Mommy Makeover in Ankara, Turkey

Mommy Makeover is a set of combined surgical procedures aimed at correcting aesthetic changes that occur in the body after childbirth. It usually includes tummy tuck, breast aesthetics, and liposuction procedures performed together. The aim is to restore the body form before pregnancy.

Breast lifting, reduction, or augmentation procedures are applied to eliminate volume loss and sagging that occur after breastfeeding. Depending on the person’s needs, implant use or shaping with the patient’s own tissue may be preferred. As a result, a fuller and more lifted breast appearance is achieved.

Abdominoplasty or lipoabdominoplasty procedures are performed for sagging and looseness in the abdominal area. The muscle structure is tightened, and excess skin and fat tissue are removed. Thus, a flatter, tighter, and more aesthetic abdominal area is obtained. Body contours can be supported with liposuction.

The Mommy Makeover operation is planned individually and is usually performed in a single session. The recovery process varies depending on the scope of the procedures performed; in most cases, returning to normal life within a few weeks is possible. The results are long-lasting and increase self-confidence.

What Is a Mommy Makeover?

Mommy Makeover refers to combined surgical procedures aimed at correcting aesthetic changes that occur in the body after pregnancy and childbirth. Breast augmentation, lifting, or reduction procedures are usually planned together with tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and liposuction in the same session. The aim is to tighten the relaxed abdominal wall, reshape sagging breasts, and improve body contours. This personalized approach aims to achieve a firmer and more balanced appearance.

What permanent changes does the pregnancy process cause in our body?

During pregnancy, your body undergoes an incredible adaptation to make space for the baby’s growth. Hormones such as relaxin and progesterone secreted during this period loosen your joints and connective tissues in preparation for childbirth. However, after delivery, not all of these tissues may return to their former tight form. The abdomen and chest areas are especially the regions most affected by this change.

In the abdominal area, the growing uterus puts pressure on the front abdominal wall and pushes the straight muscles we know as the “six-pack” to the sides. This muscle separation, medically called “diastasis recti,” causes the abdomen not to flatten after birth no matter how much exercise is done. This is not only an aesthetic issue; the loss of support for the abdominal organs can lead to back pain and posture problems. In the skin, elastin fibers may rupture due to sudden stretching and stretch marks may occur.

The situation in the breasts is slightly different. During breastfeeding, the breast tissue filled with milk expands the skin. When breastfeeding ends, the milk glands shrink but the stretched skin cannot keep up with this speed. As a result, a breast structure that has lost its fullness, appears empty, and has sagged develops.

Common deformities after pregnancy include:

• Separation of abdominal muscles
• Loss of skin elasticity
• Stretch marks in the abdominal area
• Loss of volume in breast tissue
• Nipple sagging
• Stubborn fat accumulation in the waist area
• Genital area deformities

What is the right timing for motherhood aesthetics surgery?

The most critical factor for these surgeries is patience. Performing surgery before your body has fully recovered hormonally and physically will reduce the quality of the result obtained. For an ideal result, it is necessary not to rush.

Our general rule is that at least 6 months, and preferably 1 year, should have passed since childbirth. During this time, the uterus returns completely to its previous size, pregnancy edema is eliminated, and the body regains its natural form. If the breastfeeding process continues, we wait at least 6 months after breastfeeding has completely ended. The reason is that the milk ducts must completely dry and the risk of infection must disappear. In addition, since active milk glands affect breast size, the breast must return to its most stable state in order to plan surgery accurately.

Another important criterion is your weight. These surgeries are not a weight loss method but a body contouring method. The closer you are to your ideal weight, the better the results you will achieve. Having a body mass index above a certain limit increases anesthesia risks and makes wound healing more difficult.

Criteria to consider before surgery include:

• Time elapsed since childbirth
• End time of breastfeeding
• Body mass index
• Presence of chronic diseases
• Smoking habits
• Future pregnancy plans

If I plan to have another child, should I postpone the surgery?

We encounter this question every day in our clinical practice. Technically, there is no medical obstacle to becoming pregnant after having motherhood aesthetics. In other words, this surgery does not affect your fertility or breastfeeding your next baby (although this may vary depending on the technique used). However, from an aesthetic perspective, the situation is different.

In these surgeries, we repair the abdominal muscles, tighten the skin, and lift the breasts. A new pregnancy will cause all these repaired structures to stretch and deform again. Especially in patients who have undergone abdominal muscle repair (plication), a new pregnancy may strain the abdominal wall again and lead to separation. This means the result of the surgery may be affected.

For this reason, we generally recommend that our patients undergo these procedures after completing their family planning. Thus, the aesthetic results obtained can be preserved for many years and there will be no need for additional surgical intervention.

Which techniques are used in breast aesthetics and how is the decision made?

One of the most important components of motherhood aesthetics is breast restoration. The main factor that determines our approach here is the amount of volume loss in the breast and the degree of sagging. Since every woman’s anatomy and expectations are different, there is no single correct method.

If your breasts have sufficient tissue volume but only sagging is present, the lifting procedure we call “mastopexy” may be sufficient. In this procedure, excess skin is removed, breast tissue is repositioned upward, and the nipple is brought to its ideal position. However, in many women who have given birth, a “deflated” appearance is common. In other words, tightening the skin alone may not provide the desired full and firm look.

In such cases, we prefer using silicone implants together with the lifting procedure (augmentation mastopexy). The implant restores lost volume to the breast, fills the cleavage area, and provides a more aesthetic form. The size and placement of the implant (under the muscle or above the muscle) are determined entirely according to your body measurements and tissue quality.

Methods used in breast aesthetics include:

• Breast lift only
• Breast lift with implants
• Volume enhancement with fat injection
• Nipple aesthetics
• Breast reduction

Why does the “Internal Bra” technique make a difference in breast lift surgeries?

In traditional breast lift techniques, the load that kept the breast elevated was largely placed on the skin. However, skin is a living and stretching tissue and may become insufficient against gravity over time. This could cause the breast to sag again (“bottoming-out”) after some time.

The “Internal Bra” technique we use in modern surgery brings a biomechanical solution to this problem. In this technique, we create a suspension system from the patient’s own tissue in the lower part of the breast or from special dermal materials that support the breast from below. By fixing this support to the strong muscle structures in the chest wall, we transfer the weight of the breast from the skin to this strong internal structure.

You can think of it like a hammock. Just as a hammock safely carries the weight inside it, the internal bra technique supports the silicone implant or breast tissue from below and keeps it in place. Thanks to this technique, the achieved lift lasts much longer and the risk of the breast losing its shape over time is minimized.

Does tummy tuck surgery only correct the skin?

Although a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) may appear externally as if it only involves removing sagging skin, the most important part of the procedure actually occurs inside the muscle tissue. The main cause of the complaint many women have after childbirth—“my belly does not go away no matter what I do”—is usually muscle separation known as “diastasis recti.”

During the operation, we bring the loosened and separated abdominal muscles together in the midline with permanent sutures. This process is called “plication.” This procedure tightens the abdominal wall as if you were wearing an internal corset. It balances intra-abdominal pressure, creates a waist curve, and ensures the abdomen appears flat.

After the muscle repair is completed, the sagging excess skin and fat tissue are removed from the body. During this process, the navel is also aesthetically reshaped. After childbirth, the navel usually loses its form and becomes flattened; we reshape it into a younger, oval, and slightly concave form to complete the aesthetic appearance of the abdomen.

The stages of tummy tuck surgery include:

• Muscle repair
• Removal of excess skin
• Thinning with liposuction
• Navel revision
• Closure of the incision line

What is modern “Lipoabdominoplasty” and the Saldanha technique?

In older classical tummy tuck surgeries, the abdominal skin was lifted and stretched over a very wide area. Since this could disrupt the blood circulation and lymphatic flow of the tissue, it sometimes caused healing problems. In addition, performing liposuction at the same time was considered risky with the classical method.

The “Saldanha Lipoabdominoplasty” technique we use today has completely changed this process. In this technique, we follow a much more delicate surgical plan that preserves the vessels and lymphatic channels that nourish the tissue while lifting the abdominal skin. This protective approach allows us to safely perform comprehensive liposuction during the surgery.

Thanks to this technique, we can slim not only the front abdominal wall but also the waist sides and back area in the same session. Since the vessels are preserved, tissue healing after surgery is much faster and we encounter unwanted situations such as swelling (edema) and fluid accumulation (seroma) much less frequently. As a result, we can achieve not only a flat abdomen but also a curvier, hourglass-shaped body contour.

What role does Vaser Liposuction technology play in body contouring?

In motherhood aesthetics, our goal is not only to remove excess but also to give the body an artistic form. This is where Vaser technology comes into play. Vaser ( ), is an advanced technology that breaks down fat using ultrasonic sound waves.

