Ask the Expert- Me! My Mommy Makeover
Time to spill the tea…
Let me start by saying, I'm absolutely not suggesting to anyone that they should/shouldn't get plastic surgery, nor am I'm not telling you who to use or what your exact experience might entail. This is all about MY personal experience with certain plastic surgery procedures. I debated whether or not to keep this post on my new website, as I’ve changed so much over the years and what I choose to share publicly. It’s a very personal thing to talk about plastic surgery. However, given the society we live in today, I think it’s important to share about my experience, as social media can be a deceptive and cruel space when it comes to how women “should” look physically. So much of what we see on social media is smoke and mirrors. I share outfits with you on a regular basis and talk about size and fit. Thus, it makes sense for me to me to disclose that the reason I’m a size 2/4 right now is not just because of diet and exercise (that is of course important), but because I had additional help from two vary talented plastic surgeons. I found it very helpful in my decision-making process when others shared about their own mommy-makeover, so I finally decided to share as well.
Of course I know that beauty comes from within… That’s not what this post is about. This post is about me wanting to look the best I can at my current age- 39. I’m not trying to look like I’m 20 again. I don’t even want to. I actually don’t mind getting older. What I mind, is looking and/or feeling older than I am. For me, having kids was the real turning point in being able to maintain the level of fitness I could achieve on my own. Of course my children were worth every stretch mark, all the lose skin and extra pounds. However, after working out religiously and eating as healthy as possible, there was no way I could add volume back to my breasts or fix my diastasis recti (when your large abdominal muscles separate due to pregnancy) on my own. Listen, I personally believe you don’t need a medical reason to visit the plastic surgeon. Everyone needs to do what’s right for their own life/body. I wanted to “put things back in place” and fix what mother nature had changed as a result of my pregnancies. So I did.
My journey started with a breast augmentation and liposuction in 2017. Various doctors are known to be "the best" at certain procedures, but after consultations with several well-respected doctors in town, I decided to use Dr. Joseph DeLozier. At the time, we decided against a fully tummy-tuck (that came later), as it had only been two years since my son was born, and the hope was that my diastasis recti would gradually get better (or at least not get worse) over time. I was most concerned with adding volume back to my chest, so we decided to focus on a breast augmentation and a small amount of liposuction to my inner thighs and lower abdomen. My goal was to workout more as the kids got older, so I wanted “a jump start” with the liposuction as opposed to a more intensive procedure like a tummy tuck. I also liked that my recovery time wouldn’t be as long with a tummy tuck, since I had very young kids at home and a blooming business to run. Time down for recovery is definitely something I suggest considering when signing up for a procedure (I speak more to this in a bit).
I had several pre-surgery meetings where Dr. DeLozier where we discussed and decided on the size of the implant that was best for my breast augmentation. I wanted to add volume but also look as natural as possible. I liked the idea of buying new bras and swimsuits, but not an entire new wardrobe. There's amazing technology now that will allow you to preview what you look like with various implant sizes, and we selected two options that Dr. Delozier could use based on what actually looked best “in person” once in surgery. There wasn't much pre-discussion needed about the liposuction, so with the implant size(es) agreed upon, the date was set, and that was that. The surgery went very well, and I cannot say enough wonderful words about my experience and care with Dr. DeLozier and his staff. Of course I was anxious leading up to the surgery, but everyone was very reassuring and supportive, and I had complete confidence in Dr. DeLozier.
The surgery only took a few hours, and I don't remember much directly after surgery, but I do remember not feeling nearly as much pain as I expected. In fact, I was sore, but this was "nothing" compared to the c-section recovery I experienced post kids (I had one for each of my babies). I was very tired for several days and of course sore, but the liposuction actually hurt more than the breast augmentation. Again, nothing for me was more than a "5 out of 10," but I was definitely uncomfortable. I was wrapped up tight from my upper-chest to my knees, which was uncomfortable, but bearable for sure. I had to wear compression bandages around the areas that I received liposuction for about 6 weeks (the first 2 weeks were day and night and the last 4 were just at night). The first 48 hours after surgery were the worst, but with the help of medication, the pain is definitely manageable and gets better every day. I should also note that I'm a huge "chicken" and don't even like to get shots- just to give you some perspective as to my level of pain-tolerance. As for my recovery, there are a few things I was glad I did and a few things I wish I'd done differently.
