Women are amazing and beautiful. They are capable of doing so many wonderful things, including giving birth. Unfortunately, pregnancy and nursing can often lead to unwanted changes in their bodies, such as enlarged areolas, drooping breasts, stretch marks, a sagging tummy, loose skin and loss of waist definition. These problems can not always be addressed by diet and exercise. While the stretched skin and loose muscles may improve over time, the body doesn’t always return to its pre-pregnancy state without a little bit of extra help.
More and more women are seeking out plastic surgery procedures to help bring back their youthful, pre-pregnancy body. The Mummy Makeover is a series of surgical procedures that may be done separately or all in one go with one operation. These procedures can help restore a more youthful body and self-confidence. Dr Mark Hanikeri from WA has performed several Mummy Makeovers and we enlisted his expertise to tell us in more detail what they involve.
The Mummy Makeover
Many women are disappointed with their post-pregnancy bodies. Mothers struggle not only with their mummy bodies, but also with the demands of motherhood that deprive them of sleep and time to themselves and force them to adapt to a completely different life to the one they had before children. These factors can make mothers, particularly new ones, feel depressed, unsexy and lead to a loss of confidence among other things.
Some of the procedures often included in a Mummy Makeover include (but are not limited to):
- Breast surgery: the most popular are breast augmentation, breast lift (or mastopexy, for sagging breasts), and breast reduction;
- Liposuction and/or abdominoplasty/tummy tuck: these procedures target fatty areas and any sagging skin;
- Vaginal rejuvenation can help rectify the stretching and trauma having a vaginal birth can inflict. Dr Hanikeri says, “There has been a marked rise in this type of surgery over the past ten years.”
The length of the hospital stay will depend on how long the surgery was and how quickly the patient recovers – this varies from patient to patient. They will usually be required to stay at least overnight, up to a few days. A longer stay may be required after certain procedures.
Dr Hanikeri suggests, “Women considering this type of surgery should wait for around one year after their last pregnancy, since it takes time for the body to return to normal following pregnancy and childbirth.”
Focus Patient Care
Post-surgical care is as important as the surgical procedure for Dr Hanikeri. He understands that the journey does not stop with the surgery. In an interview with Plastic Surgery Hub, Dr Hanikeri explained it is important for patients to know that, “aside from the initial postoperative healing care, my nurses and I continue to monitor the wounds and the healing of the patients for the first few weeks.”
He added that he sees his patients typically within the week post-surgery, then again at 2, 6 and 12 weeks after surgery. Patients are also advised to see at about a year after the operation. “That’s the sort of protocol I offer, but also my nurses and the dermal therapists in the clinic see them when it’s required for their scar management,” he says.
If you’d like to read more about Mummy Makeovers and Dr Hanikeri check out these blogs:
Mummy Makeover Muscle Repair – Vanessa’s Story
The Full Mummy Makeover – Melissa’s Story