Tummy Tuck/breast Lift and Implants

Hi...DO IT!!! i did it but not until my youngest was 28. If I could have, I would have done it sooner. I had a tummy tuck & a lift, no implants. It is so worth it! I can wear clothes I could not wear before & my stomache doesnt hang! The ugly...scars, but I dont care. Scars are better than what I had before, stretchmarks are already scars anyway. It is a trade-off. You will not be perfect, just more comfortable. I had an infection after that lasted a while but I would still do it even knowing I would get an infection! Good Luck!

Hi K., I had it all planned. I finished having babies at 30 and I knew for my 40th birthday I would get the work done. I researched it, met people who had it done and I was ready. I was ready to release belly and the boobs (I was a size 16 and an F cup at 5'6"!)

In 2005, my dear friend got a tummy tuck, implants and her thighs nipped. In that same month I started on a nutritional cleansing program to supplement my diet. I wasn't ready for the surgery, I was waiting until I was 40. In less than a year I lost a bunch of weight...my breasts shrank (still saggy but they shrank from an F to a C) AND I feel fabulous. I am a size 1-3, I can buy clothes in the kids section AND I get to wear all those cute underwear sets that never fit me before. And it didn't cost me the thousands of dollars like surgery would have.

My girlfriend? She put on 20 pounds these last couple of years, and she is thinking of going back to the doctor to get it "fixed". I, on the other hand, had my 40th birthday in April and I chose NO SURGERY. If you want, I will send you my before and after pictures.

K., I know a lot of people who get "touched up". I really thought I was going to be one of them. But I will tell you, when I changed my body on my own my thoughts about my body changed. I do not look at my self in the mirror and see my "flaws" any more I see the changes I made...not the ones a doctor could make...and I can guarantee you this...that has made all the difference in the world between my results and my girlfriends.

Of course, your body, your decision, but I will tell you this, I will NEVER again believe that I need a doctor to help me be beautiful. I know what my own body had the power to do when I treat it right. One thing I know for sure, my eyes will always see me the way I am in my mind, not the way the doctor made me look.

B.
Family Success Coach

i don't have any personal expericence with either but i do want breast implants, because i breast fed also...and things are headed south. I just wanted to say if you want it and can afford it go for it. because YOU have to be happy and confident with yourself! people can tell you all day that you are beautiful, but if you don't believe it then what good is it. so just strive to be happy. and i say go for it. good luck and a speedy recovery.

Are you done having children? If not, don't do it till you are. In the mean time, you can help slow gravity's effect on 'the girls' by getting correctly sized for a good support bra, and then wear it most of the time. Most women wear bras that do not fit them well (or not well anymore). A correct band size should be firm but not tight or loose. A correct cup size should should support well without bagging nor bulging. Most women wear cup sizes that are too small and band too big. Also, the shape cup you wore before breast feeding might not be the one that's best for you once you are finished feeding. A well fitting bra is so comfortable and much cheaper than surgery, and much more easily correctable.
http://www.biggerbras.com/how-to-fit-a-bra.shtml

You are at the begining of your 'reproductive life'. And, just starting school, the investment would be invaluable in your education at this time, after anyone has a baby it takes a while for the body to get back to 'normal', give your body a break! Allow your self to enjoy your child and adjust to the school schedule, once you get into a good rythm, you may eventually look in the mirror and see voila! I'm back!

If you know with out a shadow of a doubt you will only have one child and will never even contemplate the idea of even possibly having another child some time in the future- I wouldn't spend the money on it, I would keep that money rolling through into your bachelors degree or better yet get into Ultrasound- its a great career!! (I have seen very bitter women who have had tummy tucks who unexpectedly became pregnant, the tummy doesn't even look natural). Could you imagine what stretch marks look like after a tummy tuck?

Breast implants in women look so unattractive when your breast feeding, in particular the surgery scar, my friends breasts were big in pregnancy before she had them, thinking she would NEVER have another child. She was about your age, had breast implants and after her second marriage and second child all they did was make her breasts bigger with bigger stretch marks.

Something to think about!!

Are you sure that you are done having kids? You are so young, and you have about 30 years of fertility ahead of you. If you have another child, you may need to repeat the whole expensive, painful thing all over again... just a thought.

