If you’ve been reading the tabloids, you might know that “Teen Mom” star Amber Portwood has defended herself against social media “haters” after obtaining a mommy makeover suite of plastic surgeries. “Everyone should feel good about their bodies. Losing a lot of weight isn’t easy. And your body sometimes changes,” wrote the 26 year old single mother and reality TV celebrity.

The truth is that Ms. Portwood’s reasons for the mommy makeover are similar to most patients who obtain these procedures, which are meant to address some of the less flattering after effects of childbirth and motherhood. It’s our view here at BHP that women who are considering mommy makeovers should not be concerned about the opinions of others, but should instead concentrate on whether or not procedures are appropriate for them. 

While every mommy makeover is tailored to the individual patient, they typically include some of the following procedures:

Tummy Tuck.  Pregnancies obviously involve a significant weight gain concentrated largely in the abdominal region, followed by a very rapid weight loss. In many cases, this can result in folds of loose skin that may not respond to any amount of diet and exercise. Tummy tuck procedures remove excess skin, resulting in a less flabby, more attractive look. Tummy tucks are also commonly received by both women and men who have lost dramatic amounts of weight following weight loss procedures. 

Liposuction. Body contouring efforts often include liposuction to remove fatty deposits that are not responsive to ordinary weight loss efforts through diet and exercise.  While liposuction can be extremely helpful for providing the finishing touches on efforts to eliminate lingering “baby weight,” it should not be considered as a replacement for weight loss.

Breast Lift and/or Augmentation or Reduction. Pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing can have a number of highly visible impacts on the breasts.  They note that many of their patients pursue procedures aimed at correcting sagging and numerous other issues that can be addressed by mastopexy (breast lift) procedure, as well as either by reducing the size of breasts or augmenting them.

Brazilian Butt Lift – Some moms decide to further improve their bodies by obtaining this extremely popular procedure, which employs transferred fat obtained via liposuction to sculpt a more shapely and voluptuous rear-end. Using the patient’s own fat, instead of synthetic implants, allows for a more natural look as well as less chance of complications due to infection.