Mommy Makeover New York City
Introduction to
Mommy Makeover
A mommy makeover is a term for combined plastic surgery procedures that reverse the postpartum changes in a woman’s breasts and abdomen after childbirth. These treatments specifically target post-pregnancy changes, helping women restore their pre-pregnancy appearance and confidence.
Double-board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. William Lao specializes in Mommy Makeover in New York City and will take the time to listen to the issues you have with the appearance of your body as a result of your pregnancy. Dr. Lao offers procedures designed to address your individual needs and concerns. He can provide a customized combination of treatments tailored to your unique goals. Dr. Lao can determine the best combination of procedures to provide you with your ideal results.
What is a Mommy Makeover?
The term “mommy makeover” was coined by plastic surgeons in New York to reflect mothers’ desire to restore their body image after giving birth. Many women seek a mommy makeover to regain their pre-baby bodies. The most common body changes after childbirth are in the abdomen and breasts. Because of pregnancy, the abdominal wall is affected by stretched muscles and, in some cases, separated muscles, due to the corresponding growth of the baby.
After childbirth, moms are left with lots of saggy and loose skin in combination with a weakened abdominal muscle wall, including stretched and separated muscles, that hangs over the pubic area and gives the ladies an aged look. These changes can occur to varying degrees in different women. No amount of dieting or exercise can properly correct this issue. The only way to restore the appearance of the abdomen is to tighten the loosened abdominal muscles surgically.
The breasts undergo changes following the same mechanism, stretched by milk and deflated after breastfeeding. This can cause the breasts to lose their round and perky appearance and can lead to significant breast sagging. These changes are most prominent in ladies who have had multiple pregnancies and in ladies who gave birth at an older age.
Commonly Combined Mommy Makeover Procedures
Breasts
- Breast Augmentation: Enhances breast volume and fullness using breast implants or fat transfer. This procedure restores lost volume after breastfeeding, helping achieve a rounder and more youthful breast shape.
- Breast Lift: Lifts and reshapes sagging breasts by removing excess skin and tightening underlying tissue for a perkier, rejuvenated look that helps restore a youthful appearance.
- Breast Lift Augmentation: Combines the benefits of both procedures—lifting the breasts while restoring fullness with implants—for women seeking both shape and volume enhancement.
- Breast Reduction: Removes excess breast tissue and skin to create smaller, lighter, and more balanced breasts. This can relieve physical discomfort while improving body proportions.
- Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation: Uses your body’s natural fat—harvested through liposuction—to subtly enhance breast size and contour without implants.
Body
- Awake Liposuction: A minimally invasive fat removal procedure performed under local anesthesia while you remain awake and comfortable. Ideal for contouring small areas with less downtime.
- Fat Grafting: Transfers purified fat from one part of your body to another to enhance curves or smooth depressions, creating a more sculpted, natural appearance.
- Labiaplasty: Reshapes and reduces the labia for improved comfort and a more refined aesthetic, often addressing changes caused by childbirth or aging.
- Liposuction: Removes stubborn fat deposits from the abdomen, hips, outer thighs, thighs, or waist to refine your contours and accentuate your post-pregnancy shape.
- Tummy Tuck: Tummy tucks remove excess skin and fat while tightening weakened abdominal muscles, resulting in a firmer, flatter midsection and a more defined waistline.
What Sets Dr. Lao Apart as the Premier Mommy Makeover Practice in New York City?
- Dr. William Lao brings a meticulous eye for aesthetics, advanced surgical skill, and a personalized approach to every mommy makeover he performs. He has performed hundreds of successful body contouring and breast procedures, helping women restore their confidence and feel at home in their bodies again.
- Dr. Lao earned his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University and completed extensive surgical training in cosmetic plastic surgery at the New York MEETH aesthetic fellowship, one of the most competitive programs in the country.
- He is double board-certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and the Taiwanese Board of Plastic Surgery, reflecting his international training and dedication to excellence.
- Recognized by New Beauty Magazine as a “Top Doc,” Dr. Lao is also an active member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS).
- His approach to the mommy makeover goes beyond technical precision—he believes in creating results that look natural, feel balanced, and help patients regain the confidence they deserve.
