Melons. I remember thinking that’s what they looked like, my eyes very wide at the sight. My formerly, perky, smallish, size 34B breasts had become huge, hot, rocks, in large part, overnight. Milk was in. My dewy baby took full advantage of the on constant offer buffet for the next couple of years. Of course, over those months while I was nursing my hungry child, the breasts figured out, as they magically do, how much milk he needed and they shrunk to a size somewhere in the middle of the pre-pregnancy, post-partum sizes. Remaining was a web of collateral damage stretch marks left over from the phase where my body cautiously made sure I had enough milk to feed three babies.
And as my tummy slowly shrank, both from no longer carrying a 9 pound baby and from gradually losing the extra security of fat I’d put on during pregnancy, the stretch marks on my tummy became more and more apparent, not just as webs of silvery lines, but as a saggy pouch of skin that today just loves hanging out over the top of my jeans. The dreaded muffin top look. I have friends, with kids, whose bellies don’t quite have this look, but they must have some genes I don’t, because no matter how I try, I just can’t seem to get back to a pretty tummy on my own.
Now that baby is 12 years old, as tall as me, and weighs almost as much too! I actually loved breast feeding my child. I had the fortune of being a stay at home mom for the early years of my child’s life, and that easy bonding time was relaxing, comforting, right. But I know, with some nostalgic regret, that I will not be having more children.
Then last spring, my husband took me on a sweet, surprise second honeymoon to Maui. I had just a week’s notice to pack! Excited, I went shopping for a couple of new bathing suits. Wow. That was not fun. Certainly, the bikinis were out. I wouldn’t mind just being a little pudgy – I think soft round curves are sexy for women. But my out of shape, or rather, shapeless, saggy body wasn’t sexy to me, wasn’t something I felt confident showing off in a bathing suit. I settled for a couple of skirted, tummy hiding suits with matching sarongs.
The second honeymoon was fabulous. My husband, however, did notice my trepidation on the beach. What he said – “I love you just like you are, but if it bothers you, then let’s do something about it.” He’s a good man! I guess he got the idea from someone at his office raving about something she had called a “Mommy Makeover”.
I admit, at first I found the idea VERY intimidating. But I went online and started learning about this procedure. What I learned is that it is a series of procedures that is different for every woman. A Mommy Makeover is an individualized surgical plan designed to meet the goals of a woman who has had children and wishes to restore her body. Surgery procedures target and correct the changes of your body that occur as a result of having children, notably involving your abdomen and breasts. The goal is to help you to return to a more pre-pregnancy figure. Combinations include two or more of the following: Tummy tuck, breast lift, with or without breast augmentation or breast reduction, and liposuction. The results, as seen in thousands of before and after pictures posted by surgeons and patients around the world, are nothing short of amazing.
After much deliberation and research to find the best provider in my area, I called and made an appointment for a consultation at Cosmetic Surgical Arts Center in Lynnwood, WA. Dr. Wortham immediately put me at ease and took as much time with me as needed to answer all my questions. He explained which procedures would be best for me and what results I can expect from them. I’m now scheduled to have a tummy tuck, a breast lift, and some liposuction on that stubborn fat on my love handles and behind. I admit, I’m very nervous about surgery. But, I have a great support network, both at Cosmetic Surgical Arts and at home. And, my husband has promised, that once I’m fully recovered, we’ll celebrate with another surprise vacation somewhere I can once again show off my body with confidence!