25 Nov 2025
Being a Mom is one of the most important jobs in the world. Without mothers, there is no future. But childbirth can be hard on the body. You may find that your tummy and breasts, specifically, will not return to their pre-baby shape no matter how much you diet and exercise. It’s really frustrating for my Boston area patients. Furthermore, there is a lot of inherent societal shame around a mother seeking aesthetic help because she wants to feel like herself again. We’re shown countless photos of celebrities who are back in a bikini two weeks after giving birth as if this is somehow the norm. It’s not. And you shouldn’t feel the least bit embarrassed about doing whatever needs to be done in order to once again feel comfortable in your skin. It’s the best thing for you and, frankly, it’s the best thing for your children to have a mother who is energized, vital and proud. A Mommy Makeover is a surgical procedure that typically combines some kind of breast surgery with an abdominal procedure in order to rejuvenate your entire torso. Extremely effective, it is also a robust procedure that the internet may downplay. So, here are my Mommy Makeover myths and what you can really expect.
Not Every Mommy Makeover is the Same
As a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon who specializes in breast surgery and body contouring procedures, Mommy Makeover is one of my areas of expertise. I love the fact that the world wide web has helped women realize that, more often than not, getting back to a pre-baby body takes help. This is particularly true for anyone who’s had multiple children. But the downside of social media and the internet is that the information is often generic. This can be misleading since no aesthetic procedure is ever one-size-fits-all. Every woman has a unique shape and lifestyle which is why no two Mommy Makeovers are identical. I always recommend that a patient schedule an in-person consultation with a qualified surgeon. During our meeting, I will listen to what makes you unhappy about your appearance and perform a detailed physical exam to assess:
- Native breast volume
- Breast shape
- Nipple position in relation to the inframammary fold
- Skin tone & texture
- Areas of excess fat, inside or outside the abdomen
- Amount and location of sagging skin in the abdomen
- Laxity or looseness of the abdominal wall and muscles
We will also discuss your lifestyle in detail as this can greatly impact your ability to devote the necessary time to your recovery.
Realistic Mommy Makeover Recovery in Boston
One of the top misperceptions that I hear when it comes to a Mommy Makeover is the surgeon not being up front about the realities of the recovery. This is an extremely powerful procedure for rejuvenating your entire torso. As such, it is going to require downtime. The amount of time will depend on your:
- Exact treatment plan
- Body’s natural healing ability
Generally, I tell my Mommy Makeover patients to expect 2-4 weeks of serious downtime. You literally cannot be Super Mom. If you still have young kids at home, you’re going to need a lot of help as you won’t be able to lift your children. I take time during your consultation and pre-op appointments to go over the kind of help you may need to consider such as:
- Childcare
- Food Delivery
- Housekeeper
- Dog Walker
- Driving
The more you follow your post-op instructions and really take it easy, the faster and better you will heal.
Mommy Makeover Procedure May Need to be Staged
A big “selling” point of any combination procedure, such as a Mommy Makeover, is that you are getting two surgeries with only one anesthesia and surgical fee. While this can certainly save time and money, not every breast surgery and abdominoplasty combination can safely be performed at once. Generally, if your treatment plan includes a high volume of liposuction in order to remove excess fat from your mid-section, flanks and hips, I will stage the procedures. Not only is this the right thing to do for your health, but it also gives your body the ability to recover appropriately. If the combination of procedures is too intense, the recovery may be brutal.
Breast Lift is Typical with a Mommy Makeover
The last Mommy Makeover myth to discuss is the fact that most women who’ve given birth to and/or breastfed their children are going to need a breast lift, either on its own or with the addition of a breast implant, in order to restore shape. Time and gravity work on the tissues everywhere in the body. Furthermore, the levels of collagen and elastin in your skin drop every year after age 25. When you combine this with the fact that your breasts expand, sometimes considerably during pregnancy, it makes sense that your nipples are no longer centered on your chest wall. In fact, chances are high that they now face the floor. And the only way to improve the appearance of sagging skin is with a surgical lift. Most women are initially hesitant about a breast lift due to the idea of scars. But not only do I practice the kind of precise surgical techniques that put as little strain as possible on your skin, but scars in this area heal surprisingly well. And honestly, practically every breast lift patient will tell you afterwards that any residual incision line is totally worth it.
To find out more about a Mommy Makeover, or any other surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Sean Doherty at his Boston or Chestnut Hills office, contact us today or call (617) 450-0070 to schedule a consultation.
