Mommy Makeovers – Cosmetic Surgery Geared Towards Mothers? A guest blog by Tiffany M.

As women, we go through a lot of changes both during and after pregnancy. Our bodies can never completely be the same after childbirth. Even yesterday, I was looking in the mirror, complaining to my husband about the extra weight that sags around my middle. It seems like no matter how much I exercise, it’s always there, reminding me that I have three kids.

Especially because I live in California, it’s as if I’m bombarded with images of Hollywood figures and perfectly airbrushed models. Everywhere I turn, there are examples of “real” mothers who don’t seem to have the same body type as me.

These “real” mothers talk about how they lost all that extra belly fat in only two weeks, or how they are back to being a size two because of some miraculous diet. I’ve never been a size two. Frankly, whenever I hear about someone who could wear their old clothes right after having a baby, I immediately start wondering what’s wrong with me? I feel like I am held to this impossible standard, and there’s no hope that I’ll ever fit in with what society thinks I should be.

I eventually became frustrated enough that I started researching various exercise methods online on how to get rid of belly fat. I came across a site for tummy tucks and breast augmentation in San Diego. Granted, I’m frustrated with my body, but I don’t know if cosmetic surgery is the answer. After I did a little bit more research (I was curious), I found that these types of procedures are actually quite common for mothers. In fact, there’s a term for this growing trend ‘mommy makeovers’.

Mommy makeovers usually include breast lifts, tummy tucks, liposuction and sometimes more. As I was researching, I had to wonder about safety concerns and recovery time. Some doctors require you to be within a certain weight range before undergoing the surgery, and some require that you have a support system in place to handle everything during your recovery time for at least two weeks.

The question we have to ask ourselves, as mothers, is what this sort of surgery would mean for our families. First there are the monetary concerns to think about. Also, this type of surgery might also have psychological ramifications down the line for our children. While it might seem appealing to get back to our pre-pregnancy bodies, are mommy makeovers the solution? Or, are these types of surgeries a good way to improve the quality of our lives?

These are questions that are unique to everyone, just like our bodies. While I personally don’t feel like surgery is right for me (I’ll keep starving myself with celery and rice crackers), I guess I can’t really judge the fact that these mommy makeover surgeries are now so popular. I certainly know how frustrating it can be to compare yourself to these model standards, and I think that that is the real problem.

We all can do whatever we want to feel good about our bodies, but when we are making our decisions based off what society thinks of us, or what we think we should be in order to fit in with society, then that becomes an issue.