Post Pregnancy Cosmetic Surgery
July 14th, 2009
Yesterday’s post reveals a great deal. Women who are comfortable with their physical appearance before pregnancy are frequently bothered by the changes they see after delivery. Most of the women we see are concerned that their breasts have decreased in size when compared to their pre-pregnancy state. In addition, some of these women notice considerable sagging. Finally, others are concerned that their breasts are way too big following pregnancy. Their breasts have actually increased in size and stayed that way. On rare occasion, women who have had breast enlargement surgery before children, come in afterwards asking to have their implants removed.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict what is going to happen to a patient’s body after pregnancy. Changes which bother one person, often do not bother the next. The notion of a perfect breast size and shape is a very personal aesthetic. Fortunately, there are many options available to restore breast fullness, correct sagging or reduce volume. A patient should seek out the necessary information, so that they will be fully aware of what choices they have regarding surgical correction.
Women who choose to have post-pregnancy surgery or “mommy make-overs” are most often happy with the decision to correct breasts and sometimes tummies, that have changed and no longer appear the way they feel their best. Often times times women report a boost in their self-esteem and general sense of well being. Many also echo the sentiment, “Why didn’t I do it sooner?”
Patient Perspectives:
July 13th, 2009
It is such a personal decision to have cosmetic surgery and I thought it was only something for glamorous people in movies or television. I never even considered cosmetic surgery until my body changed after four pregnancies. I was always known in the small town I grew up in as having a nice chest. There weren’t many augmentations in the eighties when I graduated from college, so my rather ample cleavage stood out. I felt proud of my figure. But the toll of running 6 days a week with athletic bras of questionable quality and nursing three children finally caught up with me. I felt sad about my new shape.
I started to look into the possibility of a breast lift or other corrective surgery. I brought up my concerns to my husband. He didn’t think it was necessary, but understood how it bothered me. I’d have to tuck my breasts carefully into bras or they would droop terribly. The cute running bras were out of the question. I’d joke to my sister that if I’d lie down on my back, they’d fall into my armpits! I decided to set up a consultation. I didn’t know what to expect. I was a little nervous, but very excited too. Dr. Bashioum was very easy to talk to and I felt comfortable asking him questions. After leaving the consultation, I was even more excited and very well informed! It turns out that I was a wonderful candidate for elective surgery. I set up a surgery date for a short while later. I then started counting the days until surgery. I’d dream of having my pre-baby body again.
When I arrived the day of surgery, I felt like a princess. It sounds strange, but I really did feel special. Everyone was taking such great care of me. When I woke up, I felt a lot of pressure on my chest. I don’t remember too much other than my nurse giving me ice. I went home, had lunch, watched TV and iced. I received a call that night from Dr Bashioum to check on me. I was doing great and I didn’t have much discomfort. The next day, I took a shower as instructed and looked at my new breasts. The swelling made my chest look kind of strange. I thought, “Oh, what did I do?†A few weeks later the swelling went down and my new shape took form. I really love my new breasts. I can wear nice bras and workout tops now. The hardest thing for me during recovery was to take it easy. I couldn’t wait to start my work outs again. I’d do this surgery again in a minute. I just wish I would have done it a few years earlier. Now I feel much better about myself.
Patient name withheld upon their request.