Mommy Makeover: Info, Photos, Rewiews, Q&A

No intercourse for a minimum of two weeks following mommy makeover. Continue to be careful for the next two weeks. If this procedure is done in conjunction with another procedure there may be additional recommendations from your surgeon on how long to abstain from intercourse, and recommendations regarding pelvic rest. (Jeffrey Weinzweig, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

A mommy makeover involves both breast surgery and some body contouring. It is safe to resume gentle sexual contact 2 weeks after most such procedures with normal relations after 4 weeks.

Your comfort may limit this to other types of sexual contact while you recover. (Cory Goldberg, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

There are many ways to be physically intimate so you may be able to resume some sexual activities fairly soon after surgery. However, your breasts and abdomen will likely be tender or sore for at least several weeks after surgery so this will likely limit your interest in physical contact.

You would need avoid significant pressure to the breast and abdomen for at least 3-4 weeks, and be careful to avoid contaminating any incompletely healed surgical incisions. I’d recommend speaking to your own plastic surgeon about your particular operation and healing progress. (William Andrade, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

Intimacy can be resumed when your incisions are well healed and there is minimal pain with movement. I’m assuming your mommy makeover will involve a tummy tuck. I generally recommend no heavy lifting or strenuous activity after a tummy tuck for 6 weeks. I tell my patients they can start to resume normal activity 3 weeks after surgery if they have had uneventful healing.

This includes sexual contact as tolerated and physical exercise. It can be increased as time passes

In general, it is best to resume sexual activity at the same time your surgeon allows you to resume full, unrestricted activity and vigorous exercise.

This is usually around the 6-8wk mark. Be sure to ask your specific surgeon what his/her recommendation is, as this is an important topic that is commonly not given the attention it deserves. (Bryan Correa, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

Intimacy can occur at anytime after a mommy makeover, but use common sense. You will need to recover before there are no restrictions.

If you are cautious and want to, then within a few days is possible. You will still have dressings on and possibly drains, so you probably won’t feel like it.

At 2 weeks is more realistic and by 6 you can do whatever you want. (Rodger Shortt, FRCSC, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

In general I like to err on the conservative side and like to say about four to six weeks post op. However, everyone is different and we all heal at different speeds.

This really is dependent on how quickly you heal, how in depth your tummy tuck and breast surgeries are and when you feel emotionally ready.

This is a great question to ask your plastic surgeon in person as they best know how to prepare you for the procedures you’re about to have. (Brian Coan, MD, FACS, Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon)

I would have patients wait at least 4 weeks depending on the type and amount of surgery that they have had.

Some healing must be allowed to occur before intense sexual activity. (Thomas Guillot, MD, Baton Rouge Plastic Surgeon)

The amount of time before resuming sex after a mommy makeover will vary from patient to oatients. You should ask your surgeon prior to resuming sexual activity.

I think you can probably expect that it will take about three weeks. (Ronald J. Edelson, MD, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

Everyone recovers differently – resuming sexual relations largely depends on when you feel ready to do so.

That said, you will want to wait at LEAST 3-4 weeks to avoid impacting your result. It is best to ask your surgeon this question as they will be monitoring your recovery. (Grant Stevens, MD, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)

On average, and this is based in responses i have had through the years, not before two weeks and even then, carefully if it hurts you’re not ready. (Mel T. Ortega, MD, Miami Plastic Surgeon)

Typically we ask that the patients refrain from exercise for two months after a tummy tuck. This goes for sexual relations as well. (Gary Lawton, MD, FACS, San Antonio Plastic Surgeon)

A mommy makeover is a big surgical procedure and requires a significant downtime for recuperation before going back to any strenuous exertion (and I would consider sex to be about as strenuous as aerobics or jogging for most people).

Typically after having a baby your OB Doctor will tell you to wait 6 weeks before sex… I think that is about accurate after a mommy makeover too! I do let patients try a slow treadmill or elliptical at about 3 weeks post op , and gradually advance as long as they are healing well and not experiencing any setbacks.

You could probably begin to get ‘a little cozy’ with your spouse around then, but before you get back to normal relations comfortably and safely figure 6 weeks… and certainly get the ok from your surgeon before doing so as there can be a lot of variability in how quickly different patients heal and also depending on the exact surgeries that your mommy makeover required.

Getting too active too quickly can lead to some very serious complications such as bleeding, excess swelling, fluid collections, and even popping of stitches and opening up of wounds.All of those things can worsen your final result or even endanger your health.

Follow the advice of your surgeon, don’t try to rush the healing process, and you will heal well, look beautiful, and feel more confident with intercourse when the time is right. (Marie E. Montag, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)

I always tell my patients to resume sex after one month and it will be much better if the patient plays a passive roll during the sexual activity. (Derby Sang Caputo, MD, Dominican Republic Plastic Surgeon)

Sex following mommy makeover

While there is no definitive answer to this, I typically recommend that my patients refrain completely from sex for 2 weeks following a mommy makeover operation, and to remain quite gentle until at least 6 weeks post-op.

