Body
What is a Mommy Makeover?
A mommy makeover is an individualized combination of procedures addressing concerns after pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is not one fixed operation. The breast and abdominal procedures discussed in this episode depend on which tissues have changed and what the patient wants to address.
In this episode.
Episode summary
A mommy makeover is an individualized combination of procedures addressing concerns after pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is not one fixed operation. The breast and abdominal procedures discussed in this episode depend on which tissues have changed and what the patient wants to address.
In this June 29, 2020 episode of Plastic Surgery: Before and After, board-certified New York City plastic surgeon Darren M. Smith, MD explains why the same procedure list will not fit everyone.
Key takeaways
🔎 Breast changes differ.
The episode distinguishes volume loss, drooping, increased volume and combinations of those changes.
🔎 The breast procedure follows the concern.
Dr. Smith discusses augmentation, a lift, augmentation with a lift, and reduction as different possibilities.
🔎 Assess three abdominal components.
He explains the roles of fat, skin laxity and separation of the rectus muscles, known as rectus diastasis.
🎯 The plan can extend beyond the breasts and abdomen.
The recording also discusses other fat deposits and changes involving the nipples, areolas and genital tissues. These are optional topics for an individualized consultation.
Questions this episode answers
Does every mommy makeover include breast implants?
No. In the episode, implants are considered when additional breast volume is desired. A lift, reduction or another plan may better match a different concern.
Does everyone need a tummy tuck?
No. Dr. Smith describes examining abdominal skin, fat and muscle separation before selecting a procedure. The discussion contrasts a tummy tuck for substantial skin or abdominal-wall concerns with less extensive options for selected patients.
Is a mommy makeover the same combination for every patient?
No. The episode's central point is that pregnancy affects people differently. The term alone does not specify which procedures are appropriate or promise a return to a previous body shape.
🔗 Related information
Explore mommy makeover information, breast lift surgery, tummy tuck surgery, or request a consultation with Dr. Smith in New York City.
Originally released June 29, 2020. Show notes updated September 30, 2026. This is general education. Current recommendations, suitability, risks and expected results require an individual assessment.
Original show notes
The goal of a mommy makeover is to restore an individual to her pre-pregnancy appearance. The way that goal is achieved, however, depends on the changes an individual woman has experienced during pregnancy. New York City board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Darren Smith walks you through it all here.
Read the conversation.
[00:00] What is a mommy makeover? The simple answer is that a mommy makeover is a combination of procedures designed to bring your body back as close as possible to its form before you were pregnant and had children. And while that is a good definition, it doesn't really describe what a mommy makeover is because every patient's mommy makeover is going to be different. And that's because pregnancy affects everyone's body in a unique way. Now, the breasts and the abdomen are the two areas that are most frequently affected by pregnancy. So those are the areas that are most frequently going to be addressed in a mommy makeover. It is, however, extremely common for other areas to be affected by pregnancy as well, since pregnancy and breastfeeding affect tissue, laxity, and elasticity, as well as fat distribution throughout the entire body. So we'll address the breasts and the abdomen first, and then touch on some of the other areas that can be affected by pregnancy and breastfeeding.
[01:06] While almost everyone's breasts are affected by pregnancy, they are affected very differently from woman to woman. Essentially, the three possibilities for effects of childbearing and breastfeeding on the breasts is that the breasts could lose volume, they could become droopy or tautic, or they could actually gain volume. And the procedure that is indicated as part of a mommy makeover for a given person depends on what changes their breasts underwent. So for someone whose breasts lost volume as a result of pregnancy, a breast augmentation would be the procedure of choice. For someone whose breasts became mortotic or drooped as a result of pregnancy and breastfeeding, a breast lift would be indicated.
[02:01] For someone whose breasts both lost volume and became tautic, an augmentation mastopexy or breast lift or breast implants would be a good option. For someone who gained a lot of breast volume during pregnancy, a breast reduction might be the procedure of choice. In terms of the abdomen, there is a predictable series of changes that occurs during pregnancy. As the uterus expands to make room for the growing fetus, it often pushes the rectus abdominis muscles, the six-pack muscles apart in the midline, causing a weakening of the abdominal wall called a rectus diastasis. And the rectus diastasis is visible as a lower abdominal bulge. At the same time, there's often an increase in abdominal fat during pregnancy.
[02:52] and as the skin envelope expands to accommodate the growing uterus and additional abdominal fat, the overall skin surface area increases as well. After delivery, when the volume of the uterus returns to normal and the abdomen begins to approach its pre-pregnancy size, the skin envelope often isn't able to completely contract back to its pre-pregnancy volume. And it's this differential between the volume of the abdomen and the surface area of the skin that can lead to the characteristic rippling or skin laxity and skin excess that can be seen in the postpartum period. At the same time, after pregnancy and after breastfeeding is completed, the volume of abdominal fat often returns to normal, but this occurs in varying degrees. So essentially, each patient needs to be evaluated on an individual basis to see the extent of change that occurred in each of these three treatable areas of the abdomen, namely muscles of the abdominal wall, that's the rectus muscles that can become separated to form a rectus diastasis, the amount of fat in the abdomen, and also the degree of skin laxity. And it is based on these changes that the best operation for that patient is chosen. For example, in someone that has a severe rectus diastasis and significant skin laxity and also some remaining abdominal fat, a full tummy tuck would be the operation of choice. Alternatively, someone that doesn't have much of a rectus diastasis and has only mild or moderate skin laxity and only some remaining fat could potentially do very well with a liposuction procedure and some radiofrequency skin tightening. So from this discussion so far, we've shown that a mai makeover usually consists of some kind of breast operation and some kind of abdominal operation and the exact combination depends on the needs of the individual.
[05:03] Liposuction is also very frequently included in a mommy makeover to help take care of fat that has been redistributed in an unpleasing way as a result of the pregnancy. Frequent areas of concern include the mons, the waist, the lower back, and the thighs. Pregnancy and especially breastfeeding can also take its toll on the shape and size of the nipples and areola themselves. So procedures like a nipple reduction or an areola reduction might be desired by a patient that wants to restore these areas to their pre-pregnancy appearance. The labia may also become distorted from pregnancy and delivery, so labiaplasty may also be included as part of a mommy makeover. The overall tightness and configuration of the vaginal canal can also be altered as a result of giving birth. And one procedure we've seen great success with in this context is MSELA, which uses HIFEM or highly focused electromagnetic energy to essentially do the equivalent of 20,000 Kegel exercises in 30 minutes. And this procedure is completely non-invasive and can be performed while the patient is clothed.
[06:24] So the moral of the story here is that pregnancy is a very complex process that affects everyone's body in a different way. And to design the perfect mommy makeover, a in-depth consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon, is a really good first step to understand what your goals are and the best strategies for achieving those goals. And while the definition of a mommy makeover that is to restore your body to its pre-pregnancy form is the same for everyone, the exact combination of procedures involved in a mommy makeover is different for everyone.
Sources and context.
Original Captivate episode. Original release date: 2020-06-29. The recording is the source for the transcript and episode discussion. Later context in the written summary is identified separately.
Behind the conversation.
Darren M. Smith, MD, FACS