How Mommy Makeover Procedures Can Improve Mental Health After Pregnancy

How Mommy Makeover Procedures Can Improve Mental Health After Pregnancy
Dr. Samulenas believes that this esthetic surgery is gaining popularity due to its affects on alleviating some of the pent-up psychological issues post-partum moms are experiencing.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com

The post-partum period may have a negative impact on women's mental well-being, with over 50% of women indicating their body dissatisfaction has been triggered by pregnancy. As cosmetic surgeries have been linked to increased self-esteem, women who want to get their body confidence back increasingly opt for a mommy makeover procedure after childbirth. 

Dr. Gediminas Samulenas, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Nordesthetics Clinic, attributes the rising popularity of post-partum surgeries to the current social interest to look and feel the best version of oneself after pregnancy.

“Now things are changing rapidly—plastic surgery has become more accessible, and women are more self-confident about restoring their body shapes to a pre-pregnancy state. And also seeing more and more of such surgical transformations in the social media reassures mothers that their intentions to claim back the body they had before are more or less global,” said Dr. Samulenas. 

Related: Advanced Institute for Plastic Surgery Shares Consumer Survey Results on Mommy Makeovers

Rising Demand for Combination Surgeries

The number of combined surgeries has been increasing year by year, with around 70% of plastic surgeries performed at Dr. Samulenas' clinic are combined. Patients choose to undergo several surgeries at one because they have a lower cumulative risk of potential complications if the patient does not have any underlying illnesses. Performing multiple surgeries in one visit also reduces the time off days, travel and recovery expenses. 

The most requested combination at the clinic is a mommy makeover that combines an abdominal procedure with breast correction, as changes related to pregnancy have a severe impact on breasts and the abdominal wall. The breast correction may also involve an augmentation, lift, or both. The abdominal surgeries range from the classic tummy tuck to the extended  fleur-de-lis abdominoplasties. 

Addressing Mental Health 

Dr. Samulenas believes that this esthetic surgery is gaining popularity due to its affects on alleviating some of the pent-up psychological issues post-partum moms are experiencing. 

“The main goals of post-pregnancy plastic surgeries are the elimination of the psychological burden, the reversal of pregnancy-related body defects, and the restoration of natural anatomy. Giving birth and raising children is one of our paramount purposes in life. And when the residual body changes can be reversed—why shouldn’t women do that to return to their desired pre-pregnancy body?” Dr. Samulenas added. “Sometimes it’s quite unbelievable how liberated and fabulous women feel about themselves when they heal after these surgeries and see their final results. The majority of them start living differently, become more self-confident.”

More in Treatments