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Life in Plastic: A Complete Guide to the "Mommy Makeover"

Mommy makeover: It’s the cutesy term for a serious package of surgical procedures aimed at returning a woman’s body to its pre-pregnancy state (one could easily argue the term is pretty problematic, too). And, fair warning, uttering the phrase repeatedly while interviewing the smartest aesthetic minds in the country will absolutely make you feel like a puerile twit. The moniker irks many doctors as well. “I find it simplistic and annoying when surgeons say, ‘I’m doing a mommy makeover today,’” says Steven Teitelbaum, a plastic surgeon in Santa Monica, CA. “What does that mean? A breast lift and a bit of lipo? Or a giant reduction, a full tummy tuck, and a total body contour? It’s wiser for…

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Featured

 Is the ‘Mom Job’ Really Necessary?

Many women struggle with the impact of aging and pregnancy on their bodies. But the marketing of the “mommy makeover” seeks to pathologize the postpartum body, characterizing pregnancy and childbirth as maladies with disfiguring aftereffects that can be repaired with the help of scalpels and cannulae. “The message is that, after having children, women’s bodies change for the worse,” said Diana Zuckerman, the president of the National Research Center for Women and Families, a nonprofit group in Washington. If marketing could turn the postpregnancy body “into a socially unacceptable thing, think of how big your audience would be and how many surgeries you could sell them,” she said.

Articles of Interest

I Got a ‘Mommy Makeover,’ but It Wasn’t About Losing Weight

What landed me on a surgeon’s table for what is colloquially referred to as a “mommy makeover” was an attempt at empowerment. I wanted to be a better mother, to feel free again to take my kids to the park, minus the persistent anxiety of concealing my body. I wanted to be able to look in the mirror again and see the woman I was before I had children. That woman was fearless. That woman didn’t need Spanx to go out in public.

Body Image Poll: Would You Get a Mommy Tuck?

I have zero plans for plastic surgery, but I admit, after delivering three (rather sizable) baby boys in the past four years, the thought has crossed my mind. Apparently, I'm not alone in fantasizing about a flat belly. Let's talk about the "mommy tuck"...

Do you really need a 'mommy makeover'?

Have you achieved optimal pelvic-floor fitness? This is the question posed by a new medical spa which recently opened in New York. The clinic, Phit - short for "pelvic health integrated techniques" - offers everything from vulvar reconstruction to labiaplasty, all under the banner of "vaginal rejuvenation".

Five things you need to know about a mommy makeover

Typically, a mommy makeover includes some form of breast surgery and a tummy tuck. As the moniker implies, the procedure first came about as a means for women to rejuvenate the body areas that were most impacted by motherhood. However, with time, the mommy makeover has evolved. Now, it can include any combination of procedures

Is It Worth Getting a Mommy Makeover?

Mommy Makeover has a 95 percent “worth it” rating based on nearly 3,000 recent Mommy Makeover ratings on Realself.com, the largest online resource for people wanting to learn about plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures. But ultimately, you’ll need to determine if a Mommy Makeover is worth it for you.

Mommy Makeover Regret: Is The Procedure Worth It?

Pregnancy changes a lot of things, especially the appearance of your body. From excess skin to sagging breasts, it can be challenging to bounce back after having a baby. For this reason, many mothers choose to have a mommy makeover, allowing them to regain their pre-baby body and confidence. However, this procedure may not always go as planned or deliver the results expected, leading to sentiments of regret.

Move over mommy makeover: The "Ozempic makeover" may be the hottest new trend

Mom is always going to be number one. There's just no replacing her! Yet, the mommy makeover, one of the past decade's most popular plastic surgery trends, may be overtaken by the "Ozempic makeover."

The Beauty of Parenthood: Why I’m Not a Fan of the Term “Mommy Makeover”

The term “mommy makeover” implies that there is something inherently wrong with a woman’s body after having children and that she needs to be “fixed.” I strongly disagree with this notion. Pregnancy is a beautiful and transformative journey that naturally brings about changes in a woman’s body. These changes are a testament to the incredible strength and resilience of mothers and should not automatically be viewed as flaws that require correction. While some women may choose to have cosmetic surgery to feel more confident and comfortable in their bodies, others may feel perfectly content without it, and we need to respect that. This is a very personal decision and, therefore, requires an approach that prioritizes your unique goals and preferences.

Resources

13 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Got My Mommy Makeover

Firmer breasts and a flatter stomach, you expect. Then there are the curve balls…

17 People Get Real About Their Mommy Makeovers

There’s no one-size-fits-all ‘mommy makeover’—here’s what it’s actually like to get different versions of this popular procedure.

American Society of Plastic Surgeons

A mommy makeover is typically performed as a single-stage procedure. There are many techniques used to perform a mommy makeover, and many factors should be taken into consideration when choosing which techniques are best: