Mommy Makeover in Houston & Webster, TX
Also serving patients in Friendswood, League City, Pearland, and Clear Lake
Also serving patients in Friendswood, League City, Pearland, and Clear Lake
Childbirth stretches the breast and abdominal tissues, resulting in sagging of the breast and excess skin in the abdominal area. Diet and exercise may improve some of the appearance, but only plastic surgery can remove the extra skin that remains. The abdominal muscles become weak after pregnancy, and a tummy tuck tightens the muscles back together, giving you a slim, tight waistline.
Kim Carpin, MD, Plastic Surgery, provides the perfect combination of leading-edge plastic surgery techniques and superior patient care in Houston, TX, and surrounding areas. Dr. Carpin is Houston’s mommy makeover specialist and can help you regain a natural, pre-pregnancy silhouette. This procedure includes breast surgery and a tummy tuck to rejuvenate a woman’s body after childbirth. Contact us today to schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Carpin and learn what a mommy makeover can do for you.
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Tummy tuck, breast augmentation, breast lift, and/or liposuction.
Recovery typically takes 2–4 weeks for most patients.
General anesthesia is used for comfort and safety.
Long-lasting results with proper maintenance and a healthy lifestyle.
Each treatment plan is uniquely tailored to the patient.
Dr. Kim Carpin, being a mother herself, has first-hand knowledge of the changes your body goes through after childbirth. Even with diet and exercise, you may never regain your pre-baby body. A mommy makeover is a combination of cosmetic procedures designed to address the physical effects of pregnancy and childbirth. This highly customizable procedure is tailored to each woman’s needs, helping restore her body to a pre-pregnancy shape while enhancing confidence and self-esteem.
A mommy makeover is versatile and can focus on various areas of the body, including:
“Dr. Carpin is the absolute best! Very professional, great bed side manners…. could not have asked for a better experience!”
–P. L
Pre-Operative Evaluation
Now that you have completed your family, it’s time to get your pre-baby body shape back. Your first visit with Dr. Carpin will include an in-depth conversation about the goals you hope to achieve during your mommy makeover.
The consultation will include a detailed review of your medical history to confirm you are a healthy candidate for plastic surgery. Dr. Carpin will also perform an exam and discuss what can be achieved with a plastic surgery procedure, giving you a personalized, unique, and safe surgical plan. This includes an exam of your breasts and abdomen. Important observations include excess skin, nipple position, excess fat, abdominal or umbilical hernias, and rectus diastasis (separation of rectus muscles). This discussion helps you understand what can be achieved with surgery. Together, you will create a surgical plan tailored to your needs.
The Procedure
On the day of surgery, general anesthesia is administered to ensure your comfort. Depending on your needs, Dr. Carpin will perform a combination of procedures, which may include tightening abdominal muscles, removing excess skin, and reshaping the breasts with implants or a lift. Liposuction may also be used to contour the waist, hips, or thighs.
The length of the procedure depends on what you have chosen to include in your mommy makeover. These are general guidelines, of course, but here is an estimate of what each part of a mommy makeover will take:
In most cases, Dr. Carpin can safely perform multiple procedures in a single surgical session. Instead of multiple recovery periods, you’ll only have one, reducing recovery and anesthesia requirements. However, some patients wish to separate their mommy makeover procedures. In that case, Dr. Carpin would recommend performing a breast lift and augmentation in one procedure, then tummy tuck and liposuction in a separate procedure, no sooner than 3 months apart.
Mommy makeovers address several common concerns that occur after pregnancy and breastfeeding, including:
Performing multiple procedures in one surgery allows Dr. Carpin to address several concerns while sculpting a balanced, harmonious result that aligns with your vision for your transformation.
The greatest benefit of a mommy makeover is regaining the shape of your breasts and tummy. Some women may benefit from a breast lift or augmentation, where others may need a breast reduction.
After childbirth, most women can benefit from a full tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and may even require a belly button hernia repair. Liposuction is also a perfect complement to further enhance the waistline, removing stubborn fat pockets. Dr. Carpin will guide you on the most effective treatments to help you achieve your goals.
Ratings on RealSelf.com demonstrate 97% of patients are satisfied with this procedure. Feel sexy in your own skin with improved confidence after a mommy makeover. Enjoy perky, full breasts and a tight, slim midsection. Fit better in your clothes, and get ready to look your best in a swimsuit.
Pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding are uniquely hard on a woman’s body. The localized weight gain of pregnancy is so centralized—the skin, muscles, and tissue of the abdomen are stretched to a degree that they cannot rebound to their former tautness. This leaves a stomach pouch that can persist even after routine exercise. The breasts also gain and then lose size and weight, which stretches the tissues, causing irreversible sagging. Finally, the weight gain of pregnancy can leave pockets of unwanted fat that are quite resistant to changes in diet and exercise.
These are common characteristics of Dr. Carpin’s mommy makeover patients:
Mommy makeover patients should have lost most of their pregnancy weight (should be within 10% of ideal weight) and be in overall good general health. Good candidates will need to have finished with breastfeeding for at least six months prior to having a mommy makeover. This allows the breasts to return to their normal cup size. Dr. Carpin will carefully assess your goals and medical history to ensure the right timing for your procedure.
