1. Prepare like a pro

The first secret to gorgeous results is having a productive, in-depth personal consultation with your plastic surgeon. And you’ll get the most out of that meeting if you prepare ahead: read about others’ breast augmentation experiences, look at before and after photos of patients who look like you in the ‘before’ images, and get a basic understanding of breast implant and surgical options.

Take notes, save examples, and write down the questions you want to ask. This will empower you to ask more detailed questions and help you receive personally relevant information. Patients who have prepared for their consultation are better able to clearly communicate their goals, helping them to get on the same page with their surgeon more easily.

As you research breast implants, take notes, save photos, and write down the questions you want to ask your plastic surgeon.

2. Pay attention to the details

Your surgical plan has a big impact on your results. Whether you want a subtle boost or notably bigger breasts, my goal is to create a volumetric look that perfectly suits your frame. Here are 3 key elements of the plan that I am thinking about when I meet with you:

• Breast implant options: There are a range of breast implant options, with variations in size/volume, profile, and material. During the consultation, you will have the chance to try on sizers and feel implant options for yourself. We’ll recommend a range of sizes and profiles of implants that we know will look good on you, and help you narrow down your options from there.
• Breast lifts: If your breasts sag, you may need a breast lift in combination with your breast augmentation. This is not always the case, as a little visible “lift” can be achieved with implants. But if your breast sagging is more than just mild, we may have to incorporate a lift in order to achieve your vision.
• Add-on procedures: You may desire add-on procedures (such as liposuction) to get ideal, comprehensive results.

Excellent surgeons customize the procedure for your anatomy, and discuss the details of the surgery with you. The best surgical outcomes happen when the surgeon and patient are collaborating—you bring your expertise about your body and goals, and I bring my expertise about breast surgery.

3. Optimize your health for a smooth recovery

The secret to an optimal recovery? It starts well ahead of surgery! Go ahead and start investing in your health to support your body’s ability to heal during recovery:

• Strictly abstain from smoking and vaping.
• Fuel a healthy recovery by eating a nutrient-rich diet full of protein, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats like nuts and seeds, and whole-grain carbohydrates.
• After breast augmentation, you will need to sleep on your back. So that you’ll be comfortable getting quality rest in this position after surgery, practice ahead of time! You may want to place pillows along your sides to support this position at first.

After recovery, follow these tips that are a key part of the secret to gorgeous results:

• Continue to refrain from smoking—and, ideally, don’t pick it back up! Smoking ages your skin prematurely, and therefore contributes to breast sagging.
• Continue to eat a nutrient-rich diet.
• Don’t do too much, too soon after surgery. Embrace this chance to rest and allow your body to do the work of healing!
• Wear soft, supportive surgical bras—no underwires until your surgeon gives you the OK.
• Sleep on your back.
• Take care of your incisions per the scar care instructions that we provide.
• Avoid the sun, which will darken your healing scars and contribute to early skin aging.

4. Do it for the right reasons

Breast augmentation is one of most genuinely confidence-boosting procedures available. Yet choosing breast implants is a personal decision, and the happiest patients we see post-op decide to have this procedure to feel like a stronger, more confident version of themselves—not to please someone else. Check in with yourself before booking your consultation to make sure that you are seeking breast augmentation as a gift of confidence to yourself rather than to make others happy.

Breast augmentation should be a gift of confidence you give yourself—not something you do to make others happy.

5. Choose a qualified plastic surgeon who gets you

Good rapport with your plastic surgeon may be the most important secret to your results. Look for someone who listens to you and works with you during the consultation to make sure they 100% understand what you want out of surgery. Find a surgeon who is board certified, has years of experience, has glowing reviews, and shows you stellar before-and-after results that resemble the look you’re going for. Trust your intuition, and if you don’t feel that your plastic surgeon gets you, get a second opinion!

Schedule your consultation with Dr. Cat at Swan Center in Atlanta

Female board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Cristen Catignani wants her Atlanta breast augmentation patients to feel empowered, safe, and listened to every step of the way. If you are ready to schedule your consultation and learn what breast augmentation with Dr. Cat can do for you, call 770-667-0904 or contact our practice online.

Here at The Swan Center, we think moms are pretty fabulous. From our hard-working team members with little ones to our rockstar patients, moms consistently earn our admiration—and there are definitely things we could all learn from them.

MindBodyGreen agrees, and they pulled together 55 fantastic pieces of life advice from real moms. Here are a few of our favorites (plus some bonus tips from our Swan moms!).

Don’t put off adventure

With age comes wisdom—and, sometimes, a twinge of regret over not taking advantage of all the wonderful experiences life has to offer. Quite a bit of the advice MBG received from moms was about not putting off the adventures you crave. Take it from these mamas: go live your best life!

