The aim of a mummy makeover is to restore your body to its original contours and shape before pregnancy and childbirth. Pregnancy and childbirth can take their toll on your body, and the mummy makeover looks to restore balance and help you achieve your dream body.
What is a Mummy Makeover?
The mummy makeover is a combination of surgeries. It rejuvenates the body and makes you feel more like yourself after you experience changes in the body. If you feel like your body is altered and changed after childbirth, it can feel practically impossible to get it back the way you want it through diet and exercise alone.
After having a baby, many women struggle to return to their pre-baby body. The mummy makeover focuses on areas of the body that tend to change during pregnancy and childbirth.
Mummy Makeover: Quick Overview
- Surgery Time: 4-6 hours
- Anaesthetic: General
- Hospital Stay: Day or overnight
- Dressing and Garments: Dressings changes at 2 weeks, compression garments for 6 weeks
- Time Off Work: 2 weeks
- Exercise: 8 Weeks
- Mobile: 4-5 days
- Washing: 2 days
- Sleeping Position: sleep on back for 4 weeks
- Full Recovery: 8 weeks
What’s Included in a Mummy Makeover?
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to the mummy makeover. Everybody is unique, so the approach to this sort of treatment needs to be individualised. Therefore, the combination of treatments included in the makeover can change depending on the patient. A mummy makeover might include, but is not limited to:
Tummy Tuck
Also known as abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck is the process of removing excess skin and fat from the abdomen and tightening the muscles in the same region. This creates a smoother, firmer stomach.
Breast Lift
Breast surgery after pregnancy is common because it’s completely normal to lose shape in your breasts after having a baby. This can be undone with a breast lift, during which the breasts are elevated and reshaped, while the nipple and breast tissue are repositioned.
Breast Augmentation
Often known as breast enlargement or boob job, breast augmentation involves the insertion of implants into the breasts to increase their size, change their shape or make them more even. This can also be achieved with a fat transfer.
Liposuction
Liposuction is designed to sculpt the body and refine contours in areas like the abdomen, the flanks (love handles) and hips, where fat deposits are stubborn and possibly resistant to improved diet and exercise.
Vaginal Tightening
Also known as vaginoplasty, vaginal tightening improves the tone and tautness of the vaginal canal, which can enhance aesthetic and function.
Labia Reduction
Also known as labiaplasty, labia reduction alters the size and shape of the labia to how the patient wants it to look. It’s normal for the labia to look wider and feel softer and looser after you give birth, so labia reduction can help return it to how it looked beforehand.
In general, most mummy makeovers include a tummy tuck, liposuction and either breast augmentation or a breast lift. It’s completely normal to have non-surgical treatments as well.
Mummy makeover results and recovery
Your mummy makeover results should be long-lasting. Depending on the procedures you choose to include in your mummy makeover, results can differ. While results from a tummy tuck and liposuction could be permanent, breast implants usually need to be replaced after 10 years. To prolong your results, the best thing you can do is maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
In terms of recovery, as the surgeries involved in a mummy makeover can change, so can the recovery timeline. In general, you should expect to set aside at least 2 to 3 weeks of downtime. This is when you will need the most help and need to take it easy to start the healing process.
Over the next 3 to 6 months, you will continue to heal and recover, so make sure to get plenty of rest. These operations are major surgeries alone, so you need to know that the recovery time is not brief. It will take several months to see the final results.
You should start to see the final result at the 6-week mark. Over the next few months, the swelling will continue to subside, and your body will gradually reveal its new, refined look as it fully heals.
Patient Reviews
See our patient reviews about the liposuction experience at Harley Clinic.
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Mummy Makeover FAQs
How long will it take to recover if you have breast surgery and a tummy tuck at the same time?
In general, you would be in the hospital for 2 nights with 2 full weeks of rest. Depending on the type of techniques used and the work you do, you could be back at work after 4 weeks and resuming normal activities in 2 months.
Who is the ideal candidate for a mummy makeover?
The ideal candidate for a mummy makeover is at a healthy weight and ideally done with having any more children. If you have a tummy tuck and then get pregnant, your stomach muscles may separate again, removing the benefits of the surgery. If your nipples need to be repositioned during a breast lift, the milk ducts will need to be severed, which means that you won’t be able to breastfeed in the future.
This is not a quick fix procedure, and there will be lengthy stages of recovery throughout the process. The best candidate understands this and has realistic expectations of the procedure and recovery timeline.
Who should avoid having a mummy makeover?
A mummy makeover is a combination of several major surgeries. Because of this, you need to be in good physical health. If you take medications that suppress wound healing, then a mummy makeover may not be ideal for you. You will also need to stop smoking for several weeks before and after surgery.
When do you have your follow-up appointment?
After 10-14 days, your surgeon will review your wounds and remove any dressings. If all is going well, a lighter dressing is usually applied. Your surgeon will then book you in for an appointment at 4 weeks and 3 months to continue to review your progress.
Can you breastfeed after a mummy makeover?
It’s possible to breastfeed after breast surgery. However, there is a risk of severing ducts and nerves that will affect your ability to breastfeed.
How long after childbirth can I have a mummy makeover?
You should wait at least 6 months after childbirth before having any surgery. This gives your body time to heal so that your abdominal tissue is stronger before abdominoplasty.
Can you have a tummy tuck after having a c-section?
Yes, but you should wait at least 6-12 months after having a c-section before having a mummy makeover. You need to be properly healed before having any cosmetic surgery.
How much is a mummy makeover?
Mummy Makeover UK prices typically range between £6,000 and £15,000 depending on the procedures involved, plus the cost of any consultations and/or follow-up care. Mummy makeover package deals are available, offering bundled procedures and potential savings to help manage overall costs.
Further Reading:
- Liposuction vs Tummy Tuck: Which One is Right For You?
- What is a Labiaplasty?
- Breast Augmentation: Implants vs Fat Transfer
- What to Expect During Your Mummy Makeover Recovery
- Will Your Mummy Makeover Scars Be Visible?
- How Long After Childbirth Can You Have a Mummy Makeover?
- 8 Top Body Contouring Surgeries
- 8 Useful Tips for Your Mummy Makeover Recovery