Mommy Makeover Checklist to Guide Your Surgery Journey

Many women considering a mommy makeover procedure do not know all steps before, during and after that should be taken in advance to ensure the best possible outcome.

A mommy makeover may include procedures such as a tummy tuck and breast surgery to get rid of loose skin and saggy breast, and with careful preparation, you can ensure an improved recovery time and experience. It’s important to make the necessary changes before going through a mommy makeover, so that you can ensure your safety and maximize your results.

Key Takeaways of Preparing a Mommy Makeover Checklist

• Preoperative preparation should include quitting nicotine use for at least 3 days before the surgery, reducing alcohol consumption and avoiding certain medications.
• Recovery essentials for a smooth recovery after surgery.
• Design a comfortable environment and use bedding items such as pillows or heat pads, loose clothing such as pajamas or compression garments prescribed by your physician can ease post operative discomforts.
• Accessing quality postoperative care provided by either family members, friends, and medical professionals helps boost confidence while providing emotional support throughout the entire process.

Preparing for Your Mommy Makeover Surgery

Quit Nicotine Use

It is important to be as healthy and fit as possible before having a mommy makeover, including quitting the use of nicotine. Smoking can slow down healing after surgery. Plastic surgeons recommend avoiding cigarettes, cigars, dip or smokeless tobacco, and vaping prior to undergoing surgery.

Even occasional smoking may cause an infection or impair your immune system, resulting in complications during surgery. Nicotine in any form increases the risk of blood clots and can make the skin dry out quicker, leading to more scarring and a longer recovery time overall.

Limit Alcohol

Limiting alcohol consumption prior to a mommy makeover is one of the most important steps for successful outcomes and safe recovery. Alcohol can interfere with the body’s ability to heal after surgery as well as increase the risk of infections and complications during recovery.

Avoid Certain Medications

Before undergoing a mommy makeover, it is important to avoid certain medications, supplements, and herbal remedies that can increase the risk of bleeding or other complications. Such as aspirin, ibuprofen, vitamin E supplements, ginkgo biloba, and anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided 3 weeks before the surgery.

Fill Your Prescriptions

Before a mommy makeover surgery, it is important to fill your prescriptions so that they are readily available as soon as you get back home. Your doctor will provide specific medications prior to the procedure for both pre and post operative care.

Clear Your Schedule

Assigning yourself ample time to recover following a mommy makeover is critical in achieving best results and minimizing stress. Doctors advise patients to plan on clearing their schedules for at least 7 to 10 days after the surgery, although recovery times can take up to 1 to 3 weeks depending on individual circumstances and how many procedures you had done.

Set Up Childcare if Necessary

It’s very important to arrange for childcare during the recovery period. Childcare is necessary due to the physical limitations and restrictions that accompany a mommy makeover tummy tuck recovery, including not being able to lift, carry or push those limits typically lasting two weeks.

Make Sure You Have a Ride

Having a dependable, timely ride from the hospital after your mommy makeover surgery is essential. Physical limitations and discomfort can sometimes make it difficult or impossible to drive or use public transportation after the procedure.

Set Up Your Recovery Zone

Creating a comfortable environment in your home will reduce the stress of having to adjust after you return from surgery, allowing you to relax and focus on healing.

It may be helpful to set up this area with all necessary items such as compression garments if prescribed by your surgeon’s office, pillows for support, ice packs or heat pads to ease pain or discomfort, as well as entertainment like books or movies and wear loose fitting clothes.

Recovery Essentials Supplies Checklist

Be sure to pick up all the essential items you’ll need for a successful recovery.

Compression Garments

After a tummy tuck surgery, compression garments play an important role in the recovery process. Compression garments provide support and help reduce swelling, particularly after liposuction.

They help sustain the structural integrity of new skin during healing time by controlling residual fluids and keeping them from pooling around surgical and incision sites.

Pain Medication

Pain medication is an integral part of the recovery process after a mommy makeover. Many women experience some degree of discomfort associated with the procedure and pain medications can help provide more comfortable healing.

Scar Care Products

It is essential to include proper wound care products in your post operative recovery supplies checklist. Scar care products are specifically formulated with ingredients that can help reduce existing scarring appearance, as well as prevent new scars from forming during healing.