“Just go. Study abroad in Italy? Just go. Go to school for fashion design? Just go. Move to New York? Just go. Go and experience everything that your life, right at this moment, has to offer.”—Ginger, 57

“Always ask yourself: What’s the worst thing that could happen? It’s usually not as bad as you think.”—Joy, 59

“Have the courage to open the doors of opportunity. Behind it may lie life’s greatest adventure.”—Rachel, 34

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Коуч / Психолог (@elena_shilak_) on Aug 22, 2018 at 1:08pm PDT

You need to put prioritize yourself

Whether you’re a mom, successful professional, busy student, or simply trying to find your way in the world, most of us struggle to take care of our bodies, hearts, and minds. So treat yourself with the same kindness, understanding, and acceptance you give the ones you love.

“As mothers, we tend to put ourselves last, but we must love ourselves first. Only after you love yourself can you love others.”—Sotonye, 55

“Accessorize and moisturize.”—Merrie, 100

“Remember, you’re driving the bus.”—Vanessa, 60

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by T H E S W A N C E N T E R (@theswancenter) on Sep 11, 2018 at 7:32am PDT

Nurture your tribe

Sharing love with friends and family is one of the most rewarding experiences in life—even when inevitable ups and downs come to pass. These moms say surrounding yourself with amazing people and leaving yourself open to love is never a mistake.

“Give love freely and often. You will be rewarded in ways you have never known.”—Denese, 67

“Never pass anything sharp between friends. It’ll cut your friendship.”—Helen, 103

“Love unconditionally and go for the gold. You may get the bronze, but at least you went for it.”—Karen, 68

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by T H E S W A N C E N T E R (@theswancenter) on May 29, 2018 at 5:17pm PDT

Dr. Cat, one of our own “Swan Moms,” weighs in

As a busy plastic surgeon, wife, and mother, Dr. Cat knows how overwhelming and challenging life can get. Which is why her biggest advice is learning what is truly an emergency and what’s not (and to never leave home without baby wipes and a snack if you have little ones!).

“Surgical residency is great prep for being a mom—you often survive on little sleep, put others’ needs before your own, and always have to be prepared for the unexpected. Life’s little hiccups are put into perspective when you see others struggling with medical conditions or families are dealing with the loss of a loved one.”

Dr. Cristen M. Catignani

So, next time you’re feeling a little lost, give your mom a call—chances are she knows just what to say to put you on the right track! (If she doesn’t answer, be sure to read the other 46 pieces of advice on MindBodyGreen.)

Believe me, I know the toll that pregnancy takes on a body! I happen to have two children myself, and as a plastic surgeon, I spend much of my time helping patients with these exact issues. Seeing both sides of the story has given me some unique insights I like to share with my patients.

If you’ve thought about getting a mommy makeover to help you look and feel like you did before you became a mom, you’re in good company—there are thousands of other women going through this exciting process right now.

For those of you on the fence about having a procedure to restore your appearance post-pregnancy, I’ve answered some of the most common questions my own patients ask before their mommy makeovers.

• Is a mommy makeover worth it?
• What does a mommy makeover include?
• What is the hardest part of mommy makeover surgery?
• How much is a mommy makeover in Atlanta?
• How long is mommy makeover recovery time?
• Will having more kids ruin my mommy makeover results?

Is a mommy makeover worth it?

Truthfully, only you can answer this question, but I can share my experienced perspective and some feedback from my own patients that may help. A mommy makeover is first and foremost about restoring comfort and confidence in your appearance and loving your body. It’s not about “looking perfect” or even achieving some sort of externally imposed ideal image. My goal is to listen to a patient’s goals, and then work with her to achieve her desired changes. Those often include:

• Having breasts that are firm, no longer sag, and look great in clothing
• Reducing the size of the nipples or areolas
• Getting rid of excess skin in the midsection
• Regaining a discernible waistline!
• Smoothing stubborn fat pockets
• Tightening stretched vaginal tissues or sagging labia
• Alleviating stress incontinence
• Improving comfort and sensation during sex

Believe it or not, an experienced plastic surgeon can help you achieve all of these goals with a mommy makeover. What is more, these changes—and the boost in comfort and confidence they bring—can last for years or even decades, especially if you are finished having children (more on that below).

But you don’t have to take my word for it. Here’s what a few of our Atlanta mommy makeover patients at The Swan Center have said about their procedures:

“So much of my day-to-day centered around [how to] minimize my stomach, and just had me so preoccupied with myself—which I hated. I realized that with 4 kids at home I needed to be fully present. I couldn’t be distracted by issues of vanity and still be the mom they deserve. I needed to just have these areas taken care of, once and for all—and that’s exactly how it was. I feel like I am so much more free and I just don’t feel consumed by these insecurities anymore….The changes these procedures have brought to my everyday life have been so wonderful.”

“My sex life was affected, I could [only] wear certain clothing, and walking too long caused me to cry it hurt so bad. I no longer have any of that! I’m a little over a month post-op and I couldn’t be happier. I can FINALLY wear tight clothing again and do not have pain. This surgery has changed my life for the better!”

“My concerns were addressed, my preferences were followed, and I could not be more pleased with my results. I have zero regrets…”

What’s the hardest part of a mommy makeover?