Hi K.!

I hated my stretch marks too! I am 4' 11" and my daughter was born 8lbs., 12 oz. I, unfortunately, didn't have the option of surgery, though I sure wished for it. My stretch marks were on my rear, breasts, tummy and thighs!

When my marriage ended I really panicked because eventhough I wasn't looking for anyone at the time, I figured at some point I would become physical with someone again and those stretch marks sure were awful. Anyway, one day I heard a commercial for Cellatrix. I figured, why not. I won't tell you my skin looks like it did pre-pregnancy, but, it sure made a difference. My skin feels so smooth you can hardly feel them and they are very faded. I even felt comfortable enough to sun bathe my tummy while vacationing in Hawaii this past summer. It made a huge difference on my upper arms too. It is a little expensive, but less than surgery.

I don't know if you are willing to try this but I hope my experience helps. Good luck, whatever you decide I'm sure will be the best for you.

Haven't had one done, but I plan on having some excess skin removed because of my weight loss... however, the one thing I would recommendation that I have is to research your cosmetic surgeon thoroughly. My granny didn't do that with hers and she had her eyes done and she ended up looking horrible with LOTS of problems afterwards. She regretted it SO much. Take your time and get lots of reviews and recommendations and feel free to ask for client/patient contacts so that you can speak with them.

Hi K.,

I've had my implants for a little over a year. It has taken some getting used to but I am SO glad I did it.

Like has been said in previous replies, this is a decision you make for yourself. Just be sure to do your research. If possible, go on plastic surgery websites and look for women posting about breast augmentation. Read, read, read .. ask questions. Find sites that offer before and after pictures. Find examples that look like "you - before." Look at their "afters", chances are, you'll end up with similar results.

Investigate sizes, saline vs. silicone (if you can afford silicone - go with it!) You may get a doctor who swears up and down "you should go bigger, you'll regret it later, you'll wish you had gone bigger" DON'T LISTEN!! I had a doctor suggest 500 cc's .. HUGE for my frame. You'll know what you want, don't be coerced into anything.

Make sure the doctor you decide to go with has a LARGE selection of photographs of HIS work. I thought it was important for my doctor to specialize breast augmentation as well as other procedures. Google the doc's name .. really get into this!

I did all this regularly and got A LOT of information prior to my surgery. You'll find people are very open to discussing their experiences in these types of forums.

good luck!
W. f.

Please bear in mind that you are talking major surgery here. It involves anesthesia and major recovery time. And as with any major surgery, there are some significant risks. I suspect that your daughter and your loving husband would rather have you there with them, in good health, complete with stretch marks, than potentially injured, or worse. Please make sure that whoever you choose to do these procedures, if you decide to go ahead, is certified and qualified. I'm sorry if this sounds preachy; I just hate the fact that women are so focused on body image that they forget that what's really attractive is what's inside--like your excitement about your education. Do you love anyone more because they have perky boobs or flawless skin?

You seem very young to already need this kind of cosmetic surgery---maybe it would be better to spend the money on your child's education fund and find another way to feel better about yourself?!?!

I had a tummy tuck/augmentation done after I had my fourth child. I was very sore for the first 2 weeks following surgery as well as drains for my tummy. I wasn't suppose to stretch my tummy during that time so our recliner was a godsend. I had to wear a sports bra at all times and an elastic wrap for my tummy, that I came home in, and then a type of compression garment to keep my incision flat while it healed. The compression garment is an additional cost. Scarring was minimal, and I scar pretty easily, so that made me happy. I had to have help for the first 2 weeks. After that I was pretty much back to my normal routine, although I had to wait 6 weeks before I could workout regularly again. I had some swelling of my breasts, but not too bad, and I had to have sponge baths until my drains were removed. Make sure you have someone to help you.

I would say you are way to young to be considering plastic surgery. Your body still has alot of changes to go to, especially if you are not done having kids. I am sure your hubby likes you just the way you are.

