4 Ways to Have an Easier Mommy Makeover Recovery

Pregnancy can bring about many changes to your body. Considering this, if your ultimate goal is to look more like you did before having a baby, one way to achieve this result is with a Mommy Makeover. Portland’s The Waldorf Center for Plastic Surgery knows that patients who want to restore a flatter, more toned stomach, enhance the size and shape of their breasts, or make other changes to their body shape often decide to undergo what is not so much a single procedure, but a combination of different strategies and techniques customized to the patient.

Sometimes, even with exercise and other healthy lifestyle choices, it can be difficult to sculpt the body you want—especially if you have stretched-out skin on the breasts and stomach, diet-resistant fat, or separated muscles in the abdomen. Plastic surgery is often the only way of restoring volume and lift to the breasts, repairing weakened muscles, and tightening or removing loose skin.

There are major advantages to the Mommy Makeover procedure—including the fact that several different types of plastic surgery can be combined into one surgical strategy. Patients typically only need to undergo one surgical session and one recovery while enhancing multiple areas of the body at the same time. This means they can get the results they want at a much faster rate and with less risk.

It does take some time to recover from any form of plastic surgery, so you shouldn’t expect to be able to resume your normal activities and see the full results right away. Your surgeon will give you instructions about how to care for the surgical sites after the procedure, what medications you’ll need to take to improve healing and lower the risk of infection, what concerns you’ll need to look for at the surgical site or in your general health, and when you’ll need to follow up.

If you are having a Mommy Makeover, see below for some tips to optimize the recovery that everyone should know:

1. Get Help with Childcare Duties

Recovery after a Mommy Makeover can go smoothly and efficiently, but isn’t brief. You won’t be able to lift anything heavier than 25 pounds for a while, so it’s important to get around-the-clock care for small children during the initial stages of recovery.

2. Have Someone Help You Around the House

It’s usually recommended that you have someone stay with you for the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery. Moving around in general and even just getting out of bed or dressing yourself will be a challenge. You’ll need a friend or family member to help with basic everyday tasks—such as getting to the bathroom, preparing food, doing household chores, and caring for pets—for at least a few days.

3. Have a Rest Area Prepared

You’ll need to get plenty of rest and sleep while you’re recovering. Prepare a quiet area in your home before your surgery. You should keep everything you’re going to need for recovery in this area, such as snacks, water bottles, medications, and extra pillows to keep your body supported. Make sure that everything you’re going to need for recovery is in easy reach so you can come home and get right to resting and healing.

4. Be Patient About Results

Don’t panic if you don’t look the way you want to right away after surgery. Patients should be aware that they won’t see the complete results from the surgery for some time, but this is normal and there’s nothing to worry about. The breasts and abdominal area will usually be swollen to some degree for weeks, so they will look larger than you intend them to be. Remember that this is only temporary. Your body has an inflammatory response that helps it to heal faster, and this is what causes the swelling.

Find out more about having a Mommy Makeover from Portland’s The Waldorf Center for Plastic Surgery. Call 503-882-0124 or fill out a contact form to schedule a consultation if you are interested in discussing the available strategies and details about recovery.