What is Maternity Aesthetics?
Maternity Aesthetics is the name given to the operations performed to eliminate the body problems that occur as a result of pregnancy-related weight gain and subsequent weight loss after birth. The main purpose of these aesthetic procedures, also called mommy makeover, is to ensure that patients regain their old body structure as much as possible after becoming a mother.
Maternity Aesthetics has come to the fore in recent years as the process of correcting the deformations that occur in the body in one or several sessions. If mothers cannot get rid of these deformation problems despite dieting or exercising after birth, these aesthetic procedures are needed. These operations can be planned individually or in combination according to the patient’s condition.
Changes in the body during pregnancy occur especially in the breast and abdomen areas of women. Due to hormonal effects, an increase in breast tissue and breast mass occurs during pregnancy. In this way, the breast tissue prepares itself for the postpartum lactation process.
The breast continues to grow during the post-pregnancy lactation period. Especially in mothers who have gained excessive weight during pregnancy, the breast can sometimes increase to 3 or 4 times its normal volume. Of course, after the breastfeeding process is over, the mother’s breasts begin to empty quickly, and when the weight loss process is added to this, deformation in the breasts, sagging, cracks in the skin are seen.
The changes that occur in the abdomen are the cracks and sagging of the abdominal skin due to the strain on the abdominal skin during the growth process of the baby.
During pregnancy, the weight of the patients also changes. While some women can lose these weights easily, for others, the weight may be more permanent. Especially the waist, back and hip areas are the areas that patients frequently complain about.
These problems are often accompanied by cracks and sagging in the arm and leg areas due to rapid weight loss.
In addition, there may be functional and aesthetic problems in genital organs such as vagina, cervix and labia due to the weight and pressure in the pelvic region during pregnancy due to normal deliveries.
How to Prepare Before Maternity Aesthetics?
It is recommended that patients quit smoking at least three weeks before these operations. Again, since it has blood thinning properties, blood thinners and drugs such as aspirin should also be discontinued. It is necessary to stay away from weight loss products, herbal products such as green tea and flaxseed.
Again, frequently used multi-vitamin pills should be discontinued. Before these procedures, patients should avoid foods that may cause constipation. Consuming easily digestible foods will be beneficial for the digestive system of the patients during the operation. After the necessary tests and examinations are made before the maternity aesthetic procedures, the anesthesiologist and, if necessary, the chest diseases cardiology internal medicine doctors decide whether the patient is suitable for the operation and anesthesia.
What Operations Does Maternity Aesthetics Include?
Mostly, a series of operations are performed sequentially within the scope of aesthetic procedures in mothers.
These are:
Removing excess fat from desired areas and tightening the skin with tummy tuck and liposuction
Breast augmentation or breast lift or a combination of both
arm stretch
leg stretch
genital aesthetics
Depending on the patient’s request and priority, these surgeries can be performed individually or in combinations of 2 or 3 in healthy patients.
What are Breast Operations in Maternity Aesthetics (Mommy Makeover)?
These operations;
- breast lift
- breast reduction
- breast augmentation (with breast prosthesis or fat injection)
- Performing the mastopexy prosthesis together with the erection and augmentation. These procedures are preferred according to the patient’s condition. Some patients need breast lift procedures due to sagging breasts. Some patients usually need breast reduction procedures because they gain excessive weight. Some mothers experience reductions in breast structure due to excessive breastfeeding.
Why is Abdominoplasty Performed in Maternity Aesthetics?
A preferred treatment during these aesthetic procedures is tummy tuck procedures. The muscles and tissues in the abdominal region of the patients weaken during the birth process. This causes sagging in this area. In order to prevent these sagging, the fat tissue under the belly is removed and the intra-abdominal muscles are tightened within the scope of maternity aesthetics. Usually, during the surgery, the fat in the waist and back regions of the patients is removed and the waist curve is created.
It is not possible to apply tummy tuck procedures immediately. Generally, these procedures are preferred after 6 months after birth. The patient should also regain her previous pregnancy weight. Again, in some patients, these procedures cannot be performed during breastfeeding. You have to wait at least a year. If there is an umbilical hernia during these procedures, this problem is also resolved.
What is Genital Area Aesthetics in Maternity Aesthetics?
Genital aesthetic procedures, which have an important place among the aesthetic expectations of mothers, are preferred to prevent enlargement in the vaginal region of the patients due to birth. Birth processes cause relaxation in the vaginal structure of the patients. Due to this relaxation, both aesthetic problems and problems such as urinary incontinence occur. During the elimination of these problems, maternity aesthetic solutions are applied.
Vaginal tightening procedures are among the most frequently applied genital area aesthetic solutions. In these narrowing procedures, the muscle tissue remaining in the back of the vagina is tightened. Aesthetic procedures are also performed on the inner lip and outer lip structures in the genital area of the patients at this stage.
Is It Necessary to Lose Weight Before Maternity Aesthetics?
There are various risks for overweight mothers to benefit from these aesthetic procedures in this state. Therefore, patients should reach the desired weight level. Otherwise, waiting is recommended by the doctor. After the operation, mothers can easily benefit from aesthetic procedures after losing weight.
What is the Reason for Performing Various Breast Surgeries in Maternity Aesthetics Operation?
The way the breast tissue will change at the end of the pregnancy and breastfeeding process differs for each woman. Here, the important determinants are the hereditary characteristics of the mother and how she experienced the pregnancy process or how much weight she gained during pregnancy.
Another important factor affecting the change in breasts is how long the mother gives milk after birth.
Due to all these factors, very different breast changes can be seen in mothers after breastfeeding. For this reason, breast surgeries to be performed in maternity aesthetic operation are very diverse.
How Long Do You Have to Wait Before Breastfeeding After Breastfeeding?
It is recommended that patients wait at least six months in order to have breast aesthetics after breastfeeding. The reason for this waiting is that the breast gets rid of all hormonal effects and ends its milk production function.
Especially due to open milk ducts, the risk of breast infection is higher in breast surgeries performed in the early period. The breast, which may be larger than normal due to hormonal effects, needs to get rid of this effect in order to reach the required size after breastfeeding.
What Should Be Considered After Maternity Aesthetics?
Those who have maternity aesthetic surgery should move as much as possible. The more the patient walks without tiring himself, the faster the recovery process after surgery. Reducing the use of sugar and salt, especially after the surgery, provides a rapid decrease in edema.
After the surgery, patients should be careful not to lift too heavy things for 6 weeks as they have tummy tuck surgery. It is recommended that patients who have had breast surgery do not raise their arms too high for 6 weeks.
