Mommy Makeover Archives | La Jolla, San Diego | Tim Sayed, MD, FACS
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Finding the Right Time for a Mommy Makeover

Motherhood is an exciting and challenging time in any woman’s life. It’s a total lifestyle change, from your priorities and goals to your body’s appearance.

Many new mothers find the physical changes associated with pregnancy and breastfeeding are overwhelming, which is why mommy makeover numbers are on the rise in the U.S. – as this procedure can help restore your figure to a pre-motherhood shape.

But patients must get their mommy makeover at the right time. Several factors go into deciding this, which leading plastic surgeon Dr. Tim Sayed discusses here.

Mommy Makeover Timing

There are several critical considerations for patients wanting a mommy makeover. Identifying the best time for your mommy makeover depends on variables like these.

Future Family Plans

The results from a mommy makeover can be long lasting, but they don’t alter the laws of nature.

If you undergo a mommy makeover and later decide to have another child, new changes will occur to your body, potentialing impacting the prior results from your surgery. The best time to undergo a mommy makeover procedure is once you’re fairly certain you will not have any more children, and when your weight is at a stable plateau. If you are still targeting more weight loss from pregnancy, try to reach a goal weight that is stable for at least 6 months.

Immediate Responsibilities and Obligations

When thinking about your mommy makeover timing, you must also consider your current responsibilities and obligations, and be sure you will have adequate help with your own care as well as the care of small children and pets. You must also consider time off from work and other activities, which can range from 2 weeks to over 6 weeks depending on the combination of procedures you have done.

The first factor is breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends new mothers breastfeed exclusively for the infant’s first six months, then continue nursing mixed with supplementary foods for the next six to eight months.

We recommend waiting at least a year after giving birth before getting a mommy makeover, so you have time to nurse your new child, if you are intending to breastfeed.

Another consideration is the recovery period required for mommy makeover surgery. Full healing takes around two months and depends on the procedures you choose to include, but the first one to three weeks after the surgery require rest and activity modifications.

For example, if you opt to have a tummy tuck as part of your surgical plan, you may have to walk and stand with a bend in your waist for the first week or so as your body adapts to the tightened muscles. If you don’t adopt a semi-bent position, your incisions can come open.

Commitment to Maintaining Results

While an experienced plastic surgeon like Dr. Sayed can create dramatic changes with your customized mommy makeover surgical plan, you must be willing to maintain those results by committing to a fitness and nutritional regimen.

You can achieve the longest-lasting results by getting your surgery when you’re already at or near your target body weight.

Get Ready for Your Mommy Makeover in Newport Beach, CA

To recap, the ideal time to get a mommy makeover is:

  • After you’re no longer having children
  • At least one year after childbirth, once you’ve weaned your baby off your breastmilk
  • Once you’ve achieved or gotten close to your ideal weight

Having realistic expectations and partnering with a qualified plastic surgeon can ensure outstanding results from any plastic surgery procedure. The ideal mommy makeover timing is when you have enough time to take care of your body’s needs and after you are no longer planning to add to your family.

To learn more, reach out to Dr. Tim Sayed in Newport Beach or La Jolla, CA, at (858) 247-2933 or via our online form to arrange a quick virtual consultation. 

Can Exercising After Mommy Makeover Affect Your Results?

Pregnancy, giving birth, nursing, and then raising a child is one of, if not the most, significant events in anybody’s life. 

It’s an emotional, fascinating, scary, adventurous experience, and it takes its toll on the mind and body.

Many new mothers are understandably concerned about childbearing’s effects on their bodies. Mothers experience weight gain, stretched abdominal skin and muscle walls, less firm and shapely breasts, and aesthetic changes to the vagina and other body parts.

Fortunately, modern plastic surgery offers a solution to these concerns with a mommy makeover.

Here, Dr. Tim Sayed discusses the mommy makeover and how exercise can affect the results.  

What Is a Mommy Makeover?

A mommy makeover is a series of several procedures to help mothers restore their pre-pregnancy physiques. These may be done at the same time or in stages depending on the patient and other factors.

