Pregnancy and childbirth are among life’s most treasured experiences. Being a busy mom is a tough and rewarding job. Pregnancy, breastfeeding and the busy schedules of a mom often result in unwanted changes to your body including sagging and uneven breasts, decreased breast volume, breasts that are out of proportion with the rest of your body, a tummy with loose skin and stretch marks and excess weight in the hips and thighs. The loose muscles and stretched skin can improve over time with dieting and exercise but the body never completely returns to the way it was before pregnancy.
Many patients of Monmouth Plastic Surgery are moms who are doing their best to take care of themselves, but their bodies have gone through irreversible changes that they find discouraging. For these women, who want to feel better about their bodies, I recommend a Mommy Makeover — a combination of procedures which can include a tummy tuck and breast procedure to help restore their body to what it was pre-pregnancy or make it look even better.
Some of the most common procedures we perform with a Mommy Makeover include:
- Tummy Tuck, or abdominoplasty, to flatten and shape the abdomen and waist by removing excess skin and tightening muscles
- Liposuction to sculpt the body by removing resistant fat from the abdomen, waist, hips, buttocks, and thighs
- Breast Lift, or mastopexy, to treat sagging and uneven breasts and return a youthful shape and lift to your breasts
- Breast Augmentation to increase or restore the breast size using implants
- Breast Reduction to return the breasts to the size they were before pregnancy
There are many benefits to undergoing two or more procedures at once during a mommy makeover including:
- A single recovery period which is especially important for active moms, who want and need to get back to taking care of their families and work responsibilities as quickly as possible. It’s more practical than having a breast procedure one year and a tummy tuck the next.
- One set of operating rooms and anesthesiologist fees which is more cost-effective.
- An enhanced overall result. When we perform procedures that complement each other, we can create the best possible results and more dramatic improvements.
When consulting a patient, we discuss their goals, physical characteristics, and share our expert recommendations for a treatment plan. Because no two bodies are the same, we formulate a unique approach for your surgery, including – the combination of procedures that will help achieve your goal, the outcomes that you can anticipate, your financial investment in the procedure, all associated risks and complications, options for anesthesia and surgery location, what is needed to prepare for the surgery, what you can expect to experience after your surgery, and we share before and after photos of cases similar to yours and answer all or your questions and concerns.
One of the biggest questions I get from a mom considering a Mommy Makeover is, “Am I being selfish by going under the knife?” It comes down to this: A mom is happy and most effective when she feels good about herself. Undergoing plastic surgery with a board-certified plastic surgeon you can trust, in a fully accredited facility, is very safe and will provide long-lasting results, making a stark difference in self-esteem and confidence.
Here is one Mom’s experience:
“My Mommy Makeover experience started with an unhappiness with my appearance. I appreciated and loved my body, after all it produced and fed two beautiful healthy children. What was leftover though, was deflated breasts and a sagging stomach which hungover a C section scar. I workout and eat well, but my clothes did not fit anymore. I had a bulge of lower abdominal skin that you could see through my pants. My bathing suit tops were strangling my neck in my best efforts to keep my breasts from sliding out as I chased around two kids. I researched the best I could on the internet about it and read reviews on Plastic Surgeons in my area. I decided on Dr. Greco for a few reasons. He spent the most time with me during consultation, he left no question unanswered, and his before and after pictures showed the best results. He also had great reviews online. I booked my mommy makeover for January 2016 and had a few months to prepare (getting prescriptions filled, organizing child care, bloodwork etc). What I could not prepare for was the emotional side of all of this. Since all surgery involves risk, and this was ultimately not a necessary surgery I had a hard time justifying it to myself. Like most Mom’s I also felt guilty taking the time off to recover. Despite my hesitations I still moved forward deciding I take more of a risk every time I get in a car and that I deserved to feel comfortable in my own skin again. Leading up closer to the surgery day I had some moments of anxiety especially the night before that were a little rough for me to get through. The morning of was kind of surreal and I just went through the steps of getting ready to go. The team at the Shrewsbury Surgery Center were amazing. I quickly felt like I was in good hands which was comforting. Dr. Greco recognized my anxiety before surgery and stopped what he was doing to look me in the eye and tell me I was going to be fine. Sometimes those little things help because your thoughts are scrambled and you just need to breathe. I woke up from surgery after what seemed like minutes but was hours later feeling sore but very sleepy and was in and out for an hour until I was able to get up and use the restroom and head home. The first night home was very tough. I needed help every time I used the bathroom which was often because of the fluids you receive while I surgery. I needed help getting up for at least two days and after that I was able to slowly find ways to maneuver myself to standing. The pain medication will keep you drowsy feeling but I knew it was still important to walk and I did every time I needed to get up. The most painful thing for me was the liposuction incisions and the abdominal area (which felt similar in pain to a c-section). It was hard to get comfortable at night to sleep. Using lots and lots of pillows helped me with that. Showering was challenging the first couple of days. I used a little shower chair because it was hard to stay standing that long and the hot water made me a little dizzy. The drain (a tube and bulb which removes fluid) is annoying but necessary and you learn to just live with it until it is ready to come out. The first two days were the hardest. The 3rd day was a turn around day, by that I mean I started to feel like I was on the mend. I was able to start showering unassisted after that. By day 10-14 I felt comfortable enough to be left home alone with our two children for a limited time ( I got tired quickly) and could take very short walks. 14-21 days (appx.)I was able to start doing small things in the house and getting out a little. By the beginning of the third week I started to feel my energy returning and things were getting back to normal. I think I recovered a little slower than most but I learned from csections not to push myself during recovery. My kids handled it well. It was hard not to pick the baby up and they learned to be careful around my “boo boos”. When I was able, I would sit on the floor with a pillow on my stomach to play at their level. My mother stayed with me two weeks and I was very grateful for the help. I had small children so for me it was necessary that long. It was definitely a challenging time. Now that I’m past all of that I’m ecstatic with my results. It’s so easy to just throw on clothes and go. I no longer waste time trying to hide my trouble spots. My clothing fits so much better and I’ve even gone down a size. My breasts look so natural and I get compliments all the time. Very very happy I had my Mommy Makeover.“
Dr. Greco’s Guide to a Mommy Makeover (from Consultation to Recovery)
After finding a board-certified plastic surgeon you can trust, you will need to make an office appointment for your consultation. During your consultation you will have the opportunity to discuss what you want to achieve. Your surgeon will evaluate you as a candidate for a mommy makeover procedure and will discuss the procedures that will benefit you most. It is important to provide your medical history, your medications and the outcome you expect from the surgery. Your surgeon may take photos for your medical record, take notes, discuss options and outcomes.
Based on your goals, your surgeon will share their recommendations for a treatment plan including:
- The procedures they recommend
- The outcomes you can anticipate
- The financial investment involved
- All associated risks and complications
- Options for anesthesia and surgery location
- Necessary pre-op instructions
- After care & recovery, and realistic expectations post-surgery
You should feel comfortable asking questions to gather information on your surgeon’s background and about your procedure.
Some questions our patients ask are:
- Am I a suitable candidate for a Mommy Makeover?
- Do you have before-and-after photos I can be shown?
- Where will my scars be located?
- What are reasonable results I can expect?
- What are the costs associated with my surgery?
- What are the risks and complications with this procedure?
- What is the recovery period for this procedure?
- How do I prepare for a Mommy Makeover?
If you think a Mommy Makeover is right for you, call Dr. Gregory Greco at (732) 842-3737 for a consultation today or contact our office and one of our representatives will reach out to help you along the way.
