Dr. Jeffrey Lee is a Harvard-trained plastic surgeon serving patients in the greater Boston area. He specializes in cosmetic procedures of the face, breast, body, as well as nonsurgical treatments such as Botox and Juvederm. After medical school, he completed his training in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School hospital. During this time, he also completed a fellowship in the Plastic Surgery Research Lab where he published numerous book chapters and journal articles. He also traveled extensively giving presentations at the national and international level advancing the field of plastic surgery. Haute Beauty expert Dr. Jeffrey Lee discusses what a Mommy Makeover entails while outlining the typical procedures that may be performed.

Photo Credit: ShutterstockHB: What is a Mommy Makeover?

A mommy makeover means different things to different people. In general, however, mommy makeover refers to when a patient gets a breast and abdomen surgery at the same time. This can mean different things such as breast augmentation with a tummy tuck, breast augmentation with lift and tummy tuck, or breast lift alone with a tummy tuck. Patients often add liposuction to the flanks or back at the same time. This category of surgery as a whole is generally referred to as a mommy makeover. It’s also referred to like this since pregnancy, childbirth, and/or breastfeeding can affect the breasts and abdomen most significantly.

HB: What are typical procedures performed for a Mommy Makeover?

You will need to consult with a plastic surgeon to see what combination of procedures will work the best for you since everyone starts out differently. Things you need to consider are whether or not you want or need a breast augmentation, a breast lift, breast augmentation with lift, tummy tuck, and/or liposuction of certain areas.

HB: Who is a good candidate?

You do not necessarily have to be a mom to be considered for a mommy makeover. Massive weight loss or even just bad genes can result in someone wanting to improve both their breasts and abdomen at the same time. It really depends on what bothers you and what you would like to address at one time.

Photo Credit: ShutterstockHB: How long will recovery take?

The tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is the hardest part of the recovery so most patients recover similarly to if they had a tummy tuck alone. The added discomfort from the breast surgery usually doesn’t add too much to the recovery which can be 1-2 weeks on average. In addition to the recovery at home, if your surgery is longer than 6 hours, you will be asked to stay overnight with a nurse monitoring you.

HB: Should you wait till after you’re done having children to have a Mommy Makeover?

For moms, it is generally a good idea to wait until you are done having kids. If you become pregnant after surgery, it is still safe, but the effects of pregnancy will negatively impact your result. In this situation, you can choose to have another mommy makeover, but most patients only want to go through it once. If you are unsure about having any more kids, you should discuss it with your plastic surgeon since it really is a personal choice. I often have this discussion with patients and give them the most information possible so that they can make the most educated decision.

In whatever circumstance, if you are considering a mommy makeover, you should consult with a plastic surgeon. You will have a good idea of what combination of procedures you may need to reach your goals and you can also discuss what kind of result you can expect.