Childbearing has a significant impact on a mother’s physique, much of which is impossible to reverse, regardless of how much exercise or healthy eating one does.

By and large, the procedures most mothers choose in a mommy makeover include:

The exact combination of procedures depends exclusively on the patient, with some selecting one or two procedures and others going for all of them.

How Does Exercise Affect Mommy Makeover Results?

The essential thing to remember when undergoing any procedure involved in a mommy makeover is that these are surgical procedures. While the procedures provide highly desirable and satisfactory results, they are invasive procedures, and the body needs plenty of time to recover.

Exercise undertaken too soon after any mommy makeover procedure will have a negative impact on the healing process and on the results from the procedure. This may include wound separation, bleeding, infection, delayed return of function, and other issues.

If the patient thoroughly follows Dr. Sayed’s instructions, rests sufficiently during recovery, and only starts exercising once the body is ready, exercise will significantly enhance the results of a mommy makeover by firming muscle tone and keeping weight well maintained.

Exercising helps burns calories, keeping fatty tissue to a minimum. It also creates muscle definition and contour, which are highly desirable aesthetic characteristics that enhance the outcome of the mommy makeover procedure. Exercise is also good for the mind, keeping mothers motivated and positive.

Mommy Makeover in Newport Beach, CA

In summary, exercise can dramatically enhance the results of a mommy makeover, but only once the patient is fully recovered from their mommy makeover procedures.

Because of this, it’s essential to consult with industry-leading expert surgeons, such as Dr. Tim Sayed, to get the best after-treatment care and advice and the best standards of procedure.

Reach out to Dr. Sayed in Newport Beach or La Jolla, CA, on (858) 247-2933 or via this online form to arrange a quick virtual consultation to discover how we can help you look and feel your best.

What Is Included in a Mommy Makeover?

Childbirth is a miracle. Bringing new life into the world is a moment for rejoicing and celebration. However, there is no denying the stress that pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing have on your body.

Fortunately, plastic surgeons like Tim Sayed MD, of La Jolla, CA, can help cosmetically improve some of the changes that occur with childbearing with a comprehensive set of procedures called a mommy makeover.

Here, Dr. Sayed takes you through what procedures a mommy makeover can include and how these can help restore your pre-childbirth physique. Most of the same approaches are available for any patient who is a good surgical candidate for cosmetic contouring of the tummy and breasts, whether from weight changes, aging, or other factors. In other words, Mommy Makeovers are not just for mommies!

What Happens During Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Nursing?

To improve some of the body changes that occur after pregnancy, we first must identify what changes occur in your body during the process.

One of the first changes is the swelling of the lower abdomen, where the child develops in your uterus. For many women, the strain of carrying a growing baby can lead to a separation of the lower abdominal wall. This phenomenon leads to a weaker lower abdomen, with reduced structural support to the spine and internal organs.

The breasts enlarge with the arrival of milk, which can cause stretch marks and take away the firm, round breasts of youth. Nursing further impacts the breasts’ appearance.

During childbirth, the birth canal and vagina stretch permanently. Women have several choices to address each of these physical changes. What are some procedures you might wish to include in your mommy makeover?

Tummy Tuck

The tummy tuck is a staple procedure in a mommy makeover. This procedure treats the extended and stretched skin of the lower abdomen while reinforcing the abdominal wall, addressing any structural issues that arose during the pregnancy.

Liposuction

Liposuction is also a standard mommy makeover procedure that touches up the abdomen and helps new moms get back to the smooth, flat stomach they enjoyed before becoming a mommy.

Breast Lift

Most mothers decide to get a breast lift in their mommy makeover to counteract the drooping and stretching that occurred during pregnancy and nursing.

Vaginal Rejuvenation

Vaginal rejuvenation is one of the less-talked-about mommy makeover procedures, but it shouldn’t be. Being happy and confident in your appearance can go a long way toward having an active and healthy sex life, and vaginal rejuvenation after childbirth helps fix many issues later down the road. Labiaplasty is a procedure commonly performed to improve the outward aesthetic appearance of this area, and can have significant impact on a woman’s confidence in her intimate life.

