible. While you would never trade a moment of joy with your children for a perfect body, you may be wishing you could get your pre-baby body back. During pregnancy, the abdominal skin and muscles can become stretched beyond their ability to contract. This excess skin including stretched skin above the pubic area can be removed with a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. In addition, the abdominal muscles can also be tightened to narrow the waist line and give the “hourglass” appearance. All of this is usually combined with liposuction to reshape and contour your body. Dr. Bonnor M.D., F.A.C.S., of Texas Surgical Arts, specializes in body contouring procedures and is ready to help you reclaim a more youthful and toned physique. With an emphasis on patient safety, Dr. Bonnor combines his expert surgical skill with an eye for bringing out the natural beauty in each patient. To learn more about what a Mommy Makeover, book a consultation online or by calling (281) 579-5638.

Cosmetic Surgery for Moms

Many women notice that their tummies never return to their pre-pregnancy flatness, no matter how much they diet or exercise. Breastfeeding can cause breasts to sag and even lose volume. Your buttocks can also be affected by pregnancy and lose their shape. Some women may decide they only want a breast lift or breast augmentation. Others may opt for liposuction or even a tummy tuck to flatten their stomach areas. Still, others may want to go for a “Mommy Makeover” such lipoabdominoplasty with breast augmentation or breast augmentation with lift, or lipoabdominoplasty with fat transfer to your buttocks for increased volume and shape.

Ideal Candidates

Ideal candidates for a Mommy Makeover are otherwise healthy moms who are experiencing one or several common issues. These issues include saggy breasts, excess skin, difficult pockets of fat that refuse to budge through diet and exercise, and effects of aging on the skin. Candidates should be at or near their ideal body weight. Perhaps most importantly, a candidate should not be planning to have more children. If a new mom wants to have more kids, it’s best to delay the Mommy Makeover until after all pregnancies. It’s also recommended to have completed breast feeding for at least 6 months and be at or ideal body weight for six months. Mommy Makeover candidates should be non-smoker and overall in good health. The clinical research indicates that patients have a lower complication rate when the body mass index is in the normal range ^[1]. We encourage patients to have a BMI less than 30 before committing to cosmetic surgery.

Personal Consulation

Dr. Bonnor is one of the leading cosmetic surgeons in Houston. He employs a  technique in his lipoabdominoplasty where your scar line is thin and hidden by most swimwear and under your bikini line.  In addition, be prepared for a thorough review of your medical history. Dr. Bonnor will then discuss all your cosmetic goals. When you embark on a path of personal transformation, you want a partner you can trust. Dr. Bonnor is board certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He also won the William K. Miles M.D. Award for the highest score on the written portion of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery exam and now serves in both the written and oral examination committees for the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Dr. Bonnor dedicates his practice to the highest technical and ethical standards in cosmetic surgery. Both outcomes and safety are at the forefront when devising a plan for aesthetic rejuvenation.

Connect with Dr. Bonnor and start discussing your Mommy Makeover by calling our office in Houston, TX at (281) 579-5638 or by booking an appointment online.

Procedures

Tummy Tuck

This is the cosmetic surgery most requested by moms. Known as an abdominoplasty, this surgery removes excess fat and skin and then tightens the stomach muscles and also recontructs your belly button. It also can remove stretch marks and C-section scars. Tummy tucks show remarkable results. A tummy tuck is combined with liposuction to provide additional contour and shape to the abdomen, flanks (side of the abdomen) and hips. Additional liposuction to the lower and upper back as well as unwanted bra line fat can be addressed in conjunction with other procedures. 

Liposuction 

If you’re just worried about excess fat on your tummy, liposuction may be a good choice for you (it’s less invasive than an abdominoplasty). Liposuction removes fat only; it doesn’t make stomach muscles taut again after pregnancy. Liposuction combines well with a tummy tuck for new moms desiring body contouring to restore that hourglass shape and natural beauty.  

Breast Lift and/or Breast Augmentation

Breasts tend to droop after pregnancy and breastfeeding; they can also lose volume. A breast lift (mastopexy) can fix drooping breasts (breast ptosis) by correcting the position of the nipple in relation to the breast mound resulting in a perkier more youthful breast. On the other hand, breast augmentation with implants will restore volume and shape. An alternative to breast augmentation is fat transfer to the breasts.

Brazilian Butt Lift 

While a woman’s waist may appear as if it has expanded post-baby (even after diet and exercise), her buttocks may become a bit smaller or even sag after giving birth. Women who elect to have fat removed from their stomach area, waistline including lower back and upper back, can have this fat transferred to shape their buttocks.

Recovery

Mommy Makeovers usually require general anesthesia due to the comprehensive nature of the procedures. This means patients should set aside enough downtime for the procedure and recovery. It’s important to follow instructions provided to you by Texas Surgical Arts. There is emphasis on prophylactic pain control by performing intramuscular injection of anesthetic medication in the layers of the muscles of the abdominal wall helping you recover faster and with decreased pain postoperatively.^[2] The risks of the procedure are not limited to but include: pain, bleeding, infection, fluid collections, poor scarring, blood clots ^[3]. In general, final results should start to appear after two to three months and can be permanent with stable weight.

Beautiful Results

When you feel comfortable with the way you look, you tend to feel great about yourself.

Mommy Makeovers have been growing in popularity because more women want to reclaim their pre-baby form with body contouring procedures. You no longer have to choose between having a family and having your ideal figure. Now, you can have both! A survey of self-reported ratings shows the Mommy Makeover procedures score consistently high patient satisfaction. Tummy tucks scored the highest “worth it” rating of any surgical procedure.^[4]

What Will a Mommy Makeover Cost Me?

With a bundle of procedures included, a Mommy Makeover’s total cost can vary significantly depending on individual circumstances. After Dr. Bonnor formulates your aesthetic plan, our patient coordinator will provide you with pricing and review these items with you. Financing options are available.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

References

1. Aesthetic Breast Surgery and Concomitant Procedures: Incidence and Risk Factors of Major Complications in 73,608 cases. (2017). Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Volume 37, issue 5, 1 May, pages 515-527. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjw238 
2. Vonu, P., Campbell, P., Prince, N., Mast, B. (2019). Analgesic Efficacy of Nerve Blocks after Abdominoplasty. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 04 November. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjz313 
3. Khavanin, N., Jordan, S. W., Vieira, B. L., Hume, K. M., Mlodinow, A. S., Simmons, C. J., Murphy, R. X., Jr, Gutowski, K. A., & Kim, J. Y. (2015). Combining abdominal and cosmetic breast surgery does not increase short-term complication rates: a comparison of each individual procedure and pretreatment risk stratification tool. Aesthetic surgery journal, 35(8), 999–1006. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjv087
4. Domanski, M.C., Cavale, N. (2012). Self-Reported “Worth It” Rating of Aesthetic Surgery in Social Media. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 36, 1292–1295 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-012-9977-z