Supportive Bras

Wearing a supportive bra after a mommy makeover surgery is an important part of the recovery process, as it helps minimize swelling and provide comfort. Post surgical bras are designed with specific features such as wide straps that will not rub or cut into your shoulders, creating less pressure on tender tissues.

Hygiene Products

It is vital to stock up on items such as antibacterial soap, gentle cleansers, disinfectant wipes and feminine hygiene products prior to surgery so they are readily available during the recovery period.

These products can help maintain cleanliness and prevent infection while healing from a mommy makeover procedure.

Post Surgery Plan

Following your doctor’s post operative instructions ensures a successful recovery.

Follow Post Operative Instructions

Following post operative instructions is key to a successful recovery from a mommy makeover. The doctor’s recommendations, such as wearing a compression garment, keeping your incisions clean and dry, and taking medications prescribed by the surgeon, are necessary for faster healing and avoiding potential complications.

Take Prescribed Medications as Directed

Taking all prescribed medication as directed is key for a successful recovery and optimal outcome after a mommy makeover procedure. Prescription medications help reduce pain, swelling, and risk of infection throughout the healing process, which helps your body to heal properly and quickly.

Your doctor will provide specific instructions on which medications to take orally or applied directly to the surgical site.

Rest and Allow Your Body to Heal

When undergoing a mommy makeover, rest and healing after the procedure is crucial to achieving optimal results. On average, patients can expect a healing period of one to three weeks, sometimes even longer for certain body parts like tummies. Allowing your body time to heal can enable it to thoroughly recover from surgery, thus reducing the risk of scarring or infection complications.

Avoid Strenuous Activities

Strenuous activity can lead to significant and prolonged complications, such as an increased risk of infection or damage to the incisions. It may also cause pain, discomfort, and delayed healing. For long term success after surgery, it is important to follow your doctor’s instructions regarding timescales for resuming certain activities.

Emotional Preparation

Recovery from a mommy makeover can be challenging physically and emotionally. It is important to have a clear understanding of what potential challenges may come your way before, during, and after the surgery process. It’s also necessary to set realistic goals based on what you want to achieve in terms of results.

Having a strong support system in place during the emotional preparation process for a mommy makeover surgery is important. Seeking out loved ones such as family members or close friends who are willing to listen and encourage you through this process is key.

Communicate With Your Surgeon and Medical Team

It’s important that you express your expectations and any concerns beforehand so your medical team can create the best plan for getting results you want. During the consultation, be sure to ask questions about certification, training, and experience with mommy makeovers. This will ensure all procedures are performed safely and accurately.

Post-Surgery Care

It is important to keep incision sites clean and dry, follow post operative instructions, take prescribed medications, attend follow up visits, all while gradually resuming normal activities.

Keep Incisions Clean and Dry

Keep the incisions made from the procedure clean and dry during recovery, as it can minimize any potential infections or complications. To ensure proper healing, once the gauze bandages have been applied, you should avoid showering or bathing for 24 hours after surgery.

Follow Proper Wound Care Instructions

Wound care should be started 2 to 3 weeks post surgery, or when the incision site starts to scab over. Cleaning and caring for the wound involves keeping it clean and dry, avoiding direct exposure to sunlight, using any prescribed scar cream as needed, following any gentle massage technique recommended by your doctor and being mindful not to pick at or tug on scabs.

Attend Follow-Up Appointments

Attending follow up appointments after a mommy makeover is part of the healing process. It allows your surgeon to monitor your progress and ensure proper mommy makeover recovery. Follow up appointments ensure that stitches are properly removed, bruising is kept at bay, swelling levels are monitored, soreness and tenderness levels are addressed when needed, and any complications or concerns may be identified early on.

Watch for Signs of Infection or Complications

These warning signs include increased pain and swelling, warmth in the area around the incision, persistent redness near the incision site, red streaks leading from the incision toward other parts of your body, pus draining from your wound site accompanied by fever or chills, nausea and vomiting which persists beyond 24 hours post-op.

Long-Term Maintenance

To ensure that your results last, maintain a healthy lifestyle with good nourishment and hydration as well as skincare and body maintenance routines is necessary.

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Doctors prescribe that regular exercise, balanced and healthy diet alone, and avoiding smoking are some of the key aspects in maintaining excellent results following this surgery.