This allows sufficient time for the incisions to heal, for the abdominal plication from the tummy tuck to become stable, and for breast implant pockets to become mature and stable. (Joshua D. Zuckerman, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)

as you may know, recovery time is different from one patient to another, therefore you could be engaging in sexual activities whenever you feel like it, as long as your wounds are already healed, I’d say about 14-21 days. (Luis Tactuk Simo, MD, Dominican Republic Plastic Surgeon)

With regards to sexual activity after mommy makeover, I feel it is important to allow enough time for proper wound healing and during sexual activity the endorphin rush can lower inhibitions that increase pain tolerance and patients are more likely to injur themselves with this kind of activity. As a result I usually recommend at least two weeks refraining from sexual activity and advise possibly more to not have complications to healing. When sexual activity resumes, I advise very careful and gentle activity to minimize the risk of injury and over time normal activity can resume usually within a month or six weeks. (Robert Cohen, MD, Santa Monica Plastic Surgeon)

I recommend at least two weeks of no strenuous activities following a combination of breast/abdominal surgery. That is not to say that at two weeks time, you will necessarily be interested in intercourse, but it would be okay. Avoid excessive straining and/or weight-lifting for about 6 weeks following surgery. (Ashley B. Robey, MD, Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon)

Sex after plastic surgery

I recommend that most patients wait at least three weeks following mommy makeover surgery to resume sexual activity.  Depending on the size of the operation and degree of activity, that length of time might be longer or shorter for a particular patient.  Just as with exercise, I encourage patients to be very active before surgery so that it will be a little less difficult to take a few weeks off. (David Stoker, MD, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)

Since mommy makeovers vary to the amount of surgery, you should ask your surgeon or the nurse or PA in the office. Generally for my patients who have undergone breast and tummy surgery, I suggest refraining from sex for at least one month and taking positioning precautions as required. (Richard Zienowicz, MD, Providence Plastic Surgeon)

Usually a month is sufficient to resume gentle intercourse with your husband.  Please check with your surgeon as well as he or she will know the situation the best. (Shim Ching, MD, Honolulu Plastic Surgeon)

I would defer to your operating surgeon to discuss their specific post-op instructions when it comes to all physical activity (sexual intercourse included).  

What procedures were included in your mommy makeover surgery will largely determine when you can get back to normal activities.

I typically recommend that patients refrain from all exercising and heavy lifting for at least 4 weeks following their surgery, including sexual activity.  Defer to your operating surgeon and get clearance from your doctor before doing so. (Stephen T. Greenberg, MD, Woodbury Plastic Surgeon)

We now use a NO Drain, rapid recovery technique for the tummy tuck, which works for the breast augmentation as well.

With this you should be able to get back to most things within 24 hours. With the tummy tuck, sex may be a little delayed but I have patients who have had this surgery and protocol asking at a week if it was okay to have sex since they felt good enough that they did not see it as a problem. (Brian Windle, MD, Kirkland Plastic Surgeon)

Most would say that at least a couple of weeks should ellipse but it will be variable depending on your surgeon’s preference. (Leland Deane, MD, Long Island Plastic Surgeon)

Resuming sex after mommy makeover

This can vary tremendously with the extent of surgery and the recovery. The safe estimate is 3 months.

However, it can be as soon as 3 weeks depending on the post-operative course and the precautions taken to avoud excessive shear, stress or pressure on the wounds. (Otto Joseph Placik, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

Sexual activity after surgery

Sex probably can begin within about 3-6 weeks after surgery. For instance, my patients limit aerobics for 3-4 weeks and then can go back to vigoous exercise by 6-8 weeks. So it really depends what you plan on doing? (Steven Wallach, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Resuming activities after Mommy Makeover

The exact timing of your recovery depends on a number of factors, including the exact procedures you are having performed, and you should probably wait at least 3 or more weeks before resuming sexual activities. Always make sure your plastic surgeon has cleared you for any increase in physical activity. (Olivia Hutchinson, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Physical and sexual activity post tummy tuck surgery

Depending on the severity and complexity of the case, strenuous and sexual activity should be postponed for about 4-6 weeks to avoid complications in healing and recovery. Patients may differ in recovery time and may return to physical activities sooner. I would recommend consulting your plastic surgeon prior to any rigorous exercises.

However, your body will let you know what you are or are not capable of doing within a couple weeks of resting and taking it easy. Remember you have a lot of healing to do, especially after an invasive procedure such as a tummy tuck. (Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

My protocol calls for 4 weeks before soaking under water and 6 weeks before strenuous activities. I’ll typically wait until the patient feels comfortable moving forward with sexual activity before allowing it. This often is not until about 3 weeks have passed. (Ricardo A. Meade, MD, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)

Resuming sexual activity after mommy makeоver

Most surgeons refer to a “mommy makeover” as a series of cosmetic surgery procedures intended to restore a woman’s figure after pregnancy. I perform these procedures as part of a “mommy makeover” for patients who want an improved figure after having children. Pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding can take a serious toll on a woman’s body, and many moms find that no amount of diet and exercise can restore their pre-baby figures. Procedures commonly performed during mommy makeovers include:

• Abominoplasty (tummy tuck)
• Breast Augmentation +/- Lift, or
• Breast Lift only without implants, liposuction

Depending on your procedures, I would likely recommend no heavy lifting or strenuous activity for about 4-6 weeks. (this would include sexual activity). (C. Bob Basu, MD, FACS, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

When you can have sex аfter a mommy makeover.

I advise my patients that is is safe to have sex or any other type of vigorous activity three weeks after the surgery. (Howard T. Bellin, MD (retired), Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

Once you have chosen your surgeon, and have confidence in his/her judjment, then follow the instruction of your doctor, each one of us has his/her own philosophy but your doctor can give you better advise based on examination (Samir Shureih, MD, Baltimore Plastic Surgeon)