Mummy makeovers

Well we all know that paradise lies beneath the feet of your mother, but waiting for paradise takes a long time for some. In the short term at least you can treat yourself to regain your pre-pregnancy form and so a mummy makeover may be just what you need.

Pregnancy is an amazing gift which sadly nowadays fewer and fewer mothers are able to undergo naturally. This is multi-factorial but I'm sure our environment does't aid the natural birthing process. Fluoride, oestrogens and carcinogens in the drinking water, strontium and aluminium in the air as well as mobile phones, microwaves and GMO food all have contributed to a decreasing natural conception rate worldwide and recently for the first time in a long time, the worldwide birth rates are on a downward trend. Coupled with more women seeking careers over motherhood and participating in more masculine roles at home and at work, it is no wonder women feel less feminine than ever before. Social media and celebrities don't exactly help either!

Luckily for you mothers out there, there are some caring and sensitive Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeons out there who understand the physiology and anatomy of childbirth and are able to try and support your physical and in turn mental recovery from pregnancy as amazing as it is.

There are a number of changes that occur in pregnancy and in childbirth, some of which are reversible, others less so. Let us start at skin level. There is a concept in plastic surgery known as tissue expansion, (tissue creep and stress relaxation). Essentially this means that if you place a load on a structure, then release it, the natural recoil due to the elastin fibres in the area will lead to it snapping back to its original form. When a load has been placed on that area for longer periods of time, those elastic fibres remodel and therefore when the load is removed, the snap back or recoil is less striking which is known as stress relaxation. This is what happens in stretch marks. The collagen and elastin becomes weaker and devoid of strength and as a result, the skin thins out leading to aesthetic deformity which can be anything from very minor to grossly disfiguring. Nevertheless every scar tells a story and if you have a healthy beautiful baby to show for it then who really cares! Healthy vitamin and protein rich diet, together with exercise and some fractionated and PDL lasers can really help stretch marks as well as regular massage with almond oil. You can check out my paper on the properties of almond oil on my research gate profile.

Another important area is the abdominal musculature, the six pack muscles, rectus abdominis. As the foetus/baby develops and descends into the womb seeking engagement at the pelvic outlet, the abdominal wall musculature has to adapt and modify itself to accommodate these volumetric changes. Commonly after one pregnancy these muscles cope fairly well, but after 2 or more due to this concept of stress relaxation and other anatomical factors the rectus muscles (recti) divaricate or undergo divarification (basically divide) which causes a weakening in the musculature. this is typically seen when performing a sit-up or upper abdominal crunch where the upper rectus split and a bulge or gap may be visible. The same can be true lower down. Through a tummy tuck/adbominoplasty incision, these muscles can be re-grouped and tightened to regain the compound strength and increase the biomechanic properties of the 'core' thereby improving form and function. Most Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeons do this in some degree irrespective of the need for this for aesthetic reasons, but it is even more important when dealing with a postpartum woman. This really will help improve and strengthen your core muscles and and will be hugely beneficial in the long-term. It is definitely one of the most satisfying operations to do.

The rest, face, breasts... we can talk about that another time...

Dr Zeeshan

Drzeeshanahmad.com