Mommy Makeovers for Women with Big Families

Having a large family may be the culmination of years spent dreaming and planning, but it doesn’t come without sacrifice. Giving birth to just one child takes a toll on a woman’s figure, and with each additional pregnancy, the body has an increasingly difficult time bouncing back to its pre-baby shape. Many women struggle with skin and muscle laxity in the tummy and breasts and look to the ever-popular “mommy makeover” to alleviate these concerns. However, mothers who have had three or more children (or have carried multiples) often have different needs than women who have given birth only once or twice.

Finding Your Mommy Makeover

Women with large families are more likely to find they have significant amounts of loose skin after repeated childbearing. With each pregnancy, breasts stretch to facilitate milk production and the uterus and abdominal wall expand to accommodate a growing baby. This recurrent increase and subsequent decrease in volume contributes to long-term skin laxity and sagging tissue.

A mommy makeover typically includes a tummy tuck for tightening the abdominal wall and removing excess skin, liposuction to address fat deposits, and breast enhancement to lift and add volume to sagging breasts. But for women with significant skin and muscle laxity from multiple pregnancies, the standard mommy makeover may not be enough. A full breast lift may be recommended, and more significant body lifting procedures might be needed to remove larger amounts of excess skin.

With these thoughts in mind, as you are considering board certified plastic surgeons, don’t just look for classic mommy makeover results. The goal is to see photos of patients who started with similar issues to your own. If you are checking online galleries, you may need to look at related procedures, such as body lift. You can also expect to be shown before and after photos of patients with similar pre-operative concerns during any surgical consultation, to help you understand if the plastic surgeon is qualified to treat your specific concerns.

Is a Mommy Makeover For Me?

Having put in so much work carrying and giving birth, it’s perfectly reasonable for you to get help restoring your body. First, think about what bothers you about your body day to day and what you’d like to change. A mommy makeover should be customized to your concerns, and you don’t have to address everything at once. You can choose to change as little as possible, with restoration alone in mind, or go a little further and make your body better than ever.

Women need to be in good health before proceeding with any surgery. You’ll also want to have completed your family before having body procedures in order to preserve your results. Consider talking to both your general practitioner and a plastic surgeon to understand the big picture and plan a strategy. Mothers who are still carrying significant extra weight post-pregnancy often need to start with dietary and exercise routine changes; a dietician and trainer can help with a realistic plan and keeping you on track. Once you are moving forward with a healthy lifestyle, it may be time to talk to a board certified plastic surgeon about improving problems you can’t address on your own.

When Mom is Happy, It’s Good for the Family.

Mothers of large families are often incredibly busy and even more likely to overlook their own physical and emotional needs. If you’re overly depleted and unhappy with yourself, it can make it harder to ensure the well-being of your own children. Your kids are learning from you and begin mimicking behavior at an early age, so modeling body confidence and emotional well-being is important. If a woman feels good about herself, her children will sense that and it helps them in forming their own sense of self-esteem.

Having a mommy makeover is a very personal decision, and you should take time to think and then consult with experienced providers. I have helped many moms who have had large families and encourage you to come in for a personal consultation.

Categorized in: Mommy Makeover