Sagging or deflated breasts? Flabby, loose tummy and skin? Pregnancy and having children are wonderous experiences, but they can leave you feeling a little less than gorgeous in the aftermath. We women often sacrifice our appearance to create these beautiful little beings, but there comes a time where we come out of the baby haze and start to want our bodies back. Mummy Makeover is the term given to any group of surgical procedures for mothers to regain their bodies after pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. Specialist Plastic Surgeon Dr Ross Farhadieh performs many mummy makeovers through his practice Panthea Clinics located in Sydney and Canberra and talks to us about why you might be thinking “This is the year for my mummy makeover”.
“I want my body back” – when should you consider a mummy makeover?
- Having kids has left your breasts looking empty with nipples you can’t even see any more.
- Your breasts are sagging downwards, have no shape to them and hang like pendulums.
- Your breasts have lost all their volume and are smaller than they were before having kids.
- Your nipples are huge or pointing in the wrong direction.
- Your tummy is left with loose skin and extra flab.
- Your abdominal muscles are weak, damaged or torn and you have bladder incontinence.
- Your arms have excess flab or skin.
- Your body has just lost its shape and contours, volume or perkiness.
- Your body is causing you to cover up and you have a limited wardrobe because of it.
- You just want your PRE BABY BODY BACK!!
What procedures are in a Mummy Makeover?
As mentioned above, any combination of procedures to assist a woman to regain her pre-pregnancy body can be considered a “mummy makeover”. They often include a breast lift and/or augmentation and an abdominoplasty but can also include a brachioplasty (arm lift), thigh lift, buttock lift, body lift, liposuction or any other procedure. Dr Farhadieh says, “During pregnancy and breastfeeding, breast tissues respond to normal cyclical hormonal changes as well as those related to the sustained hormonal changes. Because of this, the breasts increase in size and then reduce once again when normal hormone levels have been resolved. Although this is an entirely normal process, after it is finished, it can leave the breasts looking and feeling empty and deflated.
“Equally, the abdominal tissues respond with extraordinary resilience during pregnancy. The expansion of a pregnant woman’s belly over what is a relatively short time period may result not only in weight changes, but also subsequent accumulation of fat deposits. Furthermore, redundant skin of the abdominal wall after childbirth may not, despite the inherent elasticity of the skin, return to its previous taut state. ‘Stretch marks’ are caused by microscopic rupture of a layer of collagen and elastin bundles under the skin, revealing the underlying vessels.”
Mummy Makeovers are an extremely common request by women after they’ve finished having kids, and there’s absolutely no shame in wanting your body back! If you’d like to arrange a consultation with Dr Ross Farhadieh at Panthea Clinics to see how he might be able to help you phone 1300 03 03 71.
To read some inspiring real stories from real women who have undergone Mummy Makeovers check out the links below:
Mummy makeover muscle repair – Vanessa’s Story
The Full Mummy Makeover – Melissa’s Story
Mummy makeover for Jaime