Patients should gradually resume their normal activities and exercise at around 6 weeks to 2 months after the surgery. Walking is encouraged on the same day as the surgery, and activity can be gradually increased from there.

A balanced diet is also necessary when undergoing any type of cosmetic procedure like a mommy makeover since it acts as fuel needed by the body during recovery to rebuild its tissues.

Practice Good Skincare and Body Care

Cleansing, moisturizing, and applying sunscreen can massively improve the health and appearance of your skin after the procedure.

Regular exfoliation can help brighten the complexion, while also removing dead skin cells in order to prepare the area for further skincare treatments. Scar creams or gels can be used on any scars that remain from incisions during cosmetic surgery procedures in order to aid healing and reduce their appearance over time.

Consult With Your Surgeon for Long Term Goals

Consulting with your surgeon before undergoing plastic surgery is paramount, especially when it comes to a mommy makeover. During this mommy makeover consultation, both you and the surgeon can explore and discuss your long term goals and align them together.

This will allow for an understanding of the likely outcomes of the surgery as well as any risks or potential complications that could arise after the procedure. Discussing maintenance will help ensure results are kept in order for longer periods of time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mommy Makeover Checklist

1. What is a Mommy Makeover?

A mommy makeover is a combination of cosmetic procedures designed to help weight loss and restore a woman’s body after changes due to pregnancy or childbirth. People use mommy makeovers to restore their pre-baby body and lift areas such as the breasts or buttocks.

One of the most common components of a mommy makeover procedure is a breast lift or augmentation, also known as enhancement surgery on the chest area using implants like saline or silicone, or fat transfer techniques used alone or in combination with other treatments such as breast lifts and liposuction.

2. Who Should Consider Getting a Mommy Makeover?

Board certified plastic surgeons recommend that mothers who experience physical changes that cannot be eliminated through exercise and dieting alone may want to seek out mommy makeovers for tightening and toning techniques for the stomach, breast augmentation and lift or fat breast reduction using liposuctions techniques.                     

3. What Types of Results Can I Expect From This Plastic Surgery? 

The results vary depending on the specific procedures opted for. Common objectives are reducing stretch marks, tightening muscles, repositioning joints or improved contours around waist section, addressing structural issues, and sagging breasts.

Conclusion and Summary of Mommy Makeover Checklist to Guide Your Surgery Journey

A mommy makeover can be a life changing experience for mothers who want to restore their pre-pregnancy figure and feel empowered with their body. Understanding the necessary preparations, desired outcome, potential risks, and recovery process is important before undergoing any surgical procedure.

The key factor in achieving successful results from a mommy makeover is to find an experienced board certified surgeon whose practice follows best practices and specializes in this type of surgery.

Taking into account both the physical and emotional implications that come along with these procedures requires not only proper medical care, but also time to heal physically as well as emotionally.

It’s important to stay hydrated, eat nutritious meals during recovery time, follow postoperative instructions carefully, and avoid strenuous activities too soon after surgery. Don’t forget to wear your prescribed garments tightly for optimal healing results, use scar creams regularly or until recommended by your doctor. All of these are vital components in making sure successful results from your mommy makeover.

Please note that this article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Before making any changes to your treatments, please consult with your healthcare provider to discuss the appropriateness and safety of such changes.

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About the Author

Dr. Brandon Richland, MD is a respected Board Certified Licensed Plastic Surgeon in Orange County / Southern California specializing in cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries.

Driven by his passion for medicine, Dr. Richland obtained his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the prestigious program at Saint Louis University (SLU) School of Medicine in 2013. His exceptional skills were recognized when he received the McGraw Hill / Lange Medical Student Academic Achievement Award, and graduated top of his class with Honors. For his undergraduate degree, he attended University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and graduated with Honors in 2009.

To further enhance his surgical expertise, Dr. Richland completed his Residency in Plastic Surgery at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) from 2013 to 2019 earning the Academic Achievement Award twice during this period. A total of 14 years in dedicated schooling and medical residency.

Dr. Richland is actively involved with healthcare and medical societies, as a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, and the California Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Contact Dr. Richland today by visiting RichlandMD.com, scheduling a cosmetic consultation, or by calling 949-867-4496 directly.

Cover Image Credit: Serezniy / 123RF.com (Licensed). Photo Illustration by: Dr. Brandon Richland, MD.