Mummy Makeover: Post-Pregnancy Procedures To Consider

Mummy Makeover for postpartum body

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing. At the same time, it can have significant impact on the various body parts of a woman. Some women have more body changes than others.

Mummy makeover refers to a series of procedures that can be done to correct the associated changes that may happen to a woman’s body during pregnancy. At The Clifford Clinic, we have both surgical and non-surgical services that can help address any body or skin changes that come with pregnancy.

Mummy makeover can encompass several procedures that are meant to address the individual concern of the woman. As such, what one may needs may differ from the other. There are several common surgical procedures that are associated with a mummy makeover programme. Majority of mummy makeover patients usually have one or more surgical procedures. In most instances, several procedures can be done during a single operation, allowing the patient to do several things in one surgical setting.

These are the common surgical procedures done as part of a mummy makeover programme.

They are

• Breast augmentation/Breast lift
• Tummy tuck
• Liposuction
• Labiaplasty (vaginal rejuvenation)

Breast augmentation/Breast lift

After delivery, breast encouragement occurs because there is milk production in the breasts. Once breastfeeding ceases, the breasts may sag once the breasts revert back to their original size. A breast lift, otherwise also known as mastopexy, is done to lift the breasts which have sagged or lost volume after breastfeeding. Breast sagging is more common in mothers who had engorged or bigger breasts.

Sometimes, a breast implant is necessary to restore the lost volume, especially if the lost volume is significant. A breast implant and a breast lift may be necessary for some women post-delivery.

Tummy tuck

A tummy tuck, also called an abdominoplasty, can help to remove loose abdominal skin caused by stretching of the skin during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the skin stretches to accommodate the baby and post-delivery, the skin may lose its elasticity and not be able to revert to its original state. As such, loose skin appears that requires a tummy tuck to remove the loose skin to achieve a tighter appearance of the tummy.

For some ladies, they may also experience a condition called diastasis recti. During pregnancy, to accommodate the baby at the tummy, the abdominal muscles may separate. The phenomenon of the abdominal muscle separating is referred to as “diastasis recti”. Diastasis recti may or may not resolve on its own after childbirth.  If unresolved, diastasis recti will lead to an appearance of a bulge in the tummy. Some will resolve with exercise. If not, tummy tuck can also help to repair the condition.

Liposuction

Due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, after delivery, some women may notice certain areas that have stubborn fat. They tend to appear in the thighs, tummy, and arms. As such, liposuction is one common treatment sought over for a mommy makeover programme. Liposuction serves to break down and remove the fat in those areas.  Liposuction can also be done in the same setting as a tummy tuck procedure. Liposuction can help to remove excess fat, while a tummy tuck can help to tighten muscle as well as to remove excess skin.

Labiaplasty

Childbirth can stretch the labia skin, resulting in the vagina folds to be asymmetrical or to be lose. This may lead to pain during intercourse, friction burns or cause depression or embarrassment.  Labiaplasty can be done to correct the asymmetry.

If you are afraid of undergoing the knives, there are also non-surgical mummy makeover procedures that you can consider. They are commonly done post-pregnancy due to various changes that can occur to the skin. They typically do not have downtime that are associated with the surgical procedures.

Lasers

There are a few skin conditions that may happen after pregnancy. The skin changes that are commonly associated with pregnancy are melasma, acne outbreak, skin tags and stretch marks. Some women may get them while others do not. All these conditions can be treated by a variety of lasers post-pregnancy.

For melasma, the pico-laser and Q-switch laser can be helpful in lightening them. FRAXEL laser can also be used to treat melasma. When melasma appears in pregnant women, it is also commonly known as “chloasma”, or “the mask of pregnancy.” Hormone changes during pregnancy cause it.

For acne outbreak, a protocol of creams and laser can help treat it. Again, hormones during pregnancy can lead to acne outbreaks. The creams can help resolve the acne bumps while the Q-switch laser can help to lighten the dark pigments, otherwise known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) that come after the resolution of the acne bumps.

For skin tags, CO2 laser will be helpful to eradicate the skin tags. Skin tags typically appear during the second trimester of the pregnancy. Skin tags during pregnancy can appear at several places — including on the folds of the neck, armpits, breasts, or vagina. There are several theories as to why this happens. One of the theories is that due to weight gain, there is increased friction at the folds and therefore skin tags appear. The other theory is due to hormonal changes.

For stretch marks, FRAXEL laser helps to improve the appearance of the stretch marks. If there is redness associated with them, V-beam laser can help to lighten the redness. Stretch marks usually appear on the tummy, upper thighs and possibly at the breasts. Stretch marks happen when the skin is stretched due to gaining weight from pregnancy.

Chemical peels

After delivery, the vagina and nipple may darken. This is due to hormonal changes. The Pink Intimate System functions like a chemical peel that can help to lighten areas that are sensitive. The Pink Intimate solution contains a mixture of safe lightening ingredients such as kojic acid and glutathione to help lighten those sensitive areas. Entire procedure can take about an hour.

Pigment lasers can also help to lighten those areas. Pigment lasers include the Pico-laser and the Q-switch laser.

In conclusion, at The Clifford Clinic, our plastic surgeon and aesthetic doctors can help to address the concerns that you may have after delivery. The Clifford Clinic has the full suite of surgical and non-surgical procedures that can help your concerns, beyond just the mummy makeover programme – from trusted hair transplants to reliable acne scar treatments in Singapore.