Mommy Makeover

Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live

Average Stay

1 week

Duration of Hospital Stay

2 days

Duration of Operation

4-6 hours

Type of Anesthesia

General Anesthesia

Recovery Time

2 weeks

Who makes a good candidate for a mommy makeover procedure?

Mommy makeover patients need to be within 25 pounds of their ideal body weight and in good general health.

Smoking or vaping can inhibit healing, so if you smoke, your surgeon will likely ask you to stop at least two weeks prior to your surgery and three weeks afterward.

It’s also best not to schedule this surgery too soon after you’ve had a baby, as tempting as that may be. Wait until you’re done having kids and at least six months after you stop breastfeeding, so you won’t undo your surgical results.

This also helps your surgeon accurately gauge what your body looks like at its baseline.
During your initial consultation, discuss all the possible risks with the plastic surgeon and be honest about your current health, to reduce your risk of complications.

What is a mommy makeover?

A mommy makeover is a customized combination of plastic surgery procedures, designed to help restore your pre-baby body after dramatic changes brought on by pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.

Moms are often left with deflated, sagging breasts and loose, stretched abdominal skin, not to mention separated abdominal muscles and fascia that no amount of exercise can repair. That requires a plastic surgeon.

Many new moms tell us that months after their baby is born, they’re asked when their baby is due.

Realizing your body has lost its original shape can be devastating. No amount of exercise can tighten ripped fascia, join separated muscles, or remove loose skin. A mommy makeover can help reverse the effects of childbirth, along with feelings of helplessness and frustration about how your body looks.

What’s included in a mommy makeover?

One of the biggest benefits of a mommy makeover is that it combines several procedures in a single surgical session. Surgeons customize their treatment plans to fit each patient's unique needs, but typically involve these surgical procedures:

A tummy tuck, sometimes paired with diastasis recti repair, tightens the belly and repairs separated muscles. This may also involve a belly button lift.
Breast augmentation, with or without breast lift surgery, to raise sagging breasts or replace lost fullness. (Some women choose to have breast reduction instead, to remove excess skin.)

And may also include one or more of these:

Liposuction removes excess fat deposits and re-contours the body. This fat can be transferred to the buttocks, for a Brazilian butt lift for volume and contour, or into the hips to create an hourglass shape.
A perineoplasty to tighten the vaginal entrance, a vaginoplasty to tighten and repair the floor of the vagina, and/or a labiaplasty to improve the appearance of the labia minora.
Laser skin rejuvenation treatments

Given the range of procedures available, this is one procedure where it really pays to have more than one consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss your concerns, learn which procedures they'd recommend, and get a detailed cost estimate.

How do you prepare for a mommy makeover?

Lining up a few things in advance of your surgery will give you peace of mind and help your recovery go more smoothly. Your provider's office will probably give you a checklist, which may include these items.

1. Buy recovery supplies

They should also give you a suggested list of recovery supplies, so you can buy them in advance.

Essentials include compression garments, stool softeners (pain medication causes serious constipation), and any supplements your doctor recommends to reduce bruising. If they won't be providing bandages, supplies to keep your incisions clean, and antibiotic ointments, ask for a list so you can have them ready at home.
Loose clothing that you don't have to pull over your head will make it easier for you to dress and prevent uncomfortable rubbing against incisions.

You'll also be grateful for having some healthy meals in the freezer, so you can rest and heal.

2. Line up childcare

You'll need to avoid heavy lifting and too much activity during at least the first week after surgery, so it's important to have childcare and pet care lined up, especially if your kids are still small.

3. Start avoiding nicotine

At least four weeks prior to surgery (or even sooner if you can), stop smoking cigarettes, vaping, which can increase your risk of serious complications and slow your recovery. This includes exposure to second-hand smoke since nicotine can reduce blood flow to lifted and tightened skin.

4. Review your medications

Talk with the patient care coordinator about your medications. Some decongestants, pain relievers, and prescribed medications are not suitable for use before surgery, while others are fine.

