Medically reviewed by Dr. John Rosdeutscher – Written by Sine Thieme
Am I a Good Candidate for a Mommy Makeover?
Women who are in relatively good shape, healthy and at a stable weight, don’t smoke, and have realistic expectations about their appearance are generally good candidates for a mommy makeover. They typically exhibit one or more of these symptoms:
- A loss of volume in the breasts
- Excessive sagging of breasts
- Loose skin on the abdomen
- Stretch marks
- Stubborn fat resistant to diet and exercise
There are additional factors a doctor will take into account before performing a mommy makeover. Read on to learn how each of these factors can help you determine if you qualify for mommy makeover surgery to restore your body to its pre-pregnancy shape.
Using Your BMI as a Benchmark
Women who are too much above their target weight should lose weight before undergoing a mommy makeover. An ideal mommy makeover candidate has already shed most of the weight left over from previous pregnancies, but has a surplus of fat and excessive lax skin in their abdominal region. The skin is wrinkly and/or sags, and the belly may form a pooch rather than being flat and taut. In addition, the breasts typically sag and are either deflated or too large.
Your Body Mass Index (BMI) can give you an indication how to qualify for mommy makeover surgery. It is calculated using a simple formula with your weight and height. Patients with higher BMIs generally have a higher risk of complications during surgery. Studies have shown that patients with a BMI over 35 are over 3 times more likely to suffer surgical complications than patients with BMIs under 35. This is not just true for mommy makeovers but all surgeries.
Please use our BMI Calculator and find out from the chart below whether you qualify for a mommy makeover:
| BMI < 30 | BMI 30-35 | BMI > 35 |
| Good candidate for a mommy makeover; may only need surgery for the breast enhancement while using minimally-invasive skin tightening and/or liposuction to flatten the tummy. | Ideal candidate for a mommy makeover. | Not an ideal candidate for surgery, advised to reduce BMI by enrolling in a weight loss program such as the Orbera gastric balloon. |
When is the Best Time for a Mommy Makeover?
The right time for a mommy makeover is largely a personal decision. There are several factors you should be aware of before considering a mommy makeover and choosing its components:
- You will need to be fully recovered postpartum before undergoing surgery
- Any breast augmentation surgeries should wait until several months after you have finished breastfeeding. This allows time for your breasts to return to a stable size and shape.
- Typically, it is best to wait for breast surgeries, tummy tucks, lifts, or any other surgical cosmetic procedures until you are finished having children. If you are planning on having children in the future, there are many non-surgical, cost-effective body contouring and skin treatments available in the interim.
- A surgical mommy makeover will prevent you from being able to lift anything over 5 – 10 pounds. Prior to your surgery, you may need to arrange help with childcare – especially if you have younger children.
Pregnancy After a Mommy Makeover
You don’t need to worry about future pregnancy or pregnancies when deciding on a mommy makeover. The health and growth of your baby will not be negatively affected by a previous tummy tuck or a breast augmentation, lift, or reduction. It is also possible to breastfeed after a breast reduction or other breast surgery, although there is a chance that it can be more challenging. If you are unhappy with the shape of your belly and breasts and are a good candidate for a mommy makeover, there is no medical requirement to wait with your surgery.
However, there are reasons why you might consider delaying your mommy makeover until after you are done bearing children, for reasons having to do with your long-term results. No plastic surgeon can ensure that a mommy makeover will outlast a subsequent pregnancy without diminishing the results. Your skin could once again stretch beyond the point of no return, or your abdominal muscle might once again split, or do so for the first time. It is more likely to happen if it has happened before.
If you aren’t sure whether you’ll have additional children but are unhappy with the shape of your abdomen or breasts, you may not want to wait any longer. But if you want to ensure lasting results without having to revise them again, you might want to delay mommy makeover surgery until after your last child is born and weaned.
Having Medical Clearance for Surgery
Even if you meet all the above conditions, being in poor general health could make you a less than ideal mommy makeover candidate. Here are a few underlying conditions that typically cause warning flags for cosmeti surgeons:
- diabetes
- asthma
- high blood pressure or hyptertension
- chronic heart conditions
- smoking or other tobacco use
Be sure to disclose any kind of prescription blood thinners you are on to the plastic surgeon performing your surgery. Blood thinners prevent clotting which can imperil the ability to heal after surgery. If you do take prescription blood thinners, your plastic surgeon will require a letter from your cardiologist allowing you to temporarily pause them for a certain time before and after your procedure.
Smoking is a surgical risk for patients undergoing any for of surgery. It can affect wound healing and cause additional scarring or even skin necrosis. It also puts patients at a higher risk from anesthesia.
Mommy Makeovers After C-Section
Pregnancy and childbirth are a major culprit of sagging abdominal skin. This is why mommy makeovers are so popular among women who have had one or more children. But is it a problem if you didn’t have a natural birth and rather gave birth via C-section?
The answer is no – it’s perfectly safe to have a mommy makeover even if you’ve had a C-section before. However, it is recommended that you give it some time – anywhere from 6 to 12 months after a cesarian delivery, and at least 6 months after weaning – before considering a mommy makeover.
The good news about previous C-sections is that your plastic surgeon can typically “hide” your scar within the new incision and suture.
Candidates for Non-Surgical Mommy Makeovers
If you struggle with excess fat but have otherwise excellent skin elasticity, you may be able to attain a flatter stomach with liposuction alone, or liposuction combined with non-surgical skin tightening. This would eliminate the need for more invasive surgery. Younger patients, or women who have not given birth yet, make good candidates for non-surgical mommy makeovers. For these patients, a mommy makeover might consist of a round of liposuction combined with BodyTite or Renuvion to address the lax abdominal skin, as well as a fat transfer breast augmentation that uses the patient’s own fat as a filler to boost breast volume.
However, if you have lost a substantial amount of weight or have excessively saggy breasts, non-surgical alternatives are unlikely to work. You will need a full surgical mommy makeover – likely consisting of a tummy tuck and a breast lift with or without implants – to return to your pre-pregnancy figure. In fact, if you were never happy with your breasts or stomach areas, you might even improve upon it.
Other Mommy Makeover Candidates
Do you actually have to be a mother for a mommy makeover? The answer is no. The term simply describes a procedure or rather combination of procedures that address conditions typically resulting from pregnancy and childbirth. But anyone who has an excess of fat and skin around their abdomen and isn’t happy with the appearance of their chest area is a good candidate of a mommy makeover.
In fact, it’s not even the sole territory for women. Men can also benefit from a series of procedures to help them regain their youthful figure. Tummy tucks are often the sole recourse for men with an excess of visceral fat, which cannot be removed by liposuction. Combine it with a male breast reduction to address a condition called gynecomastia or enlarged breasts, and you have yourself a perfect “daddy do-over!”
At NuBody Concepts, we want to make sure our patients are well-informed about their body contouring options. If you don’t truly need surgery to achieve your goals, we will make sure you learn about your other options.
We hope that we’ve given you a better understanding about mommy makeover candidates. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any other questions.
If you are ready to get started, use the pink button to schedule a consultation with our board-certified plastic surgeon in Nashville or Memphis.
