Pregnancy asks everything of your body — and even when you've done everything right, some of what it changed doesn't come back on its own. A Mommy Makeover isn't a single procedure; it's a plan built around exactly how your body changed, combining the specific procedures that address it.

Moms

FOR ALL THE

SCHEDULE NOW

WHAT IS A MOMMY MAKEOVER

NAVIGATING THE EMOTIONS

VIEW GALLERY

As a female plastic surgeon in Seattle — and a mother of two — I take personal and professional pride in helping women realize it's okay to prioritize themselves and their confidence.

DR. MEGAN DREVESKRACHT

FEMALE PLASTIC SURGEON | MOTHER OF 2

WHAT IS A MOMMY MAKEOVER?

A common question patients ask is what exactly is a Mommy Makeover. The honest answer is that it's different for every mom, because every body changes differently with pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. In general, the two areas most affected are the breasts and the abdomen.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding often cause the breasts to lose volume, the skin to stretch, and the overall shape to change. The top of the breast — what we call the Superior Pole — is the most susceptible to volume loss, which is what gives the breasts that deflated look many moms describe. If you've lost volume but your skin and breast shape are still intact, a Breast Augmentation alone is often enough to restore your pre-baby breasts. If you're also unhappy with the shape and skin quality, a Breast Lift— with or without an implant — is usually the better fit.

In the abdomen, pregnancy and the weight changes that come with it often leave loose skin, stretch marks, and stubborn fat that doesn't respond to diet or exercise. The abdominal muscles that separate to make room for a growing baby don't always return to the midline on their own — when they don't, it's called a Rectus Diastasis, and it's a major contributor to what patients call their "mom pouch." A Tummy Tuck, Liposuction, or a dedicated muscle repair can address this, depending on what your body actually needs.

Some moms are also looking beyond the breasts and abdomen — chin liposuction or a Labiaplasty are both common additions. Whatever combination of procedures your Mommy Makeover involves, the goal is the same: helping you feel like yourself again, on your terms.

A CLOSER LOOK

Every Mommy Makeover consultation starts with a conversation, not an exam table. I want to understand your history — your pregnancies, your breastfeeding experience, how your body has changed, and what's bothering you most — before we ever talk about which procedures make sense. From there, I'll do a physical exam to assess your skin, muscle, and tissue quality, and because these consultations cover so much ground, I typically split them into two visits: the first for education and initial planning, and the second, closer to your surgery date, to finalize every surgical decision. Throughout both, we'll talk through everything from implant sizing to scar placement to what your recovery will actually look like, so you leave feeling confident, not just informed.

A Mommy Makeover — whether it's a single procedure or several combined — is performed entirely on an outpatient basis. My surgery center is a AAAASF-accredited Ambulatory Surgery Center on the top level of the Nordstrom Medical Tower in downtown Seattle, and every case is overseen by a board-certified anesthesiologist. Because it's outpatient, you'll go home the same day once you've met all discharge criteria — you won't be kept overnight for observation.

The anesthesia used depends entirely on what you're having done. My anesthesiologists bring real subspecialty experience in regional anesthesia techniques, including epidurals, so we're not limited to a single approach — we use a combination of IV sedation, regional anesthesia, and general anesthesia, matched specifically to your procedure and to whatever keeps you safest and most comfortable.

The exact steps depend on your personalized plan. For a Tummy Tuck, I make a low, hip-to-hip incision hidden beneath the bikini line, repair any Rectus Diastasis, and remove excess skin and fat for a flatter, firmer contour. For the breast portion — a Lift, an Augmentation, or both — incisions are placed based on your anatomy and goals, usually around the areola and/or the breast fold. Liposuction is often added to refine the flanks, thighs, or back and bring the whole silhouette into balance.

All sutures are dissolvable and placed beneath the skin, so there's nothing to have removed later. Before you ever leave the operating room, you'll already be fitted with whatever post-surgical garment your procedure calls for — a post-surgical bra, an abdominal binder, or both. You'll need a caregiver with you for at least the first 24 hours and a designated ride home the day of surgery; your caregiver will leave with their own detailed discharge instructions, so they know exactly what to watch for and how to support you.

If you're considering multiple procedures, we keep total surgical time under 5–6 hours so you can safely go home the same day — and we'll talk in detail during your consultation about how to stage everything in a way that actually works for your recovery, your goals, and your life, not just what's technically possible in one sitting.

NEVER A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH

JUST LIKE EVERY PREGNANCY IS DIFFERENT AND EVERY WOMAN'S BODY CHANGES DIFFERENTLY WITH MOTHERHOOD, A "MOMMY MAKEOVER" IS NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL PROCEDURE. BELOW ARE THE MOST COMMON PROCEDURES THAT FEMALE PLASTIC SURGEON DR. MEGAN PERFORMS AS PART OF A MOMMY MAKEOVER.