First, I wish I had stayed in a hotel or at my parent's house instead of my own home. My husband was very supportive and helpful with the kids, but I think you need at least 3 to 4 days without children around following surgery. My kids didn't need me to help them, but it was hard for me to completely ignore them and not move around more than I should have early on (you can't lift anything for 6 weeks, so I waited until my youngest didn't need assistance anymore- aka, me picking him up). Second, I was told it would be at least 4 months before I really started to see results. Thus, I expected for all the swelling to be gone at 4 months and to feel completely normal again. This was not the case for me, so I had a lot of anxiety about the results (especially my breasts) as the swelling in my breast area took the longest to subside. Thankfully, Dr. DeLozier was very patient with me and assured me all would be well in time. And he was so right...
By month 6 and then definitely by month 9 post op, I was ecstatic with the results (this just proves that everyone is different and will heal at various speeds). I not only lost about 10 pounds, but at least 2 inches from of my waist and thighs. My breasts looked better than I ever could've imagined (I fit into all my old clothes, but did have to buy new bras and swimsuits, which was fun). I don't notice the implants at all, which was an initial concern of mine as well, and all the scars from the surgery are barely noticeable now (the incision and scar is under the fold of each breast). I could not be happier with the results. Oh, and I was very glad I had my surgery done in the winter months (February for me), because I was swollen and bruised, so it was nice to be able to cover up in the winter months. By "swimsuit season" I wasn't seeing my full results yet, but I was at least ready to wear swimsuits and clothes for warm weather. By the following summer, I was thrilled to put on a swimsuit.
Fast forward to 2023. I was happy with the results of my first surgery, and I made an effort to spend more time working out consistently (three times a week), and I cleaned up my diet quite a bit. The past three years I focused on weight-training, and as I started to refine and build muscle mass, I noticed that the gap in between my abdominal muscles was getting bigger and more predominate. I also started to notice loose skin around my belly button from where I’d lost weight from a healthier diet and more exercise. Basically, as I was getting into better shape, I was actually making my stomach area look worse. Thus, I decided to meet with Dr. Jacob Unger to discuss a tummy tuck. Dr. Delozier did a wonderful job with my breast augmentation, but Dr. Unger is a good friend and had just opened his new practice in Nashville. I has two other close friends who had wonderful experiences with him, and after a few consultations, I decided to move forward with a tummy tuck and few other procedures…
My initial consult with Dr. Unger was to address my diastasis recti, but I decided I also wanted him to tighten the area under my chin and perform additional liposuction in-between my upper thighs. I’ve always had a “bulge” under my chin that was more than just fat, and while it wasn’t something that most people noticed, it had always bothered me. As for my inner thighs- some rippling did occur after my first round of liposuction in 2017. This is a common occurrence, and Dr. Delozier did warn me about this at the time, but thankfully, it can be fixed, which is what I wanted to do this time around. Like I said earlier, I believe everyone should do what’s right for them, and since I was already going under the knife, I wanted to finally address these additional areas on my body.
In medical terms, this is what I had done: A single incision necklift (revision), a mini extended abdominoplasty with diastasis repair and liposuction inner thigh revision with SAFE liposuction to improve contour irregularities in inner thighs. The single incision necklift was only under the chin and allowed for fat removal and a platysmaplasty (whatever the heck that is- ha).
I was definitely more nervous about this surgery than my last one. I was older, and I knew that my recovery would probably take longer- not to mention I’d been told that the tummy-tuck could be very painful post-op. I also wasn’t thrilled about the idea of needing drains for a few days post-op (for my abdominal area), but that turned out to be no big deal (I speak more to that later). The surgery took several hours, and of course, I don’t remember anything about the car ride home or the hours I slept immediately following my procedures. According to Dr. Unger, he was happy with the surgery overall, and he felt confident I would end up with my desired results (which I did).
Dr. Unger suggested I hire a nurse from his practice to stay with me the first full night and two following days. This was money very well spent, as I felt so much more comfortable about the first 48 hours post-op knowing I had a medical professional on-call to help me as I knew that moving around would be tough. Of course Dr. Unger called to check on me as well, but having a dedicated nurse around in-person immediately following my surgery was especially helpful. The most painful day was the first day, which included my first shower, and I was very thankful to have someone help me with it. The post-op home nurse is a "must” in my book. But even if it’s not paid professional help, you really need full-time help for the first week if not more depending on how you feel and heal personally.
