Welcome Back, Pre-Baby Body
At his Manhattan plastic surgery practice, Dr. Mark H. Schwartz often works with mothers who feel self-conscious about pregnancy-related physical changes in their body. He acknowledges the frustrations that many mothers have about saggy breasts, stretched-out abdominal skin and excess body fat. His goal is to restore a youthful and proportional look to the body through a combination of safe, effective procedures.
What Mommy Makeover Can Correct
Most mommy makeovers treat some combination of the following breast- and abdomen-related concerns:
- Saggy, “deflated”-looking breasts
- Downward-pointing nipples
- Loose, saggy abdominal skin
- Weakened/separated abdominal muscles
- Excess fat deposits around the body
Mommy Makeover Candidates
Dr. Schwartz meets with every mommy makeover candidate one-on-one to explore her needs and goals. He takes a detailed medical history, inquires about previous breast or abdominal surgery and asks her to describe her ideal surgical outcome. He also performs a physical examination of the “problem” areas in question.
Based on the information gathered during consultation, Dr. Schwartz advises whether mommy makeover is a suitable fit.
Ideally, mommy makeover candidates should be physically and psychologically healthy and stable. They should not smoke and not have any chronic, uncontrolled medical conditions that could raise the risks of surgery or prolong the recovery. Also, suitable candidates should not plan future pregnancies, they can reverse the beneficial effects of a mommy makeover.
View More Before & After Photos
Procedural Details
Mommy makeover is usually performed on an outpatient basis in Dr. Schwartz’s on-site operating suite. Patients are continuously monitored by a board-certified anesthesiologist throughout the operation to ensure they remain comfortable and safe.
As mentioned, every mommy makeover treatment plan is different, depending on the needs of the specific patient. Multiple procedures may be combined into one operation, or staged out separately. At the time of consultation, Dr. Schwartz recommends the strategy he feels will yield the safest and most effective outcome. This varies depending on the patient’s medical condition and goals.
The benefit of combining procedures into one operation is that the patient undergoes anesthesia once and only has one recovery period. The drawback is a longer operation may be associated with a longer recovery.
Mommy makeover can include any combination of the following procedures:
- Breast augmentation, breast lift, or breast reduction to restore deflated, saggy looking breasts to a perkier more attractive position on a chest. Patients with large breasts may also experience the same problems. Since breast size fluctuates during pregnancy and nursing, the skin elasticity of the breasts are compromised.
- Tummy tuck to correct pregnancy-related changes in the abdomen. During tummy tuck, Dr. Schwartz removes excess fat and skin and repairs weakened/separated muscles (known as diastasis recti) to create a flatter, firmer abdominal profile. Removing excess skin can also improve or eliminate the appearance of stretch marks on the lower abdomen.
- Liposuction to target excess fat deposits around the body and accentuate a sleek, slender figure. Liposuction may be performed on the abdomen, hips, thighs, upper arms, back and/or chin.
Recovering from Mommy Makeover
Mommy makeover patients need plenty of rest after surgery. Soreness, swelling and mild bruising are common side effects in the days immediately following surgery. The breasts, abdomen and liposuction treatment areas may be tender or sensitive to the touch. Patient mobility may be limited, and bending, lifting and straining are discouraged. For that reason, patients should recruit a spouse, friend or loved one to help with childcare and household chores as they recuperate. Oral pain medication can be taken as needed. In between periods of rest, short walks promote good circulation.
Dr. Schwartz schedules several follow-up visits to check the body’s healing progress, answer questions and advice when it is safe for the patient to return to work, socializing, exercise and other everyday activities.
Learn More about Mommy Makeover
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Mark H. Schwartz or to find out more about our mommy makeover procedures.