I love love love my cosmetic surgeon! He litterally made a "new woman" out of me! Dr. Bruce Dubin on San Miguel and Avocado in NPB. Tell him L. C-K sent you and you will be treated like a queen! He isn't the cheapest, but he IS the best. LL

Dear K.,

Breast surgery will destroy your ability to ever successfully nurse another baby 100%. I know moms who had children before and after breast reduction surgery, did not know they would have another baby, and are now unable to nurse their children like they did the first baby, and would give anything to not have had the surgery. Are you sure you want to just throw that away? I would rate nursing my child far higher than any body image.

I had a tumor (benign) removed from my right breast when I was in my thirties, which made it impossible to nurse from the right side. The surgery is similar, even though I begged to not cut through the milk ducts, and supposedly, the doctor chose a way to prevent too much damage, but there is still no milk for my first child out of my right breast. My child is nursed from the left side only, and is low weight/height as compared to others his age.

I won't comment on the other issues, but I think 25 is way too young to have such radical surgical interventions unless they were medically necessary to survive...

Please get more advice and lots of feedback from your family members before making any decisions.

Sincerely,
C.

Hi K., just a little food for thought about the implants. Sometimes breast surgery can affect your ability to breastfeed. You may not be planing on another baby any time soon but you never know. I'd do some research on that - there are different surgical techniques that can do better in preserving the nerves thus limiting the damage that my hinder your ability to breastfeed.
Hope you enjoy your upcoming road trip.

I have a friend who just had a TT--very painful! She went home with a urinary cath and several drains. Her surgeon sent her home that way!!! The cath was removed some two days later, but the drains (tubes coming out of her body) were in for two weeks! The TT was incredibly painful, but it's been about a month and she does look a lot better in her clothes. She has needed a lot of help post op, which is typical.

I have a breast implant under the muscle. The surgery was almost as painful as a c-section. It really hurt, and I have a lot of pain in my back as a result. I have a friend who got hers over the muscle on a Friday, and was back to work the following Monday like it was no big deal. So, from what I hear, the recovery for over the muscle implants is not that bad.

Before you get any plastic surgery, make sure the surgeon tells you exactly what to expect. There are some things that you just would not know to expect unless you actually had the surgery. For instance, with implants, you may never sleep on your stomach again. You might get an itch inside your boob where your tissue used to be, but now there is an implant there and you just can't scratch it! Things like that.

Good luck!

Will you have someone available to assist you while you recover? As well, will there be someone there to care for your daughter? My MIL had a breast reduction/lift, face lift, and tummy tuck all at the same time and can only laugh at that move. She had it done in Mexico (crazy!) and stayed there a week and then drove home to CA. She says she drove home looking like a mummy with a drain tube coming out of her head. She needed help and had to wear some sort of support (which you can wear now and start training you body without surgery). She said it was extremely painful. After all, no horror story to speak of, however I just watched a program about all the bad things that have happened in these surgeries.

http://www.drjanadams.com/procedures.html Take a look at the slideshow.

Now take a look at some of these links and see if you would have recognized this from Dr. Adams site.
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?s=7373419
http://www.romow.com/news-blog/donda-west’s-plastic-surge...

Comments like these below mislead you to think he has practiced for 20 years:
About Dr. Jan- Beverly Hills' world-renowned plastic surgeon has spent over 20 years focusing on the problems of today's Women of Color. Women of Color age differently from Caucasian women and have unique skin concerns, such as hyperpigmentation, scarring and blotchy skin. Dr. Adams helps Women of Color take the anxiety out of choosing the best products for their skin. But, my conclusion is that he has only sold some miracle cream for 20 years for women of color.

No male Jan Adams found to be a certified doctor at www.abms.com, although I read somewhere he was previously a medical doctor. I prefer my surgeon be certified in the specific area they are practicing. A friend recommended a GYN, however when I looked, she was only certified in general medicine, I opted for the doctor who was certified in GYN.

Just use caution in who you allow to cut on your body while you are asleep. You can't go wrong with how you already are.

Best wishes.

My only question is how old is your daughter? Because you can't lift anything & have very limited movement after surgery. If she is still young & wants you to hold her, then I would wait a couple of years before doing it. If you have all of those done at once, the first few weeks will be very painful. If you have people around to help you after the surgery then you should be fine.