Bringing a new life into the world can feel incredibly rewarding, but can also leave you missing your pre-baby body. Pregnancy may have left you with flattened breasts, stretched abdominal muscles, skin laxity and unwanted pockets of fat that do not respond well to diet and exercise, leading to frustration with your appearance and low self-esteem in intimate situations.

A mommy makeover is a term that encompasses a range of customizable procedures to help address some of the most common post-pregnancy concerns, helping restore your body contours and self-confidence. Though it’s entirely up to you what you choose to have done during a mommy makeover, the most popular options are:

● Breast augmentation and/or lift
● Liposuction
● Tummy tuck
● Labiaplasty or ThermiVa

What qualities make someone a good candidate for a mommy makeover, and how can you determine whether the timing is right for you? Read on to learn more.

1. You had a C-section delivery.
Delivering your baby via C-section can leave some women with a long scar that is more conspicuous than you’d like. A tummy tuck is a way to improve the scarring while tightening up the abdominal area.

2. Your body has fully healed from pregnancy.
Childbirth is one of the most taxing events you can put your body through. Not only do you undergo physical changes as your baby grows, but you also deplete your nutritional reserves and energy. It could take half a year or more for you to heal and return to normal after giving birth, though some women take less time to bounce back than others. Though you may not be back to your pre-baby weight, you should be somewhat close to it, or at a weight you can maintain after surgery. If you are too far outside your ideal weight when you have surgery, you may not see your desired results.

3. You’ve completely weaned your child.
Because the hormones associated with breastfeeding, as well as the act of nursing itself, can cause further changes in your body, it’s smart to wait at least six months after you’ve stopped breastfeeding your baby to get a mommy makeover.

4. It’s become too challenging to lose unwanted fat.
The weight gain associated with pregnancy often leaves women with fat deposits that are difficult to lose. If your active lifestyle doesn’t get rid of those stubborn fat deposits, opting to get liposuction as part of your mommy makeover can help you restore your ideal contours.

5. You aren’t planning to have any more children.
Because another pregnancy can reverse the results of a mommy makeover, you should only begin to consider a mommy makeover after you have decided to stop having children for good. There is no rule that says you have to get a mommy makeover while your children are still young. Many moms don’t consider surgery until all their kids are old enough to be relatively self-sufficient. Even if your children are in high school or college, it’s never too late for a mommy makeover.

6. You have time to dedicate to surgery and recovery.
After a mommy makeover, you will need to plan for a few weeks of recovery time, during which you’ll be restricted in the activities you can do. While you are healing, you will need to take it easy and refrain from bending over, lifting young children or performing regular household chores. Ideally, you should postpone your mommy makeover until you have secured help around the home that allows you to focus exclusively on your health and well-being for at least one to two weeks.

7. You have a good support system.
While you are healing from your mommy makeover procedures, you’ll need a supportive parent, spouse or trusted friend to help take care of you and ensure you are following your post-surgical instructions to the letter. The decision to get cosmetic surgery is intensely personal, and you may find yourself going through emotional ups and downs while you recover. Make sure you have a plan that ensures you and your children get the care you need.

8. Your self-esteem is suffering.
When you look in the mirror and can’t reconcile what you see with how you feel on the inside, a mommy makeover procedure may be exactly what you need to regain your confidence and help you learn to love yourself again. Whether you are unhappy because of sagging breasts, a flabby tummy, loose skin, hard-to-lose fat deposits or vaginal laxity, a mommy makeover can restore your youthful figure and help address multiple concerns simultaneously. You will rekindle lost intimacy with your partner and take more pleasure in your life when you surgically reverse the physical changes of pregnancy.

9. You are physically and mentally healthy enough for surgery.
The best candidates for any cosmetic surgery are nonsmokers who are in good overall health and have no risk factors that might create complications during surgery or the healing process. During your consultation, be prepared to share your full health history, including serious health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, a bleeding disorder, heart disease or depression.

10. You are ready to do something for yourself.
Being a mom means being selfless – juggling laundry, sports practice, play dates and a million other little things while you focus on getting your family everything they need to be healthy and happy. However, getting cosmetic surgery is about doing something purely to improve the way you feel about yourself, which is what makes it a unique gift you can use to reward yourself for all your hard work and self-sacrifice. You’ve earned it!

Mommy Makeovers in Richmond, VA
If you are considering mommy makeover surgery in Richmond, reach out to us at Richmond Surgical Arts. Our board-certified cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Gregory Lynam, provides all his patients with the benefits of his extensive surgical expertise and the multiple awards and honors he has earned. When you are ready to refresh and renew your body, your journey starts here.