Dr. Lao’s before-and-after photos feature actual patients, providing real examples of his work and helping prospective clients set realistic expectations.
Mommy Makeover Quick Facts
- Surgery Time: 4–6 hours, depending on the number and complexity of combined procedures.
- Anesthesia: General anesthesia is typically used during the procedure to ensure patient comfort and allow multiple surgical steps to be performed safely.
- Price: ~Starts around $18,000–$25,000 (For an accurate cost, please ask during your consultation).
- Recovery: Most patients take 1–2 weeks off work. Light activity can resume after 7-10 days; strenuous exercise and heavy lifting should be avoided for 6 weeks.
- Results: Visible within a few weeks, with continued improvement as swelling subsides over 3–6 months. Final results are typically seen at 12 months.
What are the Benefits of a Mommy Makeover?
A mommy makeover combines cosmetic surgery procedures such as abdominoplasty with breast augmentation, breast lift, or breast lift and augmentation, targeting the abdomen and breasts to restore a pre-pregnancy body shape for moms. These procedures address concerns such as changes in body contour, skin laxity, and loss of confidence, helping many patients feel comfortable wearing their prior slimmer clothes and bikinis to the beach again!
During your initial consultation, Dr. Lao will examine the areas of the body affected by your pregnancy and will ask you about your desired mommy makeover results. He can use this information to determine which combination of procedures, tailored to your individual needs, will achieve your desired results, and then formulate a personalized surgical plan. Some treatments can also help restore youthful skin by improving skin texture, tone, and elasticity.
Who Are the Best Candidates for a Mommy Makeover?
Even though most of our patients who get a Mommy Makeover are recent mothers, you don’t have to be a mommy to get one. Most women seeking a mommy makeover are recent mothers, but others may also benefit from the procedure. The best candidates are women who are in good medical health, near their ideal body weight, have a positive outlook with realistic expectations, and feel like they are finished with childbearing.
We also recommend that, if you have recently had a child, you wait at least 6 months before considering a Mommy Makeover.
What’s the First Step?
If you are considering a Mommy Makeover, we advise you to wait about 6 months following the birth of your child. During this time, you should get as close to the body type and weight you would like to achieve. Dr. Lao makes a personal connection with every patient to achieve natural-looking results. By doing this, you increase the likelihood of achieving the best possible results from your Mommy Makeover.
As you get closer to finishing your 6-month “waiting period”, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Lao so the two of you can discuss your aesthetic goals and come up with a surgical plan that best suits you.
How Do I Prepare for My Mommy Makeover?
Preparation begins with your consultation, where Dr. Lao will review your medical history and help you set realistic goals. You’ll be asked to stop smoking, avoid certain medications that increase bleeding risk, and maintain a healthy diet and stable weight before surgery. It is also important to adopt a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and balanced nutrition, both before and after surgery, to support optimal healing and long-lasting results. Arrange for help at home for the first few days of recovery, as rest and limited activity are essential during this time.
What to Expect on the Day of a Mommy Makeover
Mommy makeover is essentially the combination of abdominoplasty with a breast procedure (augmentation, breast lift, and augmentation/breast lift). So the technique for each procedure applies to this surgery. This procedure, however, provides the combined benefit of each and restores the body shape as a whole. The decision to whether augment or lift the breast or both are based on an individual’s needs after discussion with the plastic surgeon.
Mommy Makeover Recovery
The recovery from a mommy makeover can be more difficult than the recovery from individual procedures. However, having multiple procedures performed at once means that only one recovery period will be required, which is more convenient and manageable.
The patient’s experience during recovery can vary, with some individuals experiencing varying degrees of discomfort or downtime. Most people will need to take 7 to 10 days off work to recover fully. While most normal activities can be resumed at this time, heavy lifting and strenuous activities should be avoided for at least 6 weeks.
8 Tips for Recovery
- Plan ahead: Prepare meals and arrange childcare before your surgery.
- Take it slow: Allow yourself time to rest and heal.
- Follow instructions: Adhere closely to Dr. Lao’s post-op care plan.
- Wear compression garments: These help minimize swelling and improve contour.
