Just a few decades ago, nobody openly discussed having a “mommy makeover”. Today, it is mainstream. When a woman goes through pregnancy, her body changes significantly. Because cosmetic and plastic surgery is now more common and acceptable, and care being far better, more and more women turn to surgical procedures to look like themselves again. So much so, in fact, that surgeons like Dr. Alton Ingram have seen a change in what this type of surgery actually is.

Dr. Alton Ingram on Today’s Mommy Makeover

Traditionally, surgeons would complete a mastopexy (breast lift and/or augmentation) and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). However, the wheels have been set in motion to add other procedures to this as well. Women are unhappy about the state of their post-pregnancy body and the mommy makeover has therefore become a personal journey that differs for each woman.

In the state of Florida, surgeons like Dr. Ingram can focus on whichever problem spot they want to get rid of. They can use a drug such as Botox to give their face a more youthful look, have a vaginoplasty or labiaplasty to tighten things up, have a tummy tuck, and focus on their breasts. The modern mommy makeover is whatever a woman wants it to be.

Over recent years, there has been a real surge in plastic surgery. Statistics about the different procedures commonly involved in the mommy makeover include:

• 300,378 breast augmentations in 2017, a 41% rise since 2000.
• 105,210 breast lifts, almost twice as much as in 2000.
• A 107% increase in tummy tucks since 2000, when 62,713 were performed, compared to 2017’s 129,753.

According to Dr. Ingram, it is called a mommy makeover because of the changes caused by pregnancy, including abdominal skin laxity and stretching. However, he also wants people to understand that surgery is not for everybody. To be a candidate for a modern mommy makeover, a woman must not intend to have more pregnancies, should have a BMI of 30 or below, and should be healthy overall. The better their original shape, the better their post-surgery shape will be as well.

Looking specifically at breasts, various options are possible. When women lactate, their breast size increases. This and breastfeeding eventually causes the breasts to change in size significantly, often becoming droopy. In Florida, the breast augmentation continues to be one of the most popular procedures, although some women only want a lift.

A mommy makeover is a significant surgical intervention and women should expect to need at least six weeks to recover. After six weeks, the bod will have restored most of its collagen and will be at 80% of its final strength again. However, the results themselves in terms of appearance are instant and, so long as the woman looks after herself, last for at least as long as they would have should the woman not have gone through pregnancy. Of course, it is impossible to stop the passing of time completely, but some work can be done.