Women showing anatomy addressed in Mommy Makeover Plastic Surgery procedure

COMBINING PROCEDURES

A Mommy Makeover can be whatever you want it to be. It doesn't have to be a combination of procedures — but it usually is, because most moms are addressing more than one area at once.When everything on your list can be done safely in the same setting, that's typically what I recommend, because combining procedures means one recovery instead of several. When you're a busy mom, you plan your time strategically, and cutting down to a single recovery window is often the biggest advantage of doing things together rather than one at a time. Sometimes, though, we have to split things into two separate surgeries — and that decision comes down to safety, not preference. In an outpatient setting, total time under anesthesia is typically capped at 5–6 hours, which is what allows you to go home safely the same day rather than needing overnight medical monitoring. If your full wish list doesn't fit safely within that window, we stage it.

When staging is the right call, how we sequence it matters. Every surgeon approaches this a little differently, and every case is different, but I typically start with what's highest on your priority list — whatever brought you in the door in the first place gets addressed first. From there, we look at what makes sense to do together, and what makes more sense to stage. Some procedures pair naturally in the same setting — a Breast Augmentation with a Lift, for example, is commonly done together, since anatomically they're addressing the same area at the same time (though this isn't the case for every patient). When we do stage into separate surgeries, grouping by body region often works in your favor: doing all upper-body procedures together and all lower-body procedures together means that whichever half of your body isn't in surgery that round is still fully functional — so you can still get around, lift, and care for yourself and your kids while the other half recovers.

Realistically, cost plays into the decision too. Some patients choose their first procedure based on what they can do now, then plan and save toward the rest over time — that's a completely reasonable way to approach this, and one I see often. There's no single right way to sequence a Mommy Makeover; it depends on your anatomy, your goals, your finances, and what's safe for you specifically, which is exactly what we work out together at your consultation.

Then, what we're evaluating anatomically: Because a Mommy Makeover is a combination of procedures, not one, patients often ask exactly what we're addressing and why. Here's what I'm typically evaluating:

Superior Pole Volume Loss — the upper part of the breast losing fullness, giving a deflated look
Breast Ptosis — sagging, or a change in breast position and shape
Rectus Diastasis — abdominal muscles that separated during pregnancy and didn't fully return to the midline
C-Section Shelf — a firm ridge of tissue that can form above a C-section scar, distinct from loose skin alone
Loose or Excess Skin — skin that lost elasticity and doesn't fully retract after pregnancy or weight change

AM I A GOOD CANDIDATE?

The best candidates for a Mommy Makeover are in good overall health, at a relatively stable weight, and done — or confident they're done — having children. That last point matters more than it might seem: additional pregnancies after a Tummy Tuck, in particular, will change your results again, so I generally recommend waiting until your family is complete before we operate on the abdomen.

Beyond the basics, your candidacy comes down to a few specifics I evaluate — and think through with you — during your consultation:

Weight and skin stability, not just a number on the scale. I'm less focused on your exact weight and more on whether your clothes have fit consistently, whether your skin has settled into a steady baseline, and whether your breasts have stopped fluctuating in size. This isn't arbitrary — if we operate before your abdominal skin has had time to recoil, you may need a full Tummy Tuck with a longer incision; if we wait, you might be a candidate for a shorter-scar or mini Tummy Tuck instead. We always want to do the minimum surgery that gets you where you want to be, never more than that.
Whether your surgery should be staged or done at once. This is a personal decision that depends on which procedures you're considering. If a Tummy Tuck is part of your plan, I recommend waiting until you're done having children. If a breast reduction is part of your plan because of genuine physical discomfort or pain from pregnancy-related growth, it may make sense to do that sooner, since it's addressing a different concern than aesthetics alone.
How many procedures can safely be combined in one surgery. In an outpatient setting, I keep total anesthesia time to 5–6 hours to make sure you can safely go home the same day. Many moms want to consolidate as much as possible into a single surgery specifically to minimize the total time away from their kids and their job — that's a completely reasonable goal, and we'll plan your combination around it together.
The age of your children and your support at home. You won't be able to lift more than 10–15 lbs — including your kids — for at least four weeks after surgery. If your children are young enough that this isn't optional, we need a real plan for support during that window, not just a hope that you'll manage.
Breastfeeding plans. If you think you may breastfeed again, know that most cosmetic breast procedures — a Lift or an Augmentation — carry only a slight risk of affecting your ability to do so. It's still worth discussing directly with me based on your specific procedure.
What to bring to your consultation. Wearing something you can move in easily, like a two-piece outfit or a sports bra, makes for a more accurate physical exam. If you have "wish pics" that reflect the shape or look you're hoping for, bring those too — they help me understand your goals faster than words alone often can.