People with chronic pain who are on opioid regimens need to speak to their surgeon, general practitioner, and anesthesiologist to make adequate adjustments for the surgery and recovery.

It doesn’t mean that you can’t have surgery, but the post-operative pain may be a little more difficult to control. Being on an opioid pain medication regularly can desensitize you somewhat to its effects, and it may take more of the medicine or a change to different pain medicine in order to control the surgical pain.

What happens during mommy makeover surgery?

You’ll be given general anesthesia, to ensure that you're completely asleep and intubated until it’s all over. Your anesthesia provider will monitor you throughout the procedure to ensure your safety.

Once you’re prepared for surgery, your doctor and medical team will follow the surgical plan you agreed on.

During a breast lift, your surgeon lifts and reshapes breast tissue, removing extra skin and often repositioning the nipple so it sits higher on the breast.
Breast augmentation is usually done by inserting silicone implants over the breast muscle. But if you’re looking for a relatively small increase in breast volume and don’t need a lift, your surgeon could do a fat transfer, taking fat from other areas of the body (such as the belly or thighs) via liposuction and injecting it into your breasts. Some women opt for a combination of augmentation and lift.
To perform a tummy tuck, your surgeon makes a low, hip-to-hip incision, pulls back the skin and underlying abdominal tissue, repairs and tightens your ab muscles, and removes excess skin and tissue. They may also repair a hernia or diastasis recti and reposition your belly button in a more natural location before closing the incision.
For liposuction, the surgeon inserts a thin, hollow tube called a cannula through small incisions to suction out excess fat. Some types of energy-assisted liposuction also tighten skin, which helps prevent laxity and sagging once the fat is removed.
A surgeon who specializes in vaginal rejuvenation can tighten the entrance to the vagina with a perineoplasty, or the vaginal canal and pelvic floor with a vaginoplasty. They can also surgically repair prolapse, a condition where organs push into the vaginal canal.
Some women also opt for a Brazilian butt lift, in which excess fat is removed via liposuction and transferred to the butt, to add volume and create new contours. Just be aware that this can be one of the riskiest types of plastic surgery in the wrong hands, so it’s essential to find a board-certified plastic surgeon who follows the latest safety guidelines.

After your surgery, you’ll be moved to a recovery area and monitored as you wake up. Gauze or other dressings may be applied to the incisions and covered with tape or an elastic bandage, under a surgical binder.

Often, surgeons leave in two tiny drain tubes on either side of your hips, placed through small incisions to prevent a buildup of fluids (aka seroma)—though some surgeons prefer to perform a drain-free tummy tuck.

It’s possible that you’ll be able to go home a few hours after surgery, but don’t be surprised if your surgeon requests that you stay overnight for additional monitoring.

This is a major procedure requiring several hours of surgery, so in some cases, it may be safer for you to go home the following day, once they feel certain that you’re stable.

How long does a mommy makeover take?

The surgical time required will depend on your body frame (petite versus full-figured). You should expect surgery to last 3 to 5 hours for the combined procedure.

Other doctors say it can take up to six hours if the combination of procedures involves more than two. There is a limit to how many procedures most surgeons will perform at one time, for your safety. It’s generally recommended that elective procedures do not take more than six hours, and a tummy tuck alone can take three to four hours.

How much mommy makeover recovery time will you need?

You’ll need at least two weeks off work—possibly even six weeks if your job is highly physical or involves heavy lifting—though recovery time after a mommy makeover depends on how many procedures you have done. Ask your surgeon for their best estimate, once you've aligned on your treatment plan.

You’ll be able to engage in light daily activity during the initial two-week recovery period, with no exercise at all for three weeks and no intense exercise for six weeks. You'll also need to avoid any heavy lifting.

Swelling and bruising will start to subside in one to three weeks, and you'll see your final results within six months when you’re done healing.

Scars will continue to fade for 6-12 months after surgery.