Look What the Kids Did!

 

As parents, we sacrifice greatly for our children. These sacrifices may come in the form of lack of sleep, time spent caring for them, or setting money aside for their education and activities.

 

No sacrifice, however, comes close to the toll that a mother's body takes during pregnancy and breastfeeding. A woman's body changes in many ways during pregnancy – the hips become wider to allow the passage of a baby through the birth canal; the skin of the abdomen stretches and grows to accommodate the baby. Breastfeeding can cause additional changes to the breasts such as drooping and loss of volume when nursing is discontinued.

 

Some of these changes, thankfully, are reversible. Though women gain on average 30 pounds during pregnancy, most of this weight can be lost during the baby's first year with a healthy regimen of proper eating and exercise. Breastfeeding can assist in this weight loss by helping the body burn calories that have been stored during pregnancy.

 

But what about that extra skin around your stomach? What about stretch marks? What about the now-sagging breasts? These, sadly, do not respond to dieting and exercise, which is why my patients choose "Mommy Makeover" plastic surgery in Columbia, Maryland.

 

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast enlargement surgery was the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure performed in the U.S. in 2006. Nearly 330,000 women had breast augmentations, a dramatic increase of over 50% since 2000. Abdominoplasty, or "tummy tuck," was the 5th most popular procedure, with a 133% rise during the last decade. The increasing popularity of these procedures mirrors the increasing popularity of plastic surgery in the general population.

 

A "Mommy Makeover" is a combination of procedures that restore a woman's body to its natural, pre-pregnancy state. The goal is to create a more pleasing shape for areas of the body that have begun to stretch or sag following childbirth. For most women, this starts with a tummy tuck in Columbia, Maryland at my practice. Tummy tucks tighten the excess skin of the lower abdomen, leaving a scar that can be hidden low in the bikini line. Often, many of the abdominal stretch marks can be removed with this procedure. The muscles of the abdominal wall are tightened to improve the "tone" of the abdomen. Liposuction is often performed to additionally contour the abdomen as well.

 

Often, many mothers also want to remedy "empty," "deflated," "droopy," or "low" breasts to create a more youthful look. In Columbia, Maryland, breast enlargement using breast implants can increase the volume and refine the appearance of the breasts. Breast lift may be needed to tighten the skin of the breasts and to reposition the nipples to a more natural, youthful location.

 

Breast implants come in a variety of sizes and shapes, not to mention materials. Silicone is gaining popularity once again for its ability to mimic the "feel" of a natural breast. Incisions can be placed high in the armpit crease to help hide the scars from implants. Talk to a Columbia, Maryland, breast enlargement surgeon about which options may be the best for you.

 

A "Mommy Makeover" may be performed in a single operation or your surgeon may want to stage the procedures, depending on your general health and of the complexity of the operation. Lengthy procedures may necessitate an overnight hospital stay. Safety should be the guiding principle of any elective surgery.

 

A consultation and examination with a well-trained plastic surgeon is the first step toward a "Mommy Makeover." Pregnancy, motherhood, and aging affect each woman individually – your surgeon will listen to your concerns, assess your problem areas, and offer the latest techniques to correct them.