The vast majority of women who undergo mommy makeover surgery are done having children. Rarely, women who have undergone this procedure change their minds about additional pregnancies or accidently become pregnant.
Under these circumstances, a mommy makeover has no negative impact upon the pregnancy. Unfortunately, pregnancy has a negative impact upon the patient’s previous mommy makeover.
Pregnancy recreates many of the patient’s original problems, including loose saggy skin, weakened abdominal muscles, stretch marks and breast sag.
Because of the significant investment in time, money and effort, I strongly recommend that patients be done having children before proceeding with mommy makeover surgery.
Even when women don’t plan on having additional children their life circumstances may change and they may become pregnant. Under these circumstances, revision of the mommy makeover will probably be necessary. (Richard J. Bruneteau, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)
A mommy makeover which involves abdominoplasty does not preclude future pregnancies, although the result of your surgery will most likely be affected by them. You may be better served to wait until you have finished child bearing before undergoing the surgery, if you are definitely planning on having more children. (Olivia Hutchinson, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)
It is definitely possible to have children after a mommy makeover. When considering this be sure to consult with an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon who can best review your options with you. Your plastic surgeon may recommend that you only need liposuction or to achieve your aesthetic goals.
As for the breast surgery, your plastic surgeon may be able to tell you whether you need a breast lift or simple augmentation or a breast lift with implants.If you’re considering having future children, remember that your body will again change after pregnancy. This may impact the results you have received from your mommy makeover. (Pat Pazmino, MD, FACS, Miami Plastic Surgeon)
Definately, the best option for you, is to wait until you are finished having children. Unfortunately, after a procedure, it does not guarantee permanent results. Your body may change due to pregnancy.
Once you decide to proceed with surgery, I would recommend finding a board certified plastic surgeon to perform your surgery.
For a more natural look, I would recommend having your implants placed under the muscle.
Implants placed submuscularly, lower the chances of encapsulation. (Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)If you have a diastasis and have it repaired and then get pregnant again, there is a good chance you will undo the repair. The same holds true for the breast procedure. As far as using a teardrop-shaped implant, I agree with the other surgeons who prefer NOT to use them, for reasons already cited.
It sounds as if you just need a small lift, and I have found a very nice operation for this is a scar that winds up just around the areola, which tends to be very inconspicuous. (Paul W. Loewenstein, MD, Milwaukee Plastic Surgeon)
If you are serious about having another child, I would recommend having your family before having your surgery. If you have surgery first, you will likely need another procedure after childbirth. You should get more than one opinion on implant type and placement.
Teardrop implants have a tendancy to make each breast look different from the other side if it shifts in the pocket, especially if they are in front of the muscle. Behind the muscle adds more soft tissue cover, looks more natural, and has the advantage of better imaging on mammogram. (Amy T. Bandy, DO, FACS, Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon)As far as the breast surgery, site unseen I am more commonly a proponent of smooth round implants under the muscle and if necessary performing a lift. As far as the tummy tuck, if you tighten the muscles and then get pregnant, you may need to come back and redo that procedure.
As far as the breasts, it is unpredictable how much your breasts change with pregnancy, you may need to revise the skin envelope after pregnancy. You have to decide, how far away it is that you plan to get pregnant and whether you should wait or do it now. (Roger J. Friedman, MD, Bethesda Plastic Surgeon)
If you are planning to have more children than I would wait to undergo a mommy makeover with breast lifting and tummy tuck. (Steven Wallach, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)Mommy makeover surgery is composed of different procedures in different mommies. A Tummy Tuck should mot be planned unless you are done with childbearing in my opinion.
If you are planning to have more children then i wouls advise you to wait prior to having the tummy tuck. The tear drop implant is a beautiful implant but not appropriate for all patients. This can best be discussed at the time of your examination (Norman Bakshandeh, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)
Mommy makeover before the last pregnancy
There is no good reason to go through this type of surgery and then to become pregnant after that. The cost and the possible compromised results would not be worth it. Wait until you are finished to have elective surgery.I am sure that your Plastic Surgeon would discuss all of the particulars of the use of different implants and placement either under the muscle or on top of the pectoralis at that time.
There is a reason to consider one location over another and this can be best described after a physical exam by your local Plastic Surgeon. (Francis (Frank) William Rieger, MD, Tampa Plastic Surgeon)
You should hold off on your mommy makeover surgery (breast and abdominal procedures) until you are done having children. If you become pregnant after the surgery, your breast and abdominal skin may become stretched out to a degree that you may need more revisional surgery to correct the compromised contour/shape. Please consult with a board certified plastic surgeon prior to making this decision. (William Bruno, MD, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)Mommy MakeOver Questions
Mommy MakeOver procedures are intended to restore the body to its PRE-Pregnancy look or better by repairing the stretching, thinning and sagging damages caused by pregnancy and especially pregnancies. It makes NO sense at all for anyone to undergo such procedures while planning on having more children.
Any subsequent pregnancies may largely reverse and destroy the youthful appearance you just achieved AND make further cosmetic operations more complicated. If you know you will be having more children it would be wise to postpone your cosmetic restoration.
