As any mother knows, pregnancy can cause a number of physical changes. The weight gain and rapid weight loss associated with pregnancy can create loose skin around the abdomen. Areas such as your thighs and arms tend to hold onto your pregnancy weight, despite your attempts at diet and exercise. And breastfeeding can lead to smaller, sagging breasts. When you look in the mirror after a maternity experience, you may wish that you could have your old figure back. You are not the only mother to feel this way. To help Austin-area mothers like you counteract the physical changes caused by pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding, plastic surgeons like Dr. Potter offer a tailored mommy makeover in Austin. This “makeover” is a combination of procedures designed to restore your abdomen, breasts, and other areas of your body to their pre-pregnancy condition.
The exact combination of procedures used in any “mommy makeover” depends upon each individual. The options you choose for your mommy makeover plastic surgery will depend on how pregnancy and childbirth affected your body, on your individual health and circumstances, and on what will help you to look and feel your best. Here are a few of the options you might discuss during your consultation with Dr. Potter.
Also known more formally as an abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck removes the excess skin that results from the rapid weight gain and weight loss that often occurs during and after pregnancy. This excess skin is the result of stretching that causes the skin to lose its elasticity. By removing this skin, the plastic surgeon is able to give your abdominal area a tightened, restored appearance. In addition, the procedure often works to reduce the appearance of stretch marks around the abdomen and restores abdominal muscles that had weakened or been separated during pregnancy. The tummy tuck is not a weight loss tool and can be performed on people who have a healthy BMI. Instead of focusing on weight, the procedure focuses on saggy skin and stretch marks that are the result of pregnancy or weight loss and that cannot be restored through diet and exercise. In fact, the best candidates for this procedure are people who have already tried diet and exercise (including toning procedures) but have not had effective results in restoring their abdominal region.
Also known as lipoplasty, liposuction surgery is a procedure that removes fat from targeted areas of the body. The most common areas treated with liposuction include the thighs, underarms, buttocks, calves, hips, neck, back, and chest. Liposuction surgery is often an important element of a mommy makeover because it targets the areas of the body that most often retain fat, even after diet and exercise. As a result, it is a good choice for women who have had trouble losing excess fat from certain areas of their bodies after pregnancy, even after they have managed to lose the rest of their pregnancy weight in other areas. Liposuction surgery consists of inserting small tubes into the desired area and creating a vacuum through those tubes to suction out undesired fat from the targeted area. The procedure is usually an outpatient procedure, but is often performed along with other surgeries (such as a tummy tuck) that may require a brief hospital stay. The result of liposuction surgery should be a more sculpted and toned body.
As a result of pregnancy and breastfeeding, the breasts often lose their previous size and shape. The result is often small, sagging breasts. In order to counteract these effects, Dr. Potter offers breast enhancement surgery as part of her mommy makeovers in Austin. There are two procedures you can choose to undergo in order to restore your breasts to their previous shape and size: A breast lift and breast augmentation. During a breast lift, Dr. Potter makes one or more incisions in and around your breasts and then lifts the breast tissue to a more desirable position. The nipples and areolas are also adjusted to a more desirable position. Finally, excess skin is removed and the remaining skin is tightened to give the breast a natural, toned look. As with other aspects of a mommy makeover plastic surgery, the goal of the breast lift is to help restore your breasts to their former condition. During breast augmentation, Dr. Potter will enlarge the size of the breasts through the use of implants. This type of breast enhancement surgery can help women who have lost breast size due to pregnancy and breastfeeding to regain their former size and shape. While the final size and shape of the breasts will depend largely upon your consultation with Dr. Potter, the goal is to leave you with a breast size that is healthy, natural looking and confidence boosting.
Mommy makeover plastic surgery usually consists of a combination of the procedures described above. For example, you might undergo a tummy tuck, breast lift, and liposuction on your thighs and arms. Or, you may choose a tummy tuck and breast augmentation. While it might be intimidating to think about undergoing multiple surgical procedures at once, there are very few risks associated with a mommy makeover that is performed by a qualified board certified plastic surgeon. Most of the procedures are outpatient and can be completed in a few hours. In most cases, you can go back to work after a few days, and enjoy a full recovery within a few weeks or months. Dr. Potter can review any risks and your recovery guidelines with you in your consultation before choosing surgery. However, the potential benefits of a mommy makeover plastic surgery usually outweigh the risks for mothers looking to get their pre-pregnancy confidence back.
The first step in achieving the right mommy makeover for you is to have a consultation with Dr. Potter. In this meeting, you and Dr. Potter will discuss the specific needs you have as a mother looking to achieve the self-confidence you had before pregnancy. Topics you can expect to discuss include your health, medical history, goals for your body, surgical options, risks, and recovery. This meeting will help Dr. Potter determine the right combination of procedures for you. Once you complete this consultation, you will be on your way to enjoying a body that more closely resembles your pre-pregnancy shape. If you feel that a mommy makeover might help you to regain your confidence and self-esteem after pregnancy and childbirth, consider contacting Dr. Potter today for a consultation.
