Mommy Makeover in Salt Lake City & Draper, UT

What Is A Mommy Makeover?

Mommy Makeover Salt Lake City

A mommy makeover is simply a term for a combination of surgical procedures that target the changes caused by pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding. At Watterson Plastic Surgery, our mommy makeovers involve a tummy tuckbreast lift with or without augmentation, and liposuction. These are combined into a single surgical session.

Why Get A Mommy Makeover?

While all women fully expect the life changes that come with having a child or children, few are ready for the changes that can occur to their figures. The localized weight gain and loss, both in the stomach and in the breasts, creates unique problems with stretched skin and sometimes separated muscles (in the abdomen). Months after delivery, even if she has lost all of her baby weight, a new mother can be discouraged by the pooch that seems to have developed overnight on her tummy, breasts that have flattened and are sagging, and even pockets of fat that are unaffected by exercise. A mommy makeover at Watterson Plastic Surgery in addresses the changes that pregnancy and childbirth have made on your figure, giving you back your pre-baby body…and maybe even then some. Dr. Watterson is proud to offer patients in Draper, Salt Lake City, and the surrounding Utah area with the mommy makeover procedure.

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Mommy Makeover Before & After

What Procedures Are Involved In A Mommy Makeover?

These are the procedures involved with our mommy makeovers:

  • Breast lift (Mastopexy) – Because the breasts gain size and weight during pregnancy, the skin and support tissue can stretch, making the breasts flatten and sag. A breast lift removes excess skin and repositions the breasts back higher on the chest. Depending on the amount of sagging, the nipples may need to be relocated.
  • Breast augmentation (Augmentation Mammoplasty) – Breastfeeding tends to decrease breast volume. Women who want to return volume, particularly to the upper part of the breasts, or who simply would like larger breasts, can opt to have breast implants inserted after the breast lift procedure. This is an easy time to add implants because they can be inserted through the incisions made for the breast lift.
  • Liposuction – Stubborn pockets of fat can show up after pregnancy. They won’t usually respond to exercise, either. Liposuction removes these pockets on the inner and outer thighs, hips, and abdomen.
  • Tummy tuck (Abdominoplasty) – As described above, the stretching of the stomach skin and muscles during pregnancy is extreme. A tummy tuck trims excess sagging skin and repositions separated muscles to give you back a flat stomach. Depending on the areas of sagging, a tummy tuck will involve one long incision from hipbone to hipbone positioned where it can be hidden beneath a bikini or underwear, and a second incision may be made around your navel.

Candidates For Mommy Makeover Surgery

First things first, a mommy makeover is not meant as a weight-loss procedure. Our Watterson Plastic Surgery patients need to be within 10 percent of their ideal body weight to qualify for these procedures. That is not an arbitrary goal — continued weight loss will create more sagging and loose skin, which is partially what these procedures are meant to address.

Mommy Makeover SLC

So, If You’ve Lost The Weight, Is A Mommy Makeover Right For You?

Mommy Makeover SLC

Pregnancy is unique in the amount of localized weight gain, both in the abdomen and the breasts. This can stretch the muscles and skin to a degree they cannot tighten back down to their former degree of tautness afterwards. The breasts also have sagging and volume loss, due to both the size increase and breastfeeding.

Plus, the weight gain of pregnancy, despite the fact that you’ve lost the weight, usually tends to leave a few pockets of unwanted fat in the abdomen, flanks, and upper thighs. The tummy tuck will tighten your sagging abdomen and it will reposition separated stomach muscles, slimming your waist. The breast lift will return your breasts to their former, higher position on your chest and will remove sagging skin. Augmentation can replace lost volume. Finally, liposuction will remove those pockets of stubborn fat.

What To Expect During Recovery

We’re not going to sugarcoat this — recovery after a mommy makeover isn’t a simple thing. You will have had surgery on at least two areas of your body, along with liposuction on other areas. Of the procedures, the tummy tuck has the most involved recovery. This is primarily due to the tightening of the abdominal muscles that have become separated.

Mommy Makeover Draper

Your first week after surgery is the most challenging, so you’ll need to plan for this by having someone help you with the kids and with other stuff around the house. We will have you in compression garments for six weeks for your tummy tuck and liposuction. This helps your body adapt to its new slimmer contours. You’ll wear an underwire bra for at least six weeks, maybe longer, to take pressure off your breast lift sutures. This will be a 24-hours-a-day requirement. A tummy tuck can take a full six months to completely heal.

When Can I Return To Normal Activity?

You can’t lift anything more than 10 pounds for a period of six weeks or more, due to the incisions in your abdomen. You’ll be able to begin a light level of activity after one to two weeks, but any strenuous activity or exercise will need to wait for 6-8 weeks.

Risks Of Mommy Makeover Surgery

These are major surgeries, so they include the usual risks: bleeding, possible infection, reaction to anesthesia, slow healing, and the like. Of the four procedures, augmentation (if you opt for that) carries the most long term risk, as issues such as capsular contraction, asymmetrical final results, and implant rupture are possible. There is minimal risk with both tummy tucks and liposuction. All in all, a mommy makeover with the team at Watterson Plastic Surgery is a very satisfying procedure producing amazing results.

See What Our Patients Are Saying

“There’s very few instances where I want to give a 10 star review, but here is one. The staff was delightful, Dr Watterson is truly an artist in his field. I literally spent hours researching Plastic Surgeons. I looked at hundreds of before and after photos. I scheduled the very day I had my consultation with Dr. Watterson because I knew I had found my Surgeon. My results are spectacular! So happy with everything.”

Mommy Makeover FAQs

Why Should I Combine All Of These Surgeries Into One Session?

For anyone, the thought of combining three surgeries into one session seems overwhelming, and it is. But that’s also the beauty of a mommy makeover at Watterson Plastic Surgery. Yes, your recovery will be harder, because you’ll have three areas with incisions and tissue trauma. But you’ll only have one recovery, not the three you would have to deal with if you decided to have these procedures done separately down the road.

How Soon After Birth Can I Have Mommy Makeover Surgery?

It’s easy for a new mother to be frustrated with her new body, but a little patience is necessary. We advise our patients to have finished breastfeeding for at least three months before having these procedures. This allows the breasts to return to their normal, natural size. The other part of this timeframe is weight loss. You need to lose your baby weight to be ready for a tummy tuck, and this can take a few months.

Should I Have Mommy Makeover If I Plan On Having Additional Kids?

During your consultation, we’ll discuss this with you because it is very important. Patients considering a mommy makeover should be sure they are finished having children. Why the hard line? If you have these surgeries and then put on all of the localized weight gain again, it can wipe out all the benefits of the surgery. Your skin will sag again, muscles will stretch and separate, and you’ll probably build new pockets of fat. So, you’ll be right back to where you were before your mommy makeover. Plus, if you stretch the scars from your surgery, they can distort and become enlarged. Bottom line. If you think it’s even a possibility that you may have another child, you might want to postpone your mommy makeover.

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Schedule A Consultation

If you are seeking a mommy makeover procedure in the Draper, UT or Salt Lake City, UT, area, please call 801-571-2020 or click here to schedule a consultation with Dr. Paul Watterson.

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Office Information

11762 S. State St
Suite 220
Draper, UT 84020

801-571-2020

OFFICE HOURS

Monday: 9am - 5pm
Tuesday: 9am - 5pm
Wednesday: 9am - 5pm
Thursday: 9am - 5pm
Friday: 9am - 5pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

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