This differs from person to person, but there are two top things I hear. First, many women say it’s the recovery. Second, costs. Thankfully, both are solvable.

Recovery

I’ll tackle the subject of recovery first. It takes some time and, depending on the procedures you have, you will be quite limited in terms of activity, especially during the three or four weeks after surgery. While pain is typically easily managed with medication, not being able to pick up your kids or help them as much as usual is hard for many moms. I have two tips.

First, get help. Some moms are lucky to have Grandma eagerly waiting to step in and help, but if you don’t, talk to friends and see if various people can help cover you, especially at key times such as when your kids need to get ready for school. You can also plan to trade childcare—if your friends can help take care of your kids, you’ll return the favor later, when they want a weekend away or plan to have their own mommy makeover. Second, if you and your kids are typically inseparable, get creative about bonding during recovery. Ask them to hop in bed with you (just not on you!) and tell you stories, or watch a cartoon marathon together. Have them be helpful, refilling your water and fetching stuff you need. Just be sure to let them know they need to be extremely gentle with you while you get better! Kisses are great, but bear hugs are off limits.

Affordability

Now let’s talk about costs, as that can actually be the most challenging aspect for some patients. There are plenty of patient financing options and our patient care coordinators will help make applying and securing financing easy for you.

To save ahead (or gather up a down payment), keep your eyes on the prize with reminders. Print out a few before and after photos of mommy makeover patients who looked like you in the before photos and stick them where you’ll see them daily, to help remember to skip any extra purchases. Also consider that clothes you buy now likely won’t fit your new, improved shape, so you might as well freeze all shopping and instead save for your new look.

While there is a savings if you have multiple procedures in one day, if multiple procedures (i.e. breast lift and a tummy tuck) are simply impossible for you to afford all at once, consider splitting them up over a few years. Address your biggest concern first, and you’ll get a lot of satisfaction while you’re paying down that procedure. You may also need a bit less time off work after a single procedure, which can help with affordability in the short term.

How much is a mommy makeover in Atlanta?

Mommy makeovers are totally individualized to a patient’s needs, so prices vary significantly. For example, if you are having only a breast lift, your total costs will be much lower than a patient who’s having a tummy tuck and labiaplasty, as well as breast lift.

One advantage of having a mommy makeover with multiple procedures is that you pay operating room and anesthesiologist’s fees only once, potentially saving you thousands of dollars over having two or more separate surgeries (you’ll also save time by having only one recovery). To give you a ballpark idea, let’s look at a popular mommy makeover procedure combo: breast lift with augmentation and tummy tuck. Here at The Swan Center, a breast lift with augmentation starts at about $10,800 and a tummy tuck starts at about $7,000. The price of this combined mommy makeover surgery would likely land somewhere between $14,000 and $17,000.

How long is the mommy makeover recovery time?

The downtime you’ll need depends on the procedures you have. If the surgical aspect of your mommy makeover is limited to breast surgery, you may need only 5 to 10 days off work. A tummy tuck will require 2 to 3 weeks off. During this initial recovery period, you will need full-time assistance with child care, as you will not be allowed to lift anything over about 5 to 10 lbs. or do any strenuous play or household tasks. Driving is not allowed until you are off prescription pain medications and you can wear a seat belt comfortably.

The idea of taking time off for recovery probably seems daunting, even laughable (take time, you ask? I need to find it first!). I get it—and if you have questions, ask your plastic surgeon! They can tell you how long to have an adult caretaker for your kids after surgery or suggest reputable home health care or babysitting services, should you prefer to hire someone. They will also tell you which specific activities are okay and which ones are off-limits as your recovery progresses.

Will having more kids ruin my mommy makeover results?

“Ruin” is a strong word, but future pregnancies will likely undo some improvements made with a mommy makeover, which, after all, is intended to correct pregnancy-related effects. Just like before, your stomach and breasts will stretch out and may not contract all the way back to their previous state. Therefore, I typically recommend women postpone major lifting or skin removal procedures, such as breast lift or tummy tuck surgery, until they’re finished having children.

This does not mean that you have to live with unwanted changes between pregnancies. If your breasts have lost volume but you have minimal skin sagging, breast augmentation can provide a boost in shape with little risk of interfering with your ability to breastfeed. Non-surgical treatments, such as ThermiVa, or the O-Shot can help smooth down fat bulges and rejuvenate vaginal tissues, respectively, with no downtime.

Considering a mommy makeover in Atlanta? Get in touch!

As a female plastic surgeon in Atlanta, I’ve chosen to make mommy makeovers one of my specialties, because I simply love every aspect of working with real moms! It is so rewarding to help another women make positive changes and see her confidence soar as as a result.

I hope I’ve answered a few of your questions here, but I’m sure you have some more of your own. When you’re ready, I’d love to chat with you about your concerns and your various mommy makeover options at a personal consultation. There’s no charge for this visit at The Swan Center; it’s your chance to talk with an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon and learn. Call (770) 667-0904 or contact us online. I look forward to meeting you soon! —Dr. Cat