Getting Back Your Pre-Pregnancy Body

Remember when you first discovered you would become a mother? At that moment, did you anticipate the number of injuries to kiss, tears to wipe, and tantrums to tame? Did you have any idea the amount of bodily fluids you would have to deal with?

Over the years, you’ve likely learned that no amount of sound wisdom from parenting books or advice from loved ones could prepare you for the beautiful gift of motherhood.

If one word could sum it up, it would likely be unpredictable. It’s a word that encompasses all the hurdles, victories, and changes you never saw coming…including the radical impact, it would have on your body!

Many women don’t even notice the changes to their appearance until they have an opportunity to focus on themselves again. Once they set aside their trusty yoga pants and step into a fitting room, they discover that their jean size isn’t so small anymore, and their new post-pregnancy curves show through clothes in less than flattering ways.

Their breasts have lost their youthful volume, and their abdominal skin is stretched and striped. Although a healthy diet and exercise routine can help with excess fat, sagging skin and stretch marks can only be corrected with surgery.

Dr. Rudderman offers the ideal combination of procedures to correct these imperfections with the Mommy Makeover in Alpharetta and Midtown Atlanta.

The Mommy Makeover

Facial skin

One change that many new mothers don’t expect is the change in their skin pigment or color. Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy can cause the skin to become darker and blotchy, usually around the upper lip, nose, cheekbones and forehead. While these spots generally fade a few months after delivery, they may never completely disappear for some women. Using Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL), Dr. Rudderman can restore normal skin pigmentation while tightening the skin. IPL creates a refreshed appearance as it targets the lower pigmented layers of the skin without damaging the outer layer or other tissues. The advantage of IPL compared to ablative resurfacing is the minimal downtime involved. Facial peels and microdermabrasion are alternative options that can also provide more youthful-looking facial skin.

Breasts

The breasts can change in many ways both during and after pregnancy. When volume is lost, breast implants can be used to increase the size and improve the shape of the breasts. If excess or stretched skin is also a factor, Dr. Rudderman will recommend a breast lift instead of or along with a breast augmentation to deliver the best result. Since the nipples and areolas can also enlarge as a result of pregnancy, an areola/nipple reduction is also commonly requested. Reducing the nipples to their pre-pregnancy size can restore balance and youthfulness to the appearance of the breasts.

Abdomen

Women who have poor skin elasticity often get the most out of tummy tuck surgery. This procedure will remove the excess skin that occurs on the lower and/or upper abdomen, and it can sometimes remove stretch marks if they fall in line with the skin that must be removed. The stretched abdominal muscles are also tightened during the procedure to create a firmer and smoother body contour. Liposuction can also be used on the abdomen (as well as many other areas of the body) to target unwanted fat deposits that diet and exercise cannot remove.

Genitals

Many women are hesitant to talk about the bodily changes that are not obvious to others but can have just as much of an effect on their comfort and confidence level. Stretched labial skin that results from childbirth can cause irritation, self-consciousness, and difficulties with intimacy. Labiaplasty is a very common, safe procedure that Dr. Rudderman offers to restore the shape of the labia to its pre-pregnancy state.

Just as your children are worth every challenge that motherhood brings, a procedure that restores your confidence is worth every penny you invest. If you are interested in one or more of the procedures included in the Mommy Makeover, please contact Dr. Rudderman by calling (678) 566-7200.