Giving birth often results in body changes that may adversely affect the body image of the new mother. Unlike decades ago, when women just had to deal with post-partum figure changes, today there are several exciting options in cosmetic surgery to help you get back (or even improve) your pre-pregnancy body. Fortunately, for today's busy new mother, many plastic surgery procedures can be done on an outpatient basis, which means you are back at home with your newborn that same day.
Many new mothers worry that breastfeeding may alter the shape of their breasts. Actually, breast changes occur during pregnancy in preparation of nurturing your child. Milk gland s in the breasts swell and replace fatty tissue, and after childbirth, the milk glands shrink causing the breasts to sag and lose volume. Plastic surgery offers implants that give your breasts a youthful contour. Breast augmentation can be done on an outpatient basis with local or general anesthesia; and patients can be back to their normal activities, usually within days. Sometimes a breast lift is needed to help correct the sag. It can be as little as removal of a small amount of skin above the nipple & areola, and can be combined with breast implants.
Stretch marks and C-section scars usually linger long after childbirth, so stomach tightening procedures may be what you are looking for to remove the excess skin below your navel. The stomach tightening procedure is called an abdominoplasty. If there is only a small amount of excess skin to tighten, you may be a candidate for a mini-lipectomy, which is a less extensive procedure often done under local anesthesia.
Liposuction is another commonly-requested cosmetic procedure after pregnancy. Many new mothers complain that they just cannot lose the fat in areas such as the thighs, buttocks, and upper arms. Fat can removed in those troublesome areas.
Finally, a labioplasty can repair the damage done to the labia that often occurs during a normal vaginal delivery. This procedure can be performed as outpatient and in conjunction with other procedures. Recovery only takes a few days, typically. You may not totally recover your pre-pregnancy body but you can come close!
