It’s easy to lose yourself in the hustle and bustle of mom life, but you deserve to feel like your best self even in the chaos. If you’re considering a mommy makeover surgery and wondering how weight loss fits in, here’s your guide.
Is a Mommy Makeover a Weight Loss Procedure?
The short answer is no: a Mommy Makeover is not weight loss surgery.
A Mommy Makeover is a custom combination of procedures aimed at restoring a woman’s body after pregnancy, major weight loss, or aging. This often includes:
- Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty): Removal of excess skin and tightening of abdominal muscles.
- Breast surgery: Breast reduction, Breast lift, or breast augmentation.
- Liposuction: Removal of stubborn fat pockets in the abdomen, hips, thighs, or back.
- Other body contouring procedures: Might include arm or thigh lifts, depending on patient goals.
Undergoing a Mommy Makeover will not help you lose significant weight. It’s not meant to substitute for healthy eating, exercise, or weight loss programs. It’s simply meant to address any excess skin due to rapid weight loss after pregnancy.
Note that sometimes this surgery can qualify as medically necessary with your insurance company. For example, if you’re suffering from back or shoulder pain, a breast reduction (part of the Mommy Makeover) might be necessary and be covered or partially covered by insurance.
Why a Mommy Makeover Makes You Look Slimmer
A Mommy Makeover often creates the appearance of a slimmer, more toned body, even though it’s not a weight loss procedure.
After undergoing a Mommy Makeover, patients can expect:
- Tighter, flatter abdomen from a tummy tuck
- Lifted, more youthful breasts with better symmetry
- Improved contour due to liposuction and skin removal
A Mommy Makeover uses strategic reshaping (as opposed to removing fat) to make a noticeable difference in how your body looks and feels.
Why Weight Matters With a Mommy Makeover
Patients often have better results if they are at or near their goal weight when they get surgery. This ensures you get the most out of the procedure and avoid complications like asymmetry or stretching out surgical repairs due to weight fluctuations. If you’re looking to lose more weight after surgery, it may be best to postpone a Mommy Makeover.
Maintaining an ideal weight is crucial after completing a Mommy Makeover to achieve the best results. While a few pounds here or there won’t hurt, major weight changes can drastically affect your final results. Otherwise, you might need revision surgery later on.
Schedule a Mommy Makeover consultation with your surgeon to help you decide on the best time and procedures for you and to maximize your results.
What To Do After a Mommy Makeover
Patients who undergo a Mommy Makeover have a high satisfaction rate (up to 98%) and enjoy improved body contour, pain relief, and core strength. However, a lot depends on how well you take care of your body post-surgery.
Here are some aftercare tips:
- Commit to a healthy diet and exercise regimen to maintain results.
- Avoid major weight fluctuations post-surgery.
- Stay hydrated and wear compression garments as directed.
- Schedule regular check-ins with your surgeon to avoid complications and support healing.
Following these tips and your surgeon’s instructions can help you get the most out of your Mommy Makeover.
FAQs
- What’s the difference between a mommy makeover and liposuction?
A mommy makeover is a combination of procedures designed to restore the body after pregnancy, weight loss, or aging. It often includes a tummy tuck, breast lift or augmentation, and/or liposuction.Liposuction can be a standalone fat-removal procedure that targets specific areas like the abdomen, thighs, or back. It does not address loose skin or muscle separation, which a mommy makeover can fix.
- Can I lose weight through a Mommy Makeover?
Not significantly. While a mommy makeover may result in a few pounds of fat or skin being removed, it’s not intended as a weight loss procedure.Once you’ve reached your ideal or stable weight, the goal is to contour and reshape your body. Options like bariatric surgery or medically supervised weight-loss programs may be more appropriate for actual weight loss. Consult with your doctor for advice on what is right for you to reach your goals.
- Should I choose a Mommy Makeover?
It depends on your goals. If you’re close to your ideal weight, but dealing with excess skin, stretched abdominal muscles, and sagging breasts after pregnancy or major weight loss, a Mommy Makeover offers a comprehensive solution. For the best advice, schedule a Mommy Makeover consultation with your surgeon. - How is a Mommy Makeover different from weight-loss surgery?
A Mommy Makeover is a body-contouring procedure meant to improve your shape after weight loss. While most Mommy Makeover candidates will lose a few pounds and even inches, it’s not a weight loss procedure. Many patients pursue a Mommy Makeover after weight-loss surgery to address loose skin, reduce breast size, or improve symmetry that weight loss alone could not resolve. - Does Insurance Cover a Mommy Makeover procedure?
The short answer is yes. Some procedures included in a Mommy Makeover can be covered by insurance. Breast reduction is often covered by insurance if the procedure is deemed medically necessary, whereas breast lift is considered a cosmetic procedure and typically not covered by insurance. If a woman has an umbilical hernia caused by pregnancy, they may qualify for the repair, which can produce satisfactory results similar to a tummy tuck.
Good news if you’re considering surgery — you now have more freedom when it comes to choosing your surgeon. Thanks to a law called the No Surprises Act, you won’t have to pay more just because your surgeon isn’t on your insurance’s preferred list, as long as your surgery is done at a hospital. You’ll pay the same co-pays, deductible, and coinsurance you would if the surgeon were in-network.
There is a little extra paperwork involved, but don’t worry. Our team at Harris Plastic Surgery is happy to take care of that part for you, so you can focus on what really matters — feeling your best.
Restore Your Confidence With a Mommy Makeover
A Mommy Makeover can help restore your confidence through strategic reshaping, especially after pregnancy, weight loss, or prior surgeries. However, it’s important to remember that a Mommy Makeover is not a weight loss tool. It’s the next step to achieving your desired results after reaching your ideal weight.
If you’re considering a Mommy Makeover, we’re here to help. At Harris Plastic Surgery, we provide thorough consultations to help you achieve your personal goals—whether it’s weight loss, fixing breast asymmetry, or body contouring. Dr. Stephen Harris has over 20 years of clinical experience and has helped thousands of patients realize their goals through a patient-centric approach. This makes Harris Plastic Surgery a top choice for women considering a Mommy Makeover.
Do you still have questions about mommy makeovers and weight loss? Reach out to our office to schedule your consultation to learn more. You can also contact us by phone/text.
Stephen U. Harris, MD FACS
Dr. Stephen U. Harris is a board-certified cosmetic surgeon and recognized expert in breast reduction and reconstruction surgeries, having performed thousands in his career. When it comes to patient care, his philosophy is that every surgery should improve his patient’s overall quality of life, not just their appearance. Dr. Harris stays up-to-date on all the latest advancements in breast augmentation, reconstruction, and reduction and is a recognized innovator in the field. In fact, he was the first surgeon at Good Samaritan Hospital to offer primary prepectoral implant breast reconstruction, as well as secondary prepectoral revision surgery.
Dr. Harris also serves as Chief of Plastic Surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, New York and is an active staff surgeon (and former Chief of Plastic Surgery) at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, New York.
