A typical mommy makeover includes a breast lift, with or without implants, and a tummy tuck or stomach liposuction. Here are the biggest takeaways from mine.
I’ve always been happy with my breasts. For most of my adult life, I had perky, full 36Cs that I thought fit my body and made me feel good. I got pregnant in 2018, gave birth in 2019, and breastfed and pumped for just over a year afterward.
In that timespan, my breast size fluctuated drastically; they grew during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and once I finished pumping and nursing, they were smaller than ever before. Gradually, the rest of my postpartum body started changing again too: As my daughter became more independent, I was able to find more time to take care of myself through exercising and meal planning. I lost over 70 pounds from the weight I was when I gave birth, and you can be sure that my breasts reflected that monumental shift too. I started feeling more self-conscious, compensating for my—let’s face it—deflated and saggy chest with padded push-up bras and all the Skims and Spanx I could muster. My milestone fortieth birthday was approaching, and I wanted to do something for myself. So I started to consider the “mommy makeover,” which traditionally includes a breast lift, with or without implants, and a tummy tuck or stomach liposuction. My first mommy makeover consultation was back in 2023. I saw two different surgeons but was still on a weight loss and health journey at that point, so I decided I wasn’t yet ready to go under the knife. But in 2025, once my daughter had graduated kindergarten, the time felt right, so I picked up the process again. Over the course of a few months, I consulted and met with five additional surgeons in New York City and New Jersey, getting their opinions on implant recommendations and whether they thought I could benefit from a tummy tuck—an often-standard part of the mommy makeover package. Plastic surgery is always a personal decision. If you love and accept your body as it is, that’s amazing! If an elective aesthetic procedure can help you feel more confident, that shouldn’t be criticized either. In the end, I chose to do my surgery with Melissa Doft, MD, a double board-certified plastic surgeon in Manhattan. Together, we came up with a plan for a modified mommy makeover that worked best for my body, comfort level, and goals: I got a mastopexy and 320cc Motiva implants. As of this writing, I’m 12 weeks out from my surgery, and life is completely back to normal. I can move without restriction and work out with no pain. Here are five key takeaways I learned from the experience—and what I think you should know when considering yours. Get hyper-specific about your overall goals. Despite the all-inclusive “mommy makeover” moniker, there is not a one-size-fits-all surgery for women who’ve had children or are entering middle age. “Some women opt for only a lift , as they are happy with the size of their breasts,” Dr. Doft says. “Some women wish to have a breast reduction, and some patients who have lost volume will opt to have breast implants or fat grafting. Patients seeking an abdominoplasty are looking to improve the contour of their abdomen, and many wish to remove excess skin from pregnancy and tighten muscles which were stretched out.” Different strokes for different folks. In my case, I decided not to get a tummy tuck for a few reasons: My stomach is not completely flat or tight, but I’ve only had one child, and I don’t have any major core issues or diastasis recti symptoms. The trade-offs, including a large scar, longer recovery, and higher costs, did not outweigh the benefits for me. Recovery surprised me—and will vary from person to person. I was tired and sore for the first couple of days post-op, but after having surgery on a Friday, I was walking my daughter to and from school that Monday. Still, I couldn’t lift anything over five pounds, so my daughter needed to carry her own backpack and sports equipment for about a month. I was able to resume working—on my computer, from home—within a week. What I didn’t anticipate being so difficult was smaller movements, like unloading the dishwasher or reaching clothes in the back of the dryer. My range of motion was limited, and I relied on a step stool to reach high spots I could normally access, like the top shelf of the refrigerator. I also didn’t walk my dog for six weeks, because he’s quite strong and I didn’t want him pulling me. After two weeks, I no longer needed Tylenol or any other pain medications to get through the day. Within the first month of my surgery, I went to an NFL game, the Bronx Zoo, and trick-or-treating with my family on Halloween. During the same time, however, I needed help scrubbing the bathtub, opening heavy doors, and washing my hair. It’s likely my recovery was more tolerable than it would have been had I gotten the “full” mommy makeover. “I would say 80% of the discomfort of a mommy makeover is from the tummy tuck portion,” says Michael J. Stein, MD, a double board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City. “The