Unlike classical liposuction methods, Vaser is a “tissue-selective” technology. This means that the sound waves sent only target fat cells and liquefy them. During this process, it does not damage the surrounding vessels, nerves, or connective tissue. This selectivity ensures much less bruising and pain after surgery.

Another major advantage of Vaser in motherhood aesthetics is its skin-tightening effect. The heat energy it emits stimulates collagen production under the skin and helps tighten skin loosened after childbirth. It also allows us to create a more athletic appearance by defining the shadows of the abdominal muscles with the method we call “High Definition” (Hi-Def).

Advantages of Vaser technology include:

• Less bruising
• Faster recovery process
• Skin tightening effect
• Natural appearance
• Enhancement of muscle definition

Can genital aesthetic procedures also be included in this process?

Yes, they are often included and are very important for a holistic restoration. The childbirth process affects not only the abdomen and breasts but also the pelvic floor and genital area. Vaginal births may cause conditions such as vaginal widening, sagging of the inner labia, or asymmetry.

These conditions may cause both aesthetic concerns and functional problems such as urinary incontinence, decreased sexual pleasure, or discomfort during sports activities in women. During motherhood aesthetics surgery, while the patient is under general anesthesia, procedures such as vaginoplasty (tightening) or labioplasty (inner labia aesthetics) can be safely performed. This allows the patient to recover from all these problems in a single healing process and refresh their self-confidence.

Where are the surgical scars located and do they fade over time?

As with every surgical procedure, certain scars remain in motherhood aesthetics. However, the main principle of plastic surgery is to hide these scars within the natural folds of the body. The tummy tuck scar is usually a line at the level of the cesarean scar but extending slightly to the sides. This scar is planned very low so that it remains within underwear or bikini lines.

In breast surgeries, scars vary depending on the procedure performed. If only implants are placed, there will be a 4–5 cm scar in the breast fold. If lifting is performed, scars may appear around the nipple and as a vertical line extending downward.

It should be remembered that wound healing is a biological process that varies from person to person. These scars, which are red and noticeable in the first months, fade over time (usually within 1 year), approach the skin color, and become less noticeable. Creams and silicone tapes we recommend for scar treatment also accelerate this process.

What is the recovery process like and what should be considered?

The postoperative period is at least as important as the surgery itself. We usually host our patients in the hospital for 1 or 2 nights. During this time, pain control is ensured and your first walks are assisted. Early movement is vital for blood circulation.

The first week after discharge is a rest period at home. Due to the tummy tuck procedure, you may need to walk slightly bent forward during the first days to reduce tension in the abdominal muscles. You will need to use special medical corsets and bras for approximately 4–6 weeks. These garments keep edema under control and help tissues adapt to their new shape.

Things to consider during the recovery process include:

• Regular corset use
• Avoiding heavy lifting
• Drinking plenty of water
• Taking light walks
• Maintaining wound hygiene
• Staying away from smoking

Are there risks associated with the surgery?

Every surgical intervention carries certain risks and it is our responsibility to discuss them openly with our patients. Since motherhood aesthetics is a combined surgery (breast and abdomen at the same time), the operation time is longer compared to single procedures. Therefore, we take care to keep the surgery time within reasonable limits (usually not exceeding 6 hours) for patient safety.

General surgical risks such as infection, bleeding (hematoma), fluid accumulation (seroma), or wound healing problems exist. However, with modern techniques, sterilization standards, and correct patient selection, these risks have been minimized. Especially against the risk of blood clots in the leg veins (embolism), precautions such as the use of compression stockings, blood thinners, and early walking are routinely applied before and after surgery.

Are the results permanent and how can they be maintained?

The results obtained with motherhood aesthetics can be permanent for a lifetime when supported by a correct lifestyle. The repair performed on the abdominal muscles and the removal of excess skin are irreversible procedures. In other words, your abdomen will never return to its previous sagging state. However, the body is a living organism and the aging process continues.

Maintaining the results is entirely in your hands. Regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and avoiding excessive weight gain or loss will help you maintain this new body form for many years. As surgeons, we offer you a new beginning; maintaining this beginning and taking care of your body is your responsibility.

Recommendations for maintaining the results include:

• Regular exercise habits
• Balanced and healthy nutrition
• Skin care and moisturizing
• Sun protection
• Stable weight control
• Annual medical check-ups