What About Mommy Makeovers?
By
Lois W. Stern

The Mommy Makeover topic is hot news these days. Why? What is a mommy makeover anyway? Is this a one-size-fits-all deal or can the mommy makeover be customized?

What Happens to the Body During Pregnancy
Diet and exercise can't always correct that postpartum bulging belly. Abdominal skin becomes stretched during pregnancy and that skin doesn't always snap back after childbirth. In addition, those vertical abdominal muscles often separate during pregnancy or childbirth and become lax, causing the abdomen to further protrude. Breasts become engorged while pregnant and/or nursing, often sag after delivery or when breastfeeding ends, because the breast skin gets overstretched. Women frequently comment about "loving the motherly feeling" of their bodies while breastfeeding. Small-breasted women are normally thrilled by the added fullness to their breasts (often getting positive feedback from their partners as well!) But good things don't last forever, and those full, perky breasts begin to sag once breastfeeding concludes, with lax skin and less support when their breasts return to their pre-pregnancy size. Some women also lose breast volume as a result of pregnancy.

What is a Mommy Makeover Anyway?
In the past a woman unhappy about the appearance of her sagging or flattened breasts would purchase a new style bra with better uplift or supplemental padding. A woman with loose skin or a protruding abdomen would girdle herself in or wear control top panty hose. Although these measures might very well have solved her problem when 'stepping out', she was still faced with a mirror reflection of her nude post-pregnancy body when stepping out of the shower. Now more moms are turning to Tummy Tucks, Smart Lipo, breast lifts and breast augmentations to remedy their appearance concerns.

Why Do Mothers Suddenly Feel a Need For Mommy Makeovers?
In 2007, fifty-nine percent of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons members surveyed said that in the past three years they have seen a decided increase in patients seeking post-childbirth cosmetic surgery procedures. These makeovers worry some experts, concerned that the trend pathologizes a natural course of body changes. But Mommy Makeovers are really a logical extension of a culture that idolizes youth and fitness. The media bombard us with images of celebrity "hot mamas" who give birth on Tuesday and seem able to whip their post-pregnancy bodies back into shape by Saturday.

But there is another issue involved. Many mothers today are not stay-at-home moms. They have professional and personal lives outside of the home and feel they need to look their best to compete in the job market.

We are fortunate to live in a country where we are entitled to form and express our own opinions, (but remember that sometimes our opinions change as we step into another person's shoes). Want to express yours?

Lois is the author of SEX, LIES AND COSMETIC SURGERY (Things You'll Never Learn From Your Plastic Surgeon)
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