Mommy Makeover
Getting Everyone on Board
This may be the most important section within the Mommy Makeover site. It is critical to make sure that as many people as possible are supporting you through the entire surgical process. The more involved your support system is, the easier your recovery will be.
It's easier to ask multiple people to help you through this process. This way no single individual is overburdened. In addition, it creates a team-like bond within your family.
Do not worry if there are some people who do not completely support your decision. Typically, this is the case. Not everyone understands the way you feel and your particular motivations. That is fine, as long as the most important people in your life are on board and are willing to help. In particular, it is important that your spouse be there for you.
Remember the reasons why you decided to proceed with the mommy makeover. You have sacrificed your body by bearing your children. This has taken a significant toll on your body. Your abdomen has been stretched beyond its ability to retract. The muscles have been separated. Diet and exercise alone will not correct these issues. Your breasts have enlarged and then deflated. This has left them sagging with decreased volume making you feel less attractive and older than you are.
Getting your body back will make not only you happy, but also will positively affect the rest of your family. They too will benefit from your improved confidence and outlook on life.
Husband - Make sure you explain to him the reasons why you would like to have the mommy makeover. Make him a part of the planning process. Explain how your post-partum body makes you feel. Go over how regaining your pre-pregnancy appearance will improve the way you think and fell about yourself. Patients often tell us how the procedures have changed not only their physical appearance but also their psychological and sexual well being.
Children - Make your children part of the team. The more they understand, the more eager they will be to "help mommy get better." You can tell young children that you had an operation, you don't feel well, and you need their help to recover. It is very important to let them know that you have had surgery. Many children will feel rejected because you cannot hold them and take care of them like you normally do. You may be surprised how helpful they want to be so that mommy will get better. I encourage you to have someone take care of them for the first few weeks. Do not be a hero. You can be a "supermom" later. Allow others to help you take care of your kids.
Support system - Get as many loved ones on board as you can. Think of your parents, in-laws, cousins, siblings, nephews and nieces as potential resources. The more people you have on board, the easier it will be to ask for help so that you don't overburden one person. You may consider hiring a teenage baby sitter after the procedure. This way you can participate in some activities but delegate the things you cannot do.
Work - This the most individualistic part of your support system. Before you tell anyone at work, carefully evaluate your coworkers' stand toward your procedures. There are some jobs where everyone will want to be involved and helpful. Unfortunately, there are others that would rather scrutinize than help you through your recovery. If you work in a friendly environment, don't hesitate to ask people for help. This may allow you to get to work quicker as they can help with the jobs you may not be able to do early on. If your work environment is not friendly, you may need to take a little more time off until you are fully recovered.