“Mommy Makeovers” – Changing the Shape of Motherhood

By Monica Galvan

Published on August 09, 2007

The term makeover has taken on a whole new meaning in recent years, with reality TV series, daytime talk shows, and tabloid photo spreads dedicated to the botched and the beautiful in the realm of plastic surgery. From larger-than-life celebrities to the neighbors down the street, more and more people are undergoing plastic surgery procedures, and the “mommy makeover” is topping the list of cosmetic “must-haves” for the modern matron.

The mother is a cherished symbol in our culture – one that represents strength, caring, and beauty – but the traditional notion of the self-sacrificing woman is changing with advances in plastic surgery. For centuries, the joys of motherhood have wholly outweighed the physical sacrifices that a woman must go through, both during and after pregnancy. Childbearing is and always will be a rite of passage and a blessing for parents-to-be, but motherhood no longer has to restrict women from feeling confident and beautiful in their post-pregnancy bodies.

A growing trend in the plastic surgery industry, the mommy makeover is changing the shape of motherhood quite literally by helping women achieve the fit, firm figures of their pre-baby days. The mommy makeover generally combines abdominoplasty with breast lift and breast augmentation; however, an increasing number of modern mothers are also requesting such cosmetic procedures as liposuction, BOTOX® Cosmetic, eyelid surgery, facelift, body sculpting, and intensive facial treatments. Doctors, in turn, have started offering packages combining popular mommy makeover surgeries, and some practices have even changed their focuses to concentrate on the growing demand for mommy makeovers.

So what, exactly, is behind this upward trend in post-pregnancy plastic surgery? Some experts attribute the increasing popularity of mommy makeovers to the fact that women are having children later in life; the older a woman is when she finishes having children, the more difficult it is for her body to bounce back to its earlier, more slender shape. Additionally, women who wait a few extra years to have children often have serious careers, and the idea of returning to the office feeling frumpy and self-conscious about their new figures may be less than appealing.

Of course, the desire to feel attractive and comfortable in their own skin is what drives most moms to plastic surgery. These women are not aiming to look like the trim celebrities that grace magazine covers. Instead, they simply want to regain the figures they’ve known all their lives – that is, until pregnancy and motherhood altered their appearances. Now, with procedures tailored to each mother’s individual cosmetic goals, mommy makeovers can help these women restore the natural beauty of their past.

By targeting common problem areas on a woman’s body after childbirth, the mommy makeover has earned its name, and the term is rapidly spreading among women who have worked to lose baby weight that just won’t go away. Breastfeeding, late nights, and long days contribute to a woman’s overall feeling of exhaustion, which takes its toll on a mother both mentally and physically. The physical changes that follow childbirth leave many women feeling as though they’re living in unfamiliar bodies. Skin starts to sag, stretch marks appear, breasts feel heavy or abnormally misshapen, and fat redistributes to areas of the body that are difficult to tone.

One of the most common concerns is the appearance of a pouch on the lower tummy – a combination of stretched, excess skin and stubborn fatty tissue that is unresponsive to diet and exercise. Despite dedicated workouts with crunches and sit-ups, many women find it impossible to regain their once-toned tummies. Through tummy tuck surgery, however, a plastic surgeon is able to manually retighten abdominal muscles to achieve a firmer, more defined tummy. As such, a tummy tuck, whether performed by itself or in combination with liposuction or a body lift, can help a mommy feel years younger while restoring her confidence.

Of all the changes that occur in a woman’s body during pregnancy, the one that some women welcome is the development of larger, fuller breasts, a trait that many wish to re-create after the breast milk has come and gone. Unfortunately, breastfeeding can lead to sagging, unbalanced breasts with extra skin and stretch marks, as well as a decrease or an uncomfortable increase in breast size. Breast augmentation with implants, breast lift, and breast reduction are each viable options for restoring the perky, attractive breasts that many mommies desire after having children.

Whether a few months or a few years have passed since a woman’s last pregnancy, a personalized mommy makeover is a well-deserved treat for a dedicated mother who wants to restore and enhance her natural, youthful figure. And while many women elect to have mommy makeovers as a gift to themselves, more and more husbands are footing the bill for their wives’ surgeries as a symbol of gratitude.

Some women are hesitant to undergo plastic surgery, as they feel proud of their motherly figures – and rightfully so. Every curve or mark on a mother’s body is a reminder of the commitment and love she shares with her little ones. Still, there are also those mothers who want to lose that extra baby weight and restore their figure, and that’s precisely what the mommy makeover is for.