- Stay hydrated and eat well: Nutrition supports healing and energy.
- Avoid heavy lifting: Even picking up children should be avoided until cleared by Dr. Lao.
- Sleep on your back: This helps protect incisions and reduce strain. With abdominoplasty it is required to be in a “beach chair” position in the first few days.
- Attend all follow-ups: Regular check-ins ensure optimal healing and results.
How Much Does a Mommy Makeover Cost in New York City?
The price of a Mommy Makeover in New York City can vary. As an experienced Mommy Makeover Manhattan surgeon, Dr. Lao will meet with you in his NYC office to discuss all options and pricing.
Why Choose Dr. Lao?
Dr. William Lao is a board-certified plastic surgeon who is proud to have attended Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Lao has over a decade of experience and has been listed as a Top Doc in the aesthetic magazine, New Beauty. As a member of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), Dr. Lao prides himself on patient safety and his ability to connect with his patients.
FAQs
Is a Mommy Makeover Painful?
No. Thanks to the use of anesthesia, a Mommy Makeover will not be painful. You may experience some mild pain or discomfort during your initial recovery; however, this is typically treatable with over-the-counter or prescribed pain medication or an ice pack.
How Many Surgical Appointments Will I Need?
Most Mommy Makeovers are performed in a single surgical visit; however, if you opt for additional procedures tailored to your specific needs—such as liposuction, breast surgery, or skin treatments—these may require additional surgical visits. Dr. Lao will determine the timeframe between the procedures during your consultation and may change based on your follow-up appointment.
How Long Until I See Results?
There will be a natural recovery period with any cosmetic procedure, but most patients begin to notice their results after about 3 months, with the best results showing after about a full year.
What Will the Scarring Look Like?
Dr. Lao takes great care to minimize visible scarring by placing incisions in natural folds or easily concealable areas. Over time, scars will fade significantly with proper care and can often be hidden by most undergarments or swimwear.
When Can I Exercise Again After My Mommy Makeover?
Most Mommy Makeover patients can resume light walking the day of to promote circulation. Strenuous workouts or weightlifting should be avoided for at least 6 weeks, or until Dr. Lao confirms it’s safe to resume.
Can I Combine a Mommy Makeover With Other Procedures?
Yes. A mommy makeover is a customizable combination of procedures, and many patients choose to include additional treatments to achieve more comprehensive results. While the core focus is typically on the breasts and abdomen, you can also combine your mommy makeover with vaginal rejuvenation or a liposuction procedure to enhance your overall shape and balance.
Some patients also choose to include facial rejuvenation procedures, such as eyelid surgery or facelift, to address changes throughout the body after pregnancy and aging.
During your consultation, Dr. William Lao will evaluate your goals, health, and anatomy to determine which combination of procedures can be safely and effectively performed together to create a natural, proportionate, and rejuvenated appearance.
What Are the Risks Associated with a Mommy Makeover Surgery?
As with any surgery, risks include bleeding, infection, scarring, and anesthesia-related complications. Specific risks may include fluid accumulation, asymmetry, or delayed wound healing. Choosing a highly trained, double-board-certified surgeon like Dr. Lao significantly reduces these risks and ensures that safety remains the top priority.
How Do I Find the Best Mommy Makeover Plastic Surgeon Near Me in New York City?
When searching for the best mommy makeover surgeon in NYC, look for a board-certified plastic surgeon with proven experience in body contouring and breast surgery. Review before-and-after photos, read patient testimonials, and schedule a consultation to assess their communication and aesthetic philosophy. Dr. William Lao’s blend of artistry, technical excellence, and compassionate care has earned him recognition as one of New York City’s premier mommy makeover specialists.
Schedule Your Personal Consultation
Dr. Lao’s experience ensures he can offer the best Mommy Makeover in New York City. If you have been struggling with the appearance of your body after pregnancy, contact our office to schedule a consultation for your surgery. We invite you to schedule a personal consultation to discuss your individual cosmetic goals and receive a personalized treatment plan. Dr. Lao will meet with you in our office, provide the amazing professional care your body needs, and go over the options for a Mommy Makeover in Manhattan.
