Mommy Makeover

Conveniently located to serve the areas of Marin, San Francisco, Sonoma and Napa

What is a Mommy Makeover?

Mommy Makeover Model

Many women manage to lose most of the excess weight they gain during pregnancy only to find that they are left with sagging skin and excess fat in places where they don’t want them. Most women once resigned themselves to living with new, less-attractive body shapes after having families. Thanks to state-of-the-art technologies, women now have the option of returning to their pre-pregnancy figure, or making it even better than before through Mommy Makeover cosmetic surgery*. The Marin County board-certified surgeons at Plastic Surgery Specialists enjoy a reputation as excellent providers of this customized procedure*.

A Mommy Makeover improves the specific areas of the body that are most commonly affected by childbirth*. It generally includes Breast Lift or Breast Augmentation, Tummy Tuck, and Liposuction. Women interested in Mommy Makeover surgery, who visit us from Greenbrae, Larkspur, Corte Madera, Mill Valley, Santa Rosa, San Rafael, and other surrounding cities appreciate our surgeons’ extensive experience and beautiful, natural-looking results*.

Center of Excellence

  • Over 50,000 procedures performed
  • Over 75 years of combined experience

Our experienced team of surgeons combine an aesthetic perspective, the ability to listen closely to your needs, and the skills to achieve those desires. This combination of talent is a hallmark of a world-class plastic surgery clinic, located in Marin County, CA.

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In order to be an expert in this surgery, the surgeons performing it must be experts in all the individual procedures involved. We can’t stress enough how important it is to have a team of surgeons and a supportive staff familiar with your special needs when having a Mommy Makeover procedure. As experts in this procedure, Plastic Surgery Specialists works with patients to design a single operation and recovery program that can address all post-pregnancy needs for women*. So as to ensure safety and to accomplish the procedure in a timely and cost-efficient manner, PSS plastic surgeons work as a team when performing the Mommy Makeover.

Best Candidates for a Mommy Makeover

An ideal candidate for a Mommy Makeover has stopped breastfeeding and isn’t planning to have additional children. You should be in good health and have support at home to help you through the recovery process.

Plastic Surgery Specialists works early on with Mommy Makeover candidates, educating them about the entire process, and then making themselves available to address questions and concerns throughout recovery. In spite of the light-hearted nature of the name, the Mommy Makeover is a real surgery and requires due diligence. Candidates must understand both the tradeoffs and potential risks and be appropriately prepared for recovery.

The Procedure

Liposuction is offered to remove any post-pregnancy abdominal fat from between the skin and the underlying muscle*. The purpose of the Tummy Tuck is to improve abdominal and mid-torso contours by eliminating excess skin and fat and tightening the abdominal muscle girdle*. Because both of these procedures focus on abdominal fat, it may or may not be necessary in every case to perform both. That is one of several decisions to be made between patient and surgeon based on the patient’s specific needs and goals. Breast Augmentation is offered as part of the Mommy Makeover procedure as well to improve the shape of deflated breasts with implants while Breast Lift can raise and reshape sagging breasts*. Again, both may or may not be necessary to achieve aesthetic goals.

Post-Mommy Makeover Surgery

A Mommy Makeover differs from one patient to another. Many people ask, “How long does it take to perform a Mommy Makeover?” Just as the specifics of the surgery depend on how many areas of the body are focused on, the Mommy Makeover can vary in the time it takes to complete. Four to six hours is an average according to our board-certified surgeons*. Recovery time is usually two to three weeks*.

For more information about the procedures involved in the Mommy Makeover, including Breast Lift and Tummy Tuck, please visit our 3-D Education Center. Visitors who searched for Mommy Makeover may also be interested in Breast Lift, Tummy Tuck, and Liposuction. Women from Napa, Marin, or Sonoma County who are considering a Mommy Makeover are invited to schedule a consultation with Plastic Surgery Specialists today. Contact us at (415) 925-2880.

Mommy Makeover FAQ Model

FAQs

Some women are surprised to learn that we can combine different plastic surgery procedures during a single operation, often called a Mommy Makeover. In Marin County, we specialize in Mommy Makeover operations and see patients from San Francisco to Santa Rosa who travel to our clinic based on the reputation our surgeons have earned over the years.

What are the procedures commonly considered in Mommy-Makeover surgery?