Mommy Makeover in Newport Beach, CA

If you’re a new mother and find yourself concerned about any aspect of your post-birth physique, reach out to Dr. Tim Sayed in Newport Beach or La Jolla, CA, at 858-247-2933 or through our website to arrange a convenient virtual consultation to discover how we can help you look and feel your best.

Recovering from Your Mommy Makeover

Motherhood is a beautiful thing, but sometimes, it can leave mothers feeling a little less than beautiful. Fortunately, for mothers who want to reverse the effects of pregnancy, childbirth and nursing, the mommy makeover is a customizable combination of plastic surgery procedures that can help. Read our infographic below to learn about the recovery process.

 

If you’re interested in a mommy makeover, contact us today.

Tips to Make Your Mommy Makeover a Breeze

As a woman, you already know your body is capable of miracles. You not only carried a baby to term, but you gave birth and even nourished your child with your breast milk.

However, all these amazing feats came with a cost – stretch marks, sagging breasts, and a poochy belly you can’t shake, no matter how much you diet and exercise. But you shouldn’t lose hope: A mommy makeover is the key to restoring your pre-pregnancy form and helping you regain your confidence after having a baby.

What Is a Mommy Makeover?

A mommy makeover is an umbrella term for a combination of cosmetic surgical procedures used to address some of women’s most common post-pregnancy complaints. While the process is highly customizable, it generally encompasses the following:

If desired, Dr. Sayed also offers fat grafting to enhance the buttocks – a procedure called the Brazilian butt lift.

How to Prepare for a Mommy Makeover

The first step in getting ready for a mommy makeover is to get as close to your target weight as possible through diet and exercise. Being in good physical health is essential to successfully recovering from surgery. You should also wait until your hormone levels are back to where they were pre-pregnancy, which usually takes at least half a year after childbirth and breastfeeding.

If you are a smoker, you should also quit before your surgery. Smoking cigarettes causes blood vessels to constrict, which will reduce the amount of oxygen in blood cells and negatively impacts your body’s ability to heal quickly.

The final – and perhaps most crucial – tip in mommy makeover preparation is to arrange for someone to help you around the house during your recovery period. This person could be your spouse, a neighbor, a family member, or a close friend. Successful recovery from a mommy makeover requires you to commit fully to a recovery period of at least two to three weeks. You’ll need someone to help you with daily tasks such as looking after your children, doing laundry, and preparing meals, in addition to medical needs such as keeping your incision sites clean and disinfected. For the best healing, you’ll need to be as stress-free as possible, so make sure whoever you ask to help you is trustworthy and capable.

Things to Know as You Recover From a Mommy Makeover

First, you’ll need to plan at least two weeks of downtime for your mommy makeover recovery. If your OB-GYN put you on bed rest at some point during your pregnancy, you’ll already be familiar with this concept. However, that doesn’t mean you should be immobile all day, every day. Getting up and walking around – in moderation – can help with your recovery process. No, you shouldn’t expect to be able to do an intense workout, but make a point of standing up and moving around for a few minutes each day.

Before your surgery, it’s best to prepare your recovery room with plenty of comfortable pillows, soft blankets, and anything you need to keep yourself entertained – whether that’s curating the perfect playlist, stocking up your Netflix queue, or downloading plenty of books or magazines to your e-reader. As a mom, you’re probably not used to having much “me time,” but since you’re on doctor’s orders to take it easy, you might as well seize the opportunity.

Put those super-mom planning skills to work in the week or so ahead of your surgery and make time to meal prep, laundry, cleaning, ironing, and other chores you won’t be able to do while you recover. You’ll be glad you did – and so will your designated caretaker.

Also, be prepared to be on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster during your recovery period. Surgery itself can be an intense experience, and combined with the effects of the pain medication, you should expect some mood swings – often, your emotions will fluctuate from elation to sadness minute by minute. Make sure you and your family are ready for this side effect.

Talk to Us About Your Mommy Makeover

Getting a mommy makeover is the best way for women to reclaim their bodies after pregnancy and restore a firmer figure. Is this surgery right for you? Contact our office to schedule your private consultation with Dr. Sayed.