discomfort from the abdominoplasty portion—while tolerated very well by many patients—is much more involved than breast surgery.” Savanah Slush is a patient of Dr. Stein’s who flew to New York City from San Antonio for a breast lift with implants and tummy tuck. “My recovery was absolutely manageable, but the tummy tuck made the first week the toughest—mostly tightness, soreness, and walking hunched over,” she says. “The breast lift and implants healed much quicker. I honestly feel like I could’ve gone back to work in a few days if that were the only procedure.” Timing is everything. If you have kids, it might benefit you to time your surgery when they are in school during the day, old enough to attend an overnight camp, or able to stay at a relative’s for a stretch of time. Basically, you’ll need at least one to two weeks of major support , especially if you have younger children. “I needed help around the house for the first two weeks, especially with lifting, bending, and anything involving the kids,” Slush tells me. “My kids were three and seven at the time, so support made a huge difference. By weeks four to six, I felt pretty normal again, and it continued to improve from there,” adds Slush. My daughter is six, so she’s pretty self-sufficient in that she can dress herself and carry her own things. My husband was a huge help with household chores like cooking, cleaning, and walking the dog. I recommend waiting until your kids reach an age where they don’t rely on you to carry them around. Another consideration that goes into timing: Doctors often recommend that you wait to get major cosmetic surgery until you are done having children, as your results can change with weight gain or pregnancy. Those body changes won’t necessarily change the position of the implant, but they may affect skin laxity and muscle surrounding the implant, leading to a less optimal outcome. It’s a “quick fix,” but it still requires patience. If you’ve ever looked into breast surgery, you’ve likely heard the term “drop and fluff.” Post-op, your breasts will change week to week and even month to month. Mine already look vastly different at week 12 than they did at week two: At first, they were incredibly high, round, and full. Now they have settled a bit; they look more natural, but still have the volume and shape I was hoping for with an augmentation. It’s important to wear the right bras to aid in the settling journey: I wore surgical bras 24/7 at first, and then supportive sports bras. I was also told to avoid underwire for six weeks. There has been some trial and error finding brands that fit and feel good since I no longer need excessively padded styles to feel perky. I’ve been wearing Floatley and Leonisa bras daily, and I opt for Victoria’s Secret styles for nights out. My surgeon recommended I wait before investing in too many new bras, as my breasts may continue to settle and shift for months—maybe even up to a year. No, you’re not being superficial. Getting a mommy makeover is not just about outward appearance; it’s about how you feel on the inside as well. “I made this decision because no amount of working out or eating healthy was fixing the things pregnancy had stretched out,” Slush tells me. “My breasts and stomach didn’t feel like me anymore, and I wanted the skin on my breasts and abdomen to match my fitness level and muscle tone. It wasn’t about perfection—it was about confidence and comfort. My loose skin made me feel like my hard work wasn’t reflected in the mirror.” Jamie Greenberg, a celebrity makeup artist, founder of Jamie Makeup, and mother of three, has also been open to her nearly 400,000 Instagram followers about her breast reduction and tummy tuck. “Every time I looked in the mirror, my stomach was bulging from diastasis recti, so I looked pregnant,” she told me. “I wish I would’ve done it sooner. It was so life changing. I had never done anything like this before, and I was kind of a hater. I proved myself wrong from the judgement. And I wanted others to feel empowered.” Less than three months out from my own surgery, I feel so confident and am looking forward to wearing bathing suits and backless dresses that I’ve never felt comfortable wearing before, even pre-pregnancy. “The best part for me is feeling strong and aligned in my body again,” says Slush. “I didn’t realize how weak my core had become until after surgery, and my posture improved so much with the breast lift and tummy tuck. I always felt confident in clothes before, but afterward, I really got to enjoy the little things—like tops fitting the way they’re supposed to. It gave me back the feeling I had before kids, not in a vanity way, but in a this-finally-feels-right-again way.” Related: It’s Time to Get Real About How Long Postpartum Can Last I’m a Psychiatrist Who Treats Body Image Issues. I Also Got a Mommy Makeover My Eating Disorder Made Pregnancy Almost Impossible—and It’s Still Messing With Me Postpartum Get more of SELF’s great service journalism delivered right to your inbox.
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