Breast implants or contouring, tummy tuck, and liposuction. The most common breast deformity seen after pregnancy is what we call the deflation effect. This is a result of the expansion and contraction of breast volume during pregnancies. The skin may be stretched and breast tissue lost, leading to an “empty sac” appearance. In some cases, restoring volume with an implant completely corrects this problem*. For others, breast uplift or reduction may be required. For many patients, uplift and implants must be utilized. Also, there are changes in abdominal contour after pregnancy. Stretching of the abdominal muscle girdle leads to unnatural protrusion of the lower abdomen often bordering on a hernia. Stretched skin creates multiple marks or striae and tissue laxity around the belly button. Finally, there may be a tendency to carry extra weight in the mid-torso, especially in the abdomen and hips. This type of body contour surgery is much like sculpting. An artist would not create a perfectly formed breast, and match it with an aged or deformed lower torso. Optimum reconstruction, therefore, requires addressing these problems at once. As experts in the individual surgeries involved, we can determine which combination of the procedures will achieve the best results*.

What is recovery like?

Your recovery depends on the specific procedures performed. If you’ve had breast augmentation, a tummy tuck, and liposuction, we recommend allowing 2 to 4 weeks for recovery*. The surgery itself can take 4 to 6 hours and in some cases, the patient may opt for an overnight stay at the surgical facility. Plan to have someone help with all activities of daily living for several days after your procedure. Most moms are used to being a caretaker, but it isn’t possible to resume this role immediately. We want you to be up and around the day after the surgery and gradually resume normal activities such as driving after a week to 10 days*. Exercise and other strenuous activities can be gradually resumed 2 to 4 weeks after your surgery. It’s important to remember that it can take several months or even a year for residual swelling to completely disappear and scars to mature*.

Can women who don’t have children benefit from a Mommy Makeover?

Absolutely. Although the various procedures normally performed during a Mommy Makeover address specific areas of the body impacted by pregnancy and breastfeeding, the same issues often occur as a natural part of aging. By combining cosmetic breast surgery, a tummy tuck, and liposuction, you can have a more youthful shape*. A Mommy Makeover isn’t only for young moms, either. Some of our patients have referred their moms to us for similar procedures. Many of our older patients did not have the time or financial resources to do something for themselves earlier in life. Facial rejuvenation with or without body contouring is often the major focus for more mature women.

Is undergoing a multi-procedure operation safe?

Patient safety is the most important consideration regarding any surgery. More extensive procedures require more operative time. Although there may not be a significant difference between a 2-hour surgery and a 3-hour surgery, longer procedures can increase risk. By working as a 2-surgeon team with specially trained assistants, we decrease operating time by half*. We can safely complete the surgery for patients who are in good overall health*.

Do I need to be at my ideal weight before considering surgery?

The most important thing is to be at a stable weight. Many patients have difficulty reaching their pre-pregnancy weight and feel defeated. The surgery should be a motivator to reach new goals and you will see dramatic results after surgery if you continue to lead a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and good nutrition.

My husband tells me I just need to work out more and my post-pregnancy changes will go away. Is this true?

Returning to your pre-pregnancy exercise is important. It’s healthy and can help you lose much of the weight gained during pregnancy. However, there are anatomic changes that no amount of exercise can correct. These are related to stretched abdominal muscles and skin. Sagging, deflated breasts are not going to become high and tight with exercise, and an abdominal hernia is not going to repair itself. When spouses understand that these anatomic changes can’t be corrected with exercise, they are very supportive of other options. We often joke that if childbearing did to men’s bodies what it does to women’s, our practice would be mostly male.

How do I decide if I am a candidate for Mommy Makeover and who my doctor should be?

In spite of the light-hearted nature of the name, this is real surgery and requires due diligence. You must understand what the tradeoffs and potential risks of your surgery are and be appropriately prepared for recovery. In order to be an expert in this surgery, the surgeon first must be an expert in each of the individual procedures involved. In most cases, this requires a board-certified plastic surgeon with years of experience and a focus on this area. With these more extensive procedures, we feel it is definitely advantageous to have a team of surgeons and a supportive staff who are used to dealing with your special needs.

How to Find Us

Plastic Surgery Specialists is known throughout the Bay Area for our excellence and expertise. Choose your area below to get accurate, easy-to-follow directions to our center.

Napa & Sonoma Santa Rosa San Francisco East Bay South Bay Palo Alto & the Peninsula

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*Results May Vary