One honest limitation worth naming: combining multiple procedures means combining their risks, and safety — not convenience — sets the ceiling on how much we do in a single surgery. If your goals genuinely can't fit safely into one operation, I'll tell you that directly and we'll build a staged plan instead. And because a Mommy Makeover is considered cosmetic, it's rarely covered by insurance — the one occasional exception is a large breast reduction, which is sometimes classified differently. You'll get a full, individualized cost breakdown at the end of your consultation.

what patients say

I would recommend Dr Megan and her team to anyone and everyone. She is kind, knowledgeable and LISTENS to what you want. I was so nervous for my consultation but instantly felt comfortable from there on out from the pre op to surgery to post op. From the second you get in the room you feel like she’s your friend and you can open up to her. She explains everything to you so well you barely even need to ask questions. If I ever get any other operations done Dr Megan will be my go to. She is warm, inviting and down to earth. I never felt pressured into anything and I could not be happier with my results. The confidence it has brought me is amazing! Highly recommend!!!

MOMMY MAKEOVER RECOVERY

Recovery after a Mommy Makeover depends on exactly which procedures you have, but most patients should plan on 10–14 days of real downtime. Soreness, tightness, and fatigue are normal in the first several days, especially after a Tummy Tuck, and I'll send you home with prescription pain medication to keep you comfortable. You'll be up walking short distances the day after surgery to support circulation and healing.

For the first 4–6 weeks, the restrictions are non-negotiable: no heavy lifting, nothing overhead, and nothing that gets your heart rate or blood pressure up. In practice, that means no vacuuming, no carrying full laundry baskets, no hauling grocery bags — and no lifting your kids over 10–15 lbs, which is often the hardest restriction for moms to actually follow. A compression garment will help with swelling and support as you heal, and most patients can shower again after their first post-op visit with me.

The weeks before surgery matter almost as much as the weeks after. Treat it like the planning you already do as a mom: line up help ahead of time, get the big tasks handled before your surgery date — groceries, meal prep, carpool coverage, a clean house — so you're not trying to catch up on any of it while you're supposed to be resting.

Swelling and bruising are expected and can linger for a few weeks. If you have implants, they may sit high and firm at first before settling over the following months, and your Tummy Tuck results will keep refining as swelling resolves. Most patients see their final results around the 3–6 month mark. I'll follow you closely the whole way, with visits typically at 1 week, 3 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year after surgery.

MOM TO MOM

One more thing, mom to mom — not just surgeon to patient.

Recovery logistics with kids at home take real planning, and I want to walk you through exactly what I tell my own patients.

Think about the specific physical demands your kids put on you day to day, because the plan really does depend on their age. How often are you actually picking them up — onto the changing table, into the car seat, into the crib? If that's a daily task and you won't be able to do it for four weeks, is that realistically covered, or does someone else need to step in?

A few adjustments that help: if your child is close to the age for it, this might be a good time to transition them to a toddler bed so you're not lifting them in and out of a crib. Setting up a changing station on the floor lets you change a diaper without lifting at all. And if your child is old enough, letting them climb into their own car seat with a little assistance — so you're just buckling them in, not lifting them — makes a real difference.

Don't underestimate fatigue. Surgery is depleting, and if you're a busy mom, you're probably already running on a deficit before you even start. Use the first few days to a week to sleep as much as you possibly can. When you do return to a more normal routine, resist the urge to overdo it — don't overplan, don't overschedule, just handle what actually needs to get done.

And finally: there's no perfect time for this, the same way there's no perfect time to have kids or buy a house. We're talking about roughly four weeks of real limitations — in the grand scheme, a blip your kids likely won't even remember. Don't let mom guilt talk you out of taking care of yourself.

- Dr. Megan

Can I Have Multiple Procedures At The Same Time?

Many patients combine procedures to minimize cost and downtime. Generally, keeping surgery time to under 6 hours in an outpatient setting is considered safe for patients.

Is Mom Guilt Real?

Mom guilt, especially regarding plastic surgery procedures, is VERY real. It's important to have support from those around you & always remember your WHY.

How Long Before I Can Pick Up My Child After My Surgery?

Patients should wait a minimum of 4 weeks before lifting > 10/15 lbs after plastic surgery. This can be even longer in the face of multiple plastic surgery procedures or delays in healing.

What Is The Cost Of A Mommy Makeover?

Because a 'Mommy Makeover' is not the same procedure for every mom, the cost will be individualized for each seattle plastic surgery patient. You will receive a detailed cost analysis at the end of your consultation for your review.