Mommy Makeover in Menlo Park, Atherton & Palo Alto, CA

 

At Jane Weston, MD We Offer Mommy Makeover, a Combination of Procedures That Can Include Tummy Tuck, Liposuction, Breast Augmentation & Breast Lift. To Find Out Which Treatment Plan Is the Best for You, Contact Our Office Today & Book Your Consultation.

 

The childbearing years can bring multiple changes to a woman’s body, from stretched abdominal muscles after pregnancy to breasts that start to sag and take on a deflated appearance after breastfeeding. A mommy makeover is a combination of cosmetic surgery procedures designed to counteract the effects of pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding with the goal of helping a woman restore her pre-pregnancy figure. The surgery can be adjusted to meet the unique needs of each woman, with a fully customizable combination of treatments to cater to her specific concerns.

Women who are considering procedures like a breast lift or a tummy tuck once they are finished having children often find that a mommy makeover can address multiple concerns with just one time under anesthesia and one recovery process. In nearly all cases, it is as safe and effective to perform these procedures simultaneously as it is to do them one at a time, and sometimes even after. Dr. Weston will perform a full examination and medical history to ensure a mommy makeover is a good choice for you.

Is a mommy makeover right for you?

The decision to move forward with a mommy makeover is one that should be carefully considered before scheduling surgery. After reviewing your medical history, Dr. Weston may recommend a mommy makeover if you are in good health and seek breast or body contouring to correct any or all of the following concerns:

  • Loose abdominal skin due to pregnancy or massive weight loss
  • Drooping or deflated breasts that have lost their perky youthfulness
  • Disproportionately large breasts that may cause physical discomfort as well as cosmetic embarrassment
  • Nipples that point downward instead of outward or enlarged areolas and nipples
  • Stubborn fat deposits that don’t respond to weight loss efforts like dieting and exercise
  • Stretch marks on the lower portion of the abdomen, which commonly appear after pregnancy

A mommy makeover is an appropriate surgery for women of nearly any age as long as they are in good health. However, you should ideally be done having children before you decide to pursue this procedure, since additional pregnancies and breastfeeding could affect the positive results. It is also best to be at a stable weight that you can maintain long-term because weight fluctuations can also alter the outcome of the procedure.

What to expect during mommy makeover surgery

Depending on the number of procedures performed during your mommy makeover, you may be able to have the full treatment completed during a single surgery or in a series of appointments. As a rule, surgeons will not keep a patient in surgery for more than about six hours at a time, since longer periods can increase the risk for complications. If your procedure might take longer than that, Dr. Weston might recommend two or more surgeries to accomplish all your aesthetic goals safely. Multiple operations might be scheduled weeks, or even months, apart to ensure a full recovery between procedures.

Your mommy makeover might include any combination of the following procedures:

Breast Augmentation

This surgery adds fullness and volume to the breasts by placing implants into the breast pocket. With a variety of implant types, sizes and shapes to choose from, Dr. Weston will help you select the implants that will provide you with a beautiful contour that is in proportion with the rest of your body profile. The implants may be placed above the chest muscle and behind the breast tissue (subglandular) or under a portion of the chest muscle (submuscular).

The procedure is usually performed under general anesthesia, although you will be able to go home within a few hours of your surgery. Incisions may be located around the areola or within the breast crease underneath the breast. Dr. Weston will make every effort to make the incisions and post-operative scarring as inconspicuous as possible.

Breast Lift

A breast lift is designed to restore sagging breasts to a more youthful position on the chest wall. This procedure may be performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation, depending on the amount of correction needed and the other procedures that will be performed at the same time. Incisions will be placed around the areola, with additional incisions running from the areola to the breast crease and a horizontal incision across the crease, depending on the level of correction needed. Dr. Weston will then remove excess skin and tissue while moving the breasts to a perkier position. Nipples and areolas may also be corrected and repositioned to create a natural, proportionate result.

Breast Reduction

Women who have disproportionately large breasts may face both embarrassment about their appearance and physical pain due to the weight of their pendulous breasts. Breast reduction can help these women achieve long-lasting relief by removing excess tissue from the breasts to create a more proportionate appearance.  This surgery may be done under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation, depending on the amount of reduction needed and other procedures that will be performed at the same time. Incisions are similar to those of a breast lift and vary based on the amount of reduction required.

Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck is a frequent inclusion of many mommy makeover procedures since the midsection often experiences many of the changes brought on by pregnancy. After this momentous event, the abdominal muscles don’t always bounce back, and skin may not conform to the changes in the body contour, leading to laxity and dermal folds that keep you from wearing your clothing comfortably. A tummy tuck, which is most often performed under general anesthesia, offers the ability to tighten abdominal muscles and remove loose skin for a smoother, flatter midsection. Incisions for this procedure may extend from hipbone to hipbone, but Dr. Weston will place them inside the panty line so that they won’t be seen under bathing suits or clothing.

Liposuction

Designed to remove stubborn pockets of fat, this procedure is often performed simultaneously with a tummy tuck to achieve a more sculpted contour to the midsection. Dr. Weston employs a variety of liposuction techniques to produce the best results for each patient. All of the methods involve a narrow tube called a cannula, which is placed directly into the pocket of fat cells to remove them from the body. Once the fat is eliminated, it will not return.

Depending on the number of procedures performed during your mommy makeover, you may be able to have them all done the same day, or you may need to schedule a series of procedures to be performed weeks or months apart.

Mommy makeover recovery

Your recovery from your mommy makeover will depend significantly on the specific procedures you have done. The more extensive your breast enhancement and body contouring, the more downtime you will need to schedule. Breast enhancement procedures usually take one to two weeks of recovery time, with most patients returning activities within about one week. A tummy tuck may require a bit longer, with patients getting back up to at least a portion of their schedule within two to three weeks.

Strenuous exercise may be restricted for a much longer period to give your body ample time to heal. Dr. Weston will monitor the progress of your recovery carefully so that you do not resume any activities until your body is ready. As with most breast and body contouring procedures, it will likely take about six months to a year to see your final mommy makeover results as swelling and bruising can take some time to subside fully. These results should be long-lasting as long as you maintain a healthy weight after your surgery.

If you are thinking about a mommy makeover, it is imperative that you choose an experienced plastic surgeon for your procedure to ensure the safest and most successful results. Dr. Weston is board-certified in plastic surgery and has extensive experience and training in all the treatments commonly included in the mommy makeover. To learn more about any of these surgeries, or to schedule your personal consultation with Dr. Weston, contact Jane Weston, MD today at (650) 457-6291.