The most constrictive piece for me was the tummy tuck. You cannot stand up straight for a while (and they don’t want you to), so you walk hunched over. Something I wish I’d done, and I highly recommend, is to rent a medical reclining chair (a regular recliner would probably work too, but they make rentable medical versions that are specifically for people recovering from surgery). Your doctor should be able to give you a list of where to rent one, but I would have been much more comfortable sitting and sleeping in a recliner than I was in my bed. Again, they do not want you stretched out when standing up or lying down for several weeks (I can’t remember the exact period of time, but I believe it’s at least 4 weeks). Thus, you have to sleep with your back and legs slightly elevated in the bed. I purchased the wedge pillows that are linked below, and they worked well as you can adjust them to your most comfortable position. But again, in my opinion, a recliner would have made it a lot easier to get comfortable and to get up and down, as opposed to a bed.
The post-op pain was manageable. I stayed on-top of my meds, so I didn’t ever have to play catch-up- meaning I even set an alarm overnight and would wake-up to take them when it was time. I did wean-off the narcotics after the first week as the side effects are not very pleasant (constipation being a big one), and I moved to high-doses of Tylenol and Advil. My abdominal muscles were pretty sore for several weeks. The first few days are made easier given that Dr. Unger administered internal numbing medicine, but once that wore off, I was very sore. It’s also not the most pleasant experience when they remove your drains at your first in-person follow-up appointment (I believe it was a week after surgery), but it’s over quickly, and it’s more odd-feeling than painful. The pain, stitches and all the not-so sexy things like drains, etc. were all worth it for me in the end. I would do it again for sure.
You cannot drive for two weeks, and I was glad I basically cleared a month of my schedule, because I didn’t feel like doing much for about 4 weeks. That seems like a lot of time to be down, but it’s a major surgery after all, and while they advise you to move about a bit during the day to help the healing process, you can also totally overdue it. I had to keep a compression bandage completely wrapped around my head for two weeks following my neck lift, so it made going out in public a bit tricky. It was certainly easier to conceal my thigh and stomach compression garments that I had to wear for weeks, than it was for me to conceal my head wrap- ha. Once I only had to wear my neck compression wrap overnight, I could venture out in public, which helped me feel like myself again. One of the hardest parts of the recovery for me was not being able to exercise for 4 weeks. They clear you to take short walks before that, but I love to workout, and mentally it was tough to remain inactive for so long. Again, the results are all worth the pain and annoyance, but it’s something to consider when scheduling a procedure like this.
I believe I was only wearing my body compression garment at night after about 6 weeks (as opposed to 24 hours), which is when I also started to notice all my swelling subside. Something else I recommend, is to book a weekly lymphatic massages for as many weeks as possible (I had them done a total of 6 weeks). Dr. Unger gave me a list of referrals, and my therapist was amazing. She definitely helped speed up the healing process around my wounds and she helped reduce the swelling faster. I will let you do your own research on the benefits of a lymphatic massage, but I personally had a great experience with it.
My neck procedure probably produced my favorite result in the end. Dr. Unger was able to go in through one single incision under my chin and remove fat and bulging muscle mass in the area. I am thrilled with my profile now, and I’m so impressed with everything he accomplished through one incision under my chin. The neck area did require quite a bit of post-op maintenance with creams and bandages to help heal and tighten my skin, but the end result was worth the wound-care headache. I’m sure I have a full neck-lift in my future, but hopefully, it is many years from now.
My surgery this time around took place in July (it was Dr. Unger’s only opening at the time that I decided to move forward with the procedures). I went on a beach trip in October, and felt comfortable wearing a swimsuit. I had minimal swelling and no bruising at that point, but I didn’t look anything close to what I look like now (April 2024). There is probably a lot I’m leaving out, but I hope this gives you some insight into what you might expect should you also decided to undergo any of these plastic surgery operations. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to DO YOUR RESEARCH on the doctor you choose. I LOVED both of my plastic surgeons. They were experienced, well-known and many people I know personally had great experiences with them. A great plastic surgeon is not cheap, and I believe you absolutely get what you pay for. This is not the time to look for a discount or settle for anything but the best in my opinion, which is what I felt I got.
I was given a list of items I needed to buy post-op from the doctors, as well as given items right after both surgeries, such as compression garments. However, these are other items I used and found very helpful for recovery from both operations. I hope this list helps, and I wish you all safe and speedy recoveries should you too decide to undergo plastic surgery for any reason. Best wishes friends!
