Troubling body changes following pregnancy, breastfeeding, or even weight fluctuations lead many women to long for their pre-baby bodies. With Mommy Makeover procedures, it’s possible to restore one’s body to a slimmer, tighter, and more youthful shape. That said, many women wonder how much weight you can lose with a Mommy Makeover.
The short answer is that Mommy Makeovers don’t offer significant weight reduction. Rather, they focus on improving and enhancing the overall figure. Mommy Makeover specialist and board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Meredith Vandegrift can help address many post-pregnancy body changes to restore a more youthful body appearance. Here is some information about the benefits of a Mommy Makeover, including how much weight you can expect to lose after the procedure.
Understanding What a Mommy Makeover Includes
“Mommy Makeover” refers to a combination of popular aesthetic procedures to restore the body’s contours after the effects of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and weight loss. Patients typically select procedures to reshape the breasts, abdomen, or feminine areas. Dr. Vandegrift helps patients by developing a customized plan that best aligns with their concerns.
Typically, Mommy Makeovers are designed to combine procedures to reduce recovery and cost, addressing each patient’s bothersome areas. However, not all Mommy Makeover procedures are performed at the same time.
Procedures that are often included in a Mommy Makeover are:
Is Weight Loss the Primary Goal of a Mommy Makeover?
The short answer is no. Mommy Makeovers combine transformative procedures to address bothersome areas and restore post-pregnancy contours. While some procedures, such as liposuction or tummy tuck, may help with minimal weight reduction, it’s important to understand that body contouring procedures do not equate to weight loss.
The primary aim of Mommy Makeover procedures is to enhance appearance and boost confidence rather than reduce weight. Mommy Makeovers achieve this by addressing excess, sagging skin and small fat deposits in targeted areas like the abdomen and breasts to improve the body’s overall shape.
How Body Contouring Impacts Your Appearance, Not Just Your Weight
Mommy Makeover body contouring procedures are designed to restore the shape and appearance of a woman’s body after the changes brought about by childbearing. After pregnancy and breastfeeding, many women notice changes to their bodies that can’t be improved through diet and exercise alone.
Surgical body contouring procedures improve the overall appearance by eliminating sagging skin and exercise-resistant fat pockets to tighten the shape of the underlying tissues. The results are more definition, smoother contours, better proportions, and a youthful look.
Typical Weight Loss Results After a Mommy Makeover
As a mommy makeover is not intended as a weight loss solution, it’s important to be at or near a healthy weight with a BMI of 30 or lower. Rather, Mommy Makeover procedures focus on sculpting your bothersome areas to improve your overall figure.
Depending on the procedures included in your Mommy Makeover, you may lose some weight from skin excision or liposuction. However, this typically does not amount to significant amounts of weight. Most patients typically lose 5 to 15 pounds.
Mommy Makeover procedures may help you focus on maintaining your results through diet and exercise changes, which may bring about weight loss.
How Liposuction Contributes to Post-Surgery Weight Changes
People who choose Mommy Makeover procedures want to address bothersome areas changed by pregnancy or weight loss. Adding liposuction to a Mommy Makeover helps further sculpt those areas for a slimmer look. Liposuction is often used to improve small pockets of fat that are resistant to changes in diet and exercise to enhance the overall figure.
Managing Expectations: What a Mommy Makeover Can and Cannot Do
It’s important to have realistic expectations from Mommy Makeover procedures. As a combination of body contouring procedures, a Mommy Makeover can address many areas of your body you find troublesome.
Mommy Makeovers can:
- Reduce stubborn fat
- Enhance breast appearance by lifting breasts, reducing areolas, and increasing breast fullness
- Eliminate loose abdominal skin and tighten muscles
- Restore the delicate tissues of the most feminine areas to improve function, shape, and size
Mommy Makeovers cannot:
- Address significant body fat—Mommy Makeovers are body contouring procedures rather than weight loss solutions, so patients should be close to their target weight before surgery.
- Mommy Makeover procedures may help improve confidence and body positivity, but they cannot fix a strained relationship. It’s important to choose a Mommy Makeover to enhance your appearance if it bothers you, not anyone else.
- Mommy Makeover procedures often cannot be completed as a single surgery due to anesthesia constraints.
The Role of Diet and Exercise After a Mommy Makeover
It’s important to follow Dr. Vandegrift’s aftercare instructions, especially regarding your diet and exercise. Include plenty of lean proteins, fresh vegetables, whole grains, and low-sodium choices in your diet to promote healthy recovery and help maintain your results. Incorporating nutritious foods rich in vitamins and minerals helps your skin, muscles, and other tissues heal faster.
After your Mommy Makeover procedures, take gentle walks to prevent blood clots and keep your GI tract functioning. Take a break from strenuous exercises and heavy lifting until Dr. Vandegrift clears you. Exercise patience, gradually build up your intensity, and avoid overexertion, especially exercises that strain surgical areas.
Consistency is the key to maintaining your results. Develop healthy habits before your Mommy Makeover to ensure you are in optimal condition, and it’ll be easier to resume those habits after recovery.
How Long Does It Take to See Results After a Mommy Makeover?
Mommy Makeover recovery varies by patient and procedure. Most women will see immediate improvements in their overall figures; however your result will continue to improve and become more refined over time. At 3 months, the majority of swelling has gone down, and your scars are maturing. Some residual swelling may take a full year to resolve and tissues to settle, revealing final mommy makeover results. Surgical scars continue to mature, becoming lighter, softer and flatter for up to a year post-procedure and beyond.
Factors that may impact your recovery include:
- Smoking impacts your body’s healing process and creates a more difficult recovery
- Minimize strenuous activities and get proper rest after surgery, which can speed up recovery
Compression garments minimize swelling, promote healing, and support your contours
Maintaining Your Mommy Makeover Results in the Long Term
A Mommy Makeover is a significant investment in yourself and your confidence. Here are some tips to help you maintain your results following your procedures.
- A healthy exercise routine helps maintain your results. Start with light walks a few days after surgery and gradually increase the intensity with your surgeon’s guidance.
- Proper nutrition helps maintain your stable weight. Eat lean proteins, fresh fruits, and veggies, and avoid processed foods. Stay hydrated and skip sugary drinks.
- Use appropriate skincare as directed by Dr. Vandegrift to help promote healing, minimize scarring, and extend results. Protect skin from harmful UV rays with sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more.
- Follow-up appointments help Dr. Vandegrift monitor your progress and address potential concerns.
- Avoid smoking as it impacts your body’s healing process and increases the risks of scarring.
Schedule Your Long Island Mommy Makeover Consultation Today!
Choosing the right provider is the first step toward achieving your ideal results from any plastic surgery. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Meredith Vandegrift is committed to quality patient care as your partner through every step of your Mommy Makeover journey. Get ready to partner with Long Island’s female Mommy Makeover provider! Contact us today or call (631) 935-0303 to learn more!