At Plastic Surgery Tijuana, women from Tijuana, San Diego, and surrounding areas choose Mommy Makeover surgery to renew their bodies after pregnancy and childbirth. This personalized combination of plastic surgery procedures often includes a tummy tuck and breast surgery (breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction or a combination of these).

What is a mommy makeover?

Each Mommy Makeover our surgeons perform is personalized to the unique needs and aesthetic goals of the patient. Most Mommy Makeovers include a combination of the following procedures:

Tummy Tuck

The majority of mommy makeover procedures include abdominoplasty, often called a tummy tuck, which manages all 3 components of the abdominal wall: the muscles, fat, and skin. Pregnancy or significant weight loss will create lax abdominal muscles which cause a rounded appearance to the tummy.

The abdominal muscles are tightened creating a flatter internal structure to the abdominal wall. The loose skin, as well as any excess fat beneath the skin, is removed in order to create a tight, contoured appearance. This procedure results in a scar from hip to hip that is low enough to hide under a two-piece swimsuit.

Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation can be used to restore upper fullness in breasts that have deflated due to pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight loss. If a woman is an A or small B cup after having children or losing weight, often there is not enough breast volume to have created sagging and the need for a breast lift. In these situations, when the breasts reside above the breast creases, breast augmentation can be performed.

Breast Lift

For women who have some sagging of the breast tissue below the breast creases, a breast lift (mastopexy) is necessary in order to restore a youthful, perky breast shape. Implants alone do not lift breasts. A lift will tighten the lower pole of the breasts to create a round undersurface and a perky, better contoured shape. 

Liposuction

Liposuction can be added to a Mommy Makeover in order to help contour areas that need not have skin excised. The most common regions that women choose to have liposuction along with their tummy tuck are the hips, flanks (love handles), back, outer thighs (saddlebags), and inner thighs (see illustration). Often, the liposuction requires no further scarring since the procedure can be performed through the same incision used for the abdominoplasty.

Mommy Makeover Recovery Timeline

• Week 1: After a Mommy Makeover, patients are generally off pain medication in 3 to 7 days. They are walking variable distances within the first week but should avoid any activity causing a significant rise in blood pressure for the first couple of weeks, including physical workouts. The first week is generally a time for relaxation with some walking as tolerated.
• Week 2: Many people go back to work if they have non-exertional jobs, but they still need to take it pretty easy.
• Week 3: People can start to pick up the intensity of their walks or even start a very light, low-impact cardio workout.
• Week 4: Patients should guide their activity based upon listening to their bodies. If something hurts, it is recommended to back off rather than push through it. The body will alert the mind well before any damage to the results can occur. It’s acceptable to increase workout intensity as it feels comfortable.
• Week 6: Scars are at maximum strength, but most people are well underway with their exercise regimens before the full six weeks.

Mommy Makeover Scars

Precise, fine line scars are placed in the most inconspicuous location possible, but they take up to two years to fade completely.

At Plastic Surgery Tijuana, Dr. Rafael Camberos performs any scar revisions at no cost in the rare event it is helpful in achieving an improved, thinner, flatter scar appearance.

Our board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Rafael Camberos can provide you with honest, reliable information about Mommy Makeover surgery. Start an online consultation, or simply call (619) 598-2517.