Getting Your Body Back after Childbirth
Getting Your Pre-Baby Body Back
With Hollywood celebrities snapping red-carpet-ready selfies just months, weeks, or even days after delivery, the bar for moms is set sky high.
New moms are under pressure like never before to get their pre-baby bodies back – and quickly. With Hollywood celebrities snapping red-carpet-ready selfies just months, weeks, or even days after delivery, the bar for moms is set sky high. That’s part of the reason why many women are turning to popular cosmetic surgery procedures like a Mommy Makeover – which includes a variety of surgeries to improve areas of a woman’s body altered by childbirth.
According to RealSelf.com, an online plastic surgery forum, the most popular treatments for body sculpting after baby include liposuction, tummy tuck, breast lift, and breast augmentation. With these techniques, women can enhance deflated breasts, flatten bulging tummies, and sculpt smoother curves.
But not so fast.
Although it may be tempting to have your body back ASAP, there are a few things you should consider before having plastic surgery procedures like a Mommy Makeover.
You might need to lose weight first.
It may sound counterintuitive, but you should get your body (somewhat) back before you get your body back. Most plastic surgeons recommend you be at a stable, healthy weight prior to undergoing cosmetic surgery. The reasons for this are two-fold:
You’re more likely to maintain your results. When your body weight is stable, and you have already adopted a healthy diet and exercise routine, you are less likely to pack on the pounds after surgery. This ensures your results last as long as possible.
You may reduce your risk of complications. Being overweight or underweight increases your risk for certain complications during surgery. Being within a healthy weight range improves your chances of a successful surgery.
You should be done having children.
It comes as no surprise that having children after surgery can greatly impact your results, and not in a good way. Surgical changes to the breasts and body can come undone if you decide to have more children at a later date. This may mean you need additional “touch up” procedures in the future, which means more money and more recovery time.
You should no longer be nursing.
Breastfeeding moms should wait at least 3 to 6 months after they have stopped nursing before having surgery. This will give your hormones adequate time to return to normal and allow your breasts and body to stabilize. This is especially important for anyone considering breast surgery, such as a lift or augmentation.
You should have enough time and help to recover.
Mommy Makeovers are convenient because they combine multiple surgeries into one, but that also means a lengthy recovery. You will need to plan accordingly and make sure you have help around the house, as well as childcare in place.
According to the website of Dr. Vincent Lepore, who offers Mommy Makeover surgery for Palo Alto, CA, you should plan to be away from work and social activities for about 2 weeks after your procedure. Additionally, Dr. Lepore suggests avoiding vigorous physical activity for several more weeks. After about 6 to 8 weeks, depending on the number and type of surgeries performed, most moms are feeling better than new.
