Understanding The Basics Of Mommy Makeovers
Despite the fact that pregnancy and childbirth are some of the most natural and rewarding experiences of life, having children can leave you with lasting physical effects that you may be self-conscious about. Struggling with your physical appearance after becoming a mom is natural, but you do have options. Here is a look at what you should know about the mommy makeover and whether or not it's right for you.
What Pregnancy Can Do To Your Body
Everyone understands that pregnancy results in some changes to your body, but what many don't realize is that some of those changes may lead to lasting differences in your body shape even after the baby is born.
For example, the increase in breast size as your breasts prepare for lactation and breastfeeding can lead to sagging, deflated breasts afterward because that tissue doesn't bounce back to its original firmness.
In addition, the stretched ligaments and muscles in your abdominal area can lead to a pouch that sags in the center of your abdomen. Even losing the baby weight won't necessarily eliminate that pouch because it's the result of stretched tissue that doesn't have its previous elasticity.
How A Mommy Makeover Can Help
If you're struggling with the effects of your pregnancies, a mommy makeover may help you to combat those problems. Mommy makeovers are designed to treat many of the lasting physical issues that women struggle with.
For example, liposuction will remove excess fatty tissue to help you slim down. At the same time, a tummy tuck can eliminate the pouch that may be contributing to your self-esteem problems. This will help to restore the muscle tone in that section of your body and will slim it down. You can also have fat deposits removed from the backs of your arms, your thighs, and your back.
Once those are done, the surgeon can then restore your breasts to their pre-pregnancy shape in a few different ways. Breast augmentation will eliminate some of the excess tissue in your breasts, and a breast lift will restore the position and support under your breasts. You can also explore some smaller implants to help round out your breasts and give them more lift, shape, and body.
What You Should Know Before Your Surgery
A mommy makeover is a start to restoring your body. It isn't, however, the final solution. You'll need to be prepared to make some lifestyle changes after you recover from your surgery. Improving your diet and maintaining routine exercise will help to ensure that you preserve the effects of the surgery and get the most from it.
You'll have some scars, though. Even if you've struggled with the presence of stretch marks, you'll need to accept the fact that a mommy makeover will leave you with some scars in the incision areas. This is important because some women don't realize that scars might be permanent. From the time that they heal, treat your scars with vitamin E to help reduce the visibility and encourage recovery.
Be prepared for the recovery time as well. You'll want to make sure that you have some support at home to help with your children for a few days or a week after your surgery. Make sure that your stitches have dissolved and your wounds have healed enough for lifting to be safe before you try to pick up your young kids. Your doctor will have a follow-up exam to check your healing progress and will let you know when lifting is safe following your surgery.
For more information, talk with a mommy makeover surgeon at a clinic like Dr. Marcos Cosmetic Surgery and MedSpa in your area today. He or she can help you to determine what's best for your situation.