As regards your planned breast augmentation / lift and tummy tuck options, I think you may be making a fundamental mistake in several regards.Tummy Tuck – I have performed hundreds of tummy tucks and I have yet to meet the woman, like you, who has had 3 children who
– does not have a muscle separation
– who will not benefit from a Full tummy Tuck and complete muscle repair
A MINI Tummy Tuck is a grossly over-abused operation which takes potentially great results (by a full tummy tuck ) and instead delivers poor to below average results.
They are best used in women without muscle separation who have minimal skin excess. Using the operation in your case would rob you of the great tummy you could otherwise have.
Breast Augmenttion / Lift – ALL breast implants are RIPPLED. That is their natural state, especially when placed sideways as they are in your breast.If you have enough breast tissue to cover the implants and hide the ripples, then you could get away by having the implants placed under the breast. But in most women and with large implants we need as much coverage as we can find.
That means placing the implants under the muscle (which is under the breast gland) is the best option for most women. Your best choice would be either a smooth, round gel or saline implant under the muscle in my opinion. (Peter A. Aldea, MD, Memphis Plastic Surgeon)
Mommy Makeover and More Kids
The decision of whether to have a mommy makeover surgery when your planning to have more children is based in part on how soon this is likely to be. If it is within a year or so, then it would be best to wait until after that pregnancy to have your mommy makeover surgery. If your uncertain you may also consider holding off on tummy tuck, breast lift, or breast augmentation. (Fredrick A. Valauri, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)I think if you have another child after your mommy makeover you will likely need all of the surgical procedures repeated. As to a mini tummy tuck and muscle repair, the mini tummy tuck will only give you access to the lower muscles and if they are repaired and the uppers are not, then the upper abdomen might actually bulge more.
As to teardrop implants, there is no advantage to them as normal round implants look tear drop shaped when standing and the tear drop implants are also textured and they have a higher leak rate due to the recurrent folding of the implant in the same place over and over. (Julio Garcia, MD, Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon)I suggest to patients that they wait until after children before mommy makeover surgery. However, some patients have had the unexpected blessing of more children after surgery. These women did just fine with their pregnancies. In fact, they both look great. However, it is definitely best to wait if you are planning on more children. (Michael Law, MD, Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon)
I strongly recommend waiting to consider a mommy makeover until after you are finished with your pregnancies. As you already know, pregnancy and nursing can really change your breasts, abdomen, back , buttock and arm shape and size.
It is best to finish with pregnancies and then consider a mommy makeover after you have reached your goal weight and you lead a healthy lifestyle with a consistent healthy diet and daily exercise routine. (Laurie A. Casas, MD, FACS, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)
There are many factors involved in a mommy makeover. If you are considering a rectus repair, you may want to stage your surgery with the breast first, and then the abdomen after pregnancy. (Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)Another child after tummy tuck
I prefer a smooth round implant below the muscle. It should give some lift. In order to get the best result you should have your entire diastasis repaired which may require going above the umbilicus.
If you are going to have another baby then wait till you have finished your family and the consider your mommy makeover at that time. The damage to your surgery may be significant if you have a baby after. (Talmage J. Raine, MD, FACS, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)
I suggest to My patients that the not have this type of surgical procedure until their biological family is complete. (Christine Sullivan, MD, Columbus Plastic Surgeon)
Mommy makeover should be done after you’ve finished having kids
A breast lift shaped the breast and lifts the areola and a breast augmentation increases the breast volume. If you need a small breast lift I would encourage you to get a small breast lift. Using one procedure to camoflouge the need for another is not an ideal way to do things in my humble opinion. A mommy makeover by most definitions involves some form of tummy tuck. I would encourage you to wait until you finish having kids before you get any type of tummy tuck. (Remus Repta, MD, Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon)
You should wait until after your pregnancy before having a mommy makeover because pregnancy can negatively impact you results. (Michael Constantin Gartner, DO, Paramus Plastic Surgeon)
Mommy Makeover and Future Pregnancy
If your breast sag is very minimal an implant may be able to provide the needed lift. I am not aware of any advantages to use a tear drop versus a round implant for lifting purposes. I stopped using tear drops many years ago because if the implant turns after implantation your breast may look very awkward.
To minimize the rotation possibility, I prefer to use textured implants, they heal better to the breast tissue. However, texturing increases the thickness of the shell, and may cause visible rippling specially when used under the muscle.
An effective repair of your diastasis can only be performed with a standard abdominoplasty procedure. To repair a muscle defect that starts at the chest bone down to the pubic bone needs adequate visual access by the surgeon which you can not get with a limited/mini abdominoplasty, not to mention the that incision is the same for both procedures. (Ivan Thomas, MD (retired), Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)
Body changes during pregnancy
Because your body changes so much during pregnancy, I would suggest waiting until you are finished having children before going through with surgery. A mini tummy tuck will leave a smaller scar but the results are smaller also.
Mini tummy tucks will only tighten the skin at the front of the abdomen while a standard tummy tuck will contour the whole abdomen. It is possible to have a breast augmentation before having children but your breasts will fill and deflate with pregnancy. (Amy K. Alderman, MD, FACS, MPH, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)