Most patients will need about 2 weeks free from work duties and driving, depending on the procedures performed. If your work requires more physical activity, you may need to take additional time off from work. Plan on needing help around the house with young children. Patients must abstain from heavy lifting (over 5-10 pounds) or strenuous activity or exercise until six weeks after surgery. Most of the swelling will reduce after a couple of weeks, but it may take 3-6 months for complete swelling to resolve.
Dr. Carpin will provide personalized aftercare instructions to ensure a smooth recovery and optimal results. Prescribed pain medication helps manage discomfort during the initial healing phase. Dr. Carpin will check your healing at post-operative appointments and remain available to answer questions and provide support as your recovery progresses.
A mommy makeover with Dr. Carpin can do amazing things for your self-esteem. Your stomach will be flat once again, the pooch gone. The abdominal muscle repair will strengthen your core, and may even reduce back pain and possibly urinary incontinence.
Liposuction will remove those stubborn pockets of fat and can actually slim your waist. Your breasts will return to their former, higher position on the chest and the sagging will be gone. If you’ve opted to add implants, your breasts will gain volume, as well. Bottom line? Your figure will look as it did before you had children, maybe even a bit better!
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Carpin to discuss if you are a surgical candidate, and to review the risks, benefits, alternatives, and expected outcomes of a mommy makeover. Dr. Carpin performs the mommy makeover surgery for patients in Houston, Webster, League City, Pearland, Clear Lake, TX, and surrounding areas, including Friendswood, Pasadena, Kemah, Seabrook, and Galveston. Call us today (713) 799-9999!
The cost will depend on what procedures you need to achieve your pre-baby look. Dr. Carpin will assess your needs and give you a customized plastic surgery plan to achieve your goals. The price starts around $19,000. Patients will have reduced fees when multiple procedures are scheduled at the same time.
Dr. Carpin strongly advises her patients considering a mommy makeover to have completed their pregnancy desires and are done having children. If you again become pregnant and deliver a child, your body will go through all of the changes again, thus reducing the benefits of your plastic surgery.
Dr Carpin strongly advises against a tummy tuck directly after childbirth, for multiple reasons. You simply will not get the best aesthetic result, nor may it be safe immediately after childbirth. After childbirth, a mother’s body is still swollen from the uterus and typically has excess fat around the midsection. To optimize your tummy tuck results, you want to be as close to your ideal body weight as possible and give your body a chance to heal from the birthing process. Also, caring for your newborn would be impaired as you are healing from a tummy tuck, which could lengthen your recovery.
I recommend waiting at least 2 weeks after surgery to begin gentle sexual intercourse. More rigorous activity is safe around 4 to 6 weeks after surgery.
Mommy makeovers are tailored to each person’s needs, but common procedures include breast augmentation, breast lift, tummy tuck, and liposuction. Some may also include procedures like buttock augmentation or vaginal rejuvenation, depending on the patient’s concerns. Be sure to discuss any and all “problem areas” with Dr. Kim Carpin upon your first visit.
Like any surgery, there are possible risks associated with having a mommy makeover. It’s important to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon with experience performing mommy makeovers, like Dr. Carpin, to minimize your risk. Typical risks include swelling, bruising, scars, and pain. Other less common risks include infection, fluid collection requiring drainage, breast implant problems, or wound healing problems.
The longevity of the results varies depending on factors such as age, genetics, lifestyle, and future pregnancies. While the effects of aging and gravity will continue over time, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help prolong the results of a mommy makeover.
Breastfeeding after a mommy makeover, especially after breast augmentation or breast lift, is possible for many women. However, it’s essential to discuss your plans for future breastfeeding with Dr. Carpin during your consultation. Proper surgical techniques and incision placement can help minimize potential interference with breastfeeding. Despite this, it’s recommended to finish breastfeeding before undergoing any procedure involving your breasts.
It’s important to follow Dr. Carpin’s post-operative instructions regarding activity restrictions and gradually ease back into exercise and physical activities. Patients will begin walking, slightly bent at the waist, on the first day of surgery to prevent blood clots. Strenuous activity should be avoided for several weeks to ensure proper healing.
Changes in sensation, including temporary numbness or altered sensation, are common after mommy makeover procedures, particularly in the breasts and abdomen. In most cases, sensation gradually returns over time as nerves heal. However, some patients may experience permanent changes in sensation, although this is relatively uncommon. Be sure to discuss any concerns with Dr. Carpin.
While there are non-surgical treatments available for body contouring and skin tightening, they may not provide the same level of improvement as surgical procedures included in a mommy makeover. Non-surgical options like laser treatments, radiofrequency therapy, and injectables can be used to address specific concerns but may not be suitable for all patients or produce comparable results to a mommy makeover.
Scarring is an unavoidable part of any surgery, including mommy makeovers. However, board-certified plastic surgeons are trained to minimize scarring by using precise techniques and strategically placing incisions in concealed areas whenever possible. Over time, scars typically fade and become less noticeable with proper care and scar management techniques.
The belly button stays attached during surgery, but the skin overlying it is repositioned. Hence, the appearance of the belly button will improve. Dr. Carpin spends time to ensure the new appearance of the belly button looks natural, concealing the scar as much as possible.
