Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
– Maya Angelou
Mommy Makeover Gives You Back Your Body
Your body has permanently changed because of having children. How can you reclaim your pre-pregnancy body? Dr. Kasrai gives you the solution that will boost your self-esteem and self-confidence. She does two things that differentiate her from other surgeons.
here’s nothing quite like the joy of being a mother: the thrill of feeling your baby kick, seeing that miraculous little face for the first time, the tenderness of breastfeeding. It's an incredible experience. But as great as being a mother is, it can take a real toll on your body. Weight gain, stretch marks, loss of muscle tone, sagging breasts—the list of physical "side-effects" goes on and on. Your body goes through tremendous changes during pregnancy, and more often than not, it doesn't change back.
Dr. Kasrai understands the changes your body has gone through
I am a board certified plastic surgeon, and a mother. I completely understand the changes your body experiences due to pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.
- decrease or increase in breast size
- sagging breasts
- loose, wrinkled skin in your mid-section
- stubborn excess fat in places you’ve never had it before
- separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti)
- a change in the shape/size of your buttocks
- enlarged or sagging labia minora
- stretchmarks
You may feel like you’ve aged decades in the months since your baby was born. The way you feel about your appearance after having a child has taken a huge toll on your self-esteem and self-confidence.
You can get your pre-pregnancy body contours back with a mommy makeover.
What your mommy makeover entails is totally up to you. You have the ability to choose what you’d like as part of your mommy makeover, and I can help with this process. After all, not only am I a mother myself, I have also performed over a hundred mommy makeovers in my role as one of the very few female plastic surgeons in the Toronto area. Therefore, I have first-hand knowledge of your aesthetic concerns and how to fix them.
global$galleries_array;Unique point: You get a comprehensive approach when planning your results
I believe that the key to great results is a comprehensive approach. My goal is to improve your appearance as a whole, rather than in isolated sections. Each of your “problem areas” will be corrected, but not over-corrected.
For example, if you have a larger frame and too much skin and fat are removed in your mid-section, your stomach may look fine on its own. However, the overall result will look strange because it won’t complement the rest of your body. Basically, it'll look like you have someone else’s stomach on your body!
A well-planned, accurately measured improvement allows you to enjoy a proportionate, harmonious result that looks natural. You’ll still look like you, just a better version.
When I see mommy makeover candidates at my practice, their biggest complaints are loose skin, sagging breasts, protruding tummies and fat deposits that just won't respond to diet and exercise. They're unhappy with how they look and feel, and they want to do something about it. That's where a mommy makeover can help. It can get them back to their pre-baby bodies, and help them feel more attractive, self-confident, and comfortable in their own skin.
– Dr. Leila Kasrai
Your options in your customized mommy makeover
Your breasts
During pregnancy, milk glands in the breasts swell and replace fatty tissue, stretching the skin. The glands shrink once breast milk is no longer required. The remaining fatty tissue is unable to replace the space filled by the milk glands. As a result the breasts end up losing volume, becoming saggy or deflated-looking.
As part of your mommy makeover, you have four options:
- Breast lift: A breast lift removes excess stretched skin, raises the nipples and reduces sagging. A limited number of stretchmarks may also be removed depending on your surgery, and the appearance of those remain may improve. Incision placement depends on how much of a lift you want.
- Breast augmentation: If you've lost significant volume, a breast augmentation can be performed. This involves the placement of safe, natural-looking implants to fill out the stretched skin and return the volume you lost during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Small incisions are made under the breasts or around the nipples. This allows for the insertion of implants, placed above or below the muscle of the breast, depending on your anatomy (and your preferences).
- Lift and augmentation: If you’re unhappy with the size and shape of your breasts, then you can get a breast lift and augmentation.
- Breast reduction: On the other hand, your breasts may have increased uncomfortably in size during pregnancy — and have stayed that way even though you've stopped breastfeeding. In that case, a breast reduction may be a better option for you. A lift can also be performed at the same time.
Your stomach
During pregnancy, the abdominal skin and muscles stretch and separate to accommodate the growing baby. For many women, this results in loose sagging skin, stretch marks, and a bulging belly from decreased tone in the muscles. The only solution for you, as a postpartum patient, is a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty). A tummy tuck removes excess fat, tightens loose skin and corrects any existing separation of the abdominal muscles (a condition technically known as diastasis recti). A tummy tuck and breast augmentation/lift are the most common mommy makeover treatments and considered safe when performed at the same time.
I don’t recommend a tummy tuck if you're planning to have more kids, however. I usually suggest waiting until your family is complete. This is because another pregnancy would likely stretch the abdomen again and reverse the effects of the surgery. It's better to wait until you're no longer planning to have kids.
Excess fat deposits on your body
In addition to the overall weight gain that usually comes with pregnancy, hormonal changes can cause localized fat deposits in the abdomen, hips, thighs and back. Diet and exercise don't help with these deposits (not that mothers have much time to exercise anyway!). This makes liposuction the ideal solution for tackling trouble spots.
Please be aware, however, that liposuction is not a weight loss tool. It is only suitable if you are close to your desired weight, have good skin elasticity and are just looking to contour specific areas that don't respond to diet and exercise. (The excess fat removed during liposuction surgery can also be used for Brazilian butt lift patients who are longing to have fuller, more attractive buttocks.)
Your buttocks
Weight fluctuations and the widening of your hips, as well as a more sedentary lifestyle that is brought on by caring for your baby, can change the shape of your buttocks. Wider, flatter, saggier or bulkier — you may not like how your buttocks look anymore. Liposuction and fat transfer to the buttocks can give you the perkier and curvier shape you once had. Also known as a Brazilian butt lift, there are two steps: liposuction first gets rid of the stubborn fat deposits on your body to give you a leaner profile, then the fat is transferred to your buttocks to give them the rounder shape you want. It’s really a two-for-one procedure!
Your genital area
Some women suffer from enlarged or misshapen labia minora after giving birth vaginally. This can cause discomfort when wearing particular clothing or performing certain activities. The appearance can also be embarrassing. Labiaplasty can help reshape and resize the labia minora.
After your mommy makeover
Once you've recovered from your surgery, you'll notice a positive change in your appearance. The improvement is particularly obvious when you compare your before and after photos. Like my other patients, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much better you look!
Frequently asked questions about a mommy makeover
What is a mommy makeover?
This refers to any treatment(s) designed to improve a woman's appearance after having children. The most common treatments performed are abdominoplasty and a breast lift/augmentation.
How many treatments can I get at one time?
This depends on several factors, including your overall health, expectations and extent of your surgery. Generally, it's safe to have multiple procedures performed on one side of your body. For example, you can have a tummy tuck and breast augmentation done because they're both targeting your front. However, I don't recommend getting breast augmentation and a Brazilian butt lift, for example, as it targets your front and back. This would make your recovery very difficult. During your initial consultation, I'll let you know how many treatments you can have done at the same time safely. My goal is to achieve your desired improvement without putting you at risk of developing complications.
When can I get a mommy makeover?
You should wait until you no longer intend to have children, and at least six months after having given birth. If you're breastfeeding, you should wait six months after you've stopped breastfeeding.
I'm planning to have kids. Can I still get a mommy makeover now?
I wouldn't recommend it. Pregnancy and childbirth after a mommy makeover can ruin your results, making another mommy makeover necessary.