Many women planning a mommy makeover wonder whether to include breast implants as part of their transformation.
It’s a significant decision:
- On one hand, implants can restore lost volume and fullness for a more youthful, curvy bust.
- On the other hand, not everyone needs or wants implants. You might achieve your goals with a breast lift alone and avoid the extra maintenance or risks that implants bring.
The right choice depends on your personal body goals, how your breasts have changed post-pregnancy, and your comfort with the idea of implants. We’ll share some things to keep in mind as you make your decision.
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WHAT DOES A MOMMY MAKEOVER INCLUDE?
A mommy makeover is a customized set of cosmetic procedures designed to restore your pre-pregnancy body (or improve it further) in a single combined surgery. Pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding can lead to changes like sagging breasts, lost breast volume, excess tummy skin, stretched abdominal muscles, and stubborn fat pockets.
A mommy makeover addresses multiple areas at once to tackle these issues comprehensively. Every mommy makeover is tailored to the individual, but it can include:
- Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) – To remove excess abdominal skin and tighten separated muscles, flattening the stomach.
- Liposuction – to contour areas with resistant fat (like the waist, hips, or thighs) for a smoother shape.
- Breast Enhancement – often a breast lift, breast augmentation, or a combination of both. This improves the breasts’ shape and volume, addressing sagging or deflation from breastfeeding.
- Other add-ons – depending on personal goals, some makeovers include procedures like a breast reduction, buttock enhancement, or even vaginal rejuvenation.
By combining procedures, a mommy makeover lets you recover from all the changes at once rather than multiple separate surgeries. It also means one time under anesthesia, which saves money compared to doing each of these procedures a la carte.
Breast surgery is a key component for many mothers because breasts commonly change after pregnancy. However, what kind of breast surgery – implants, lift, both, or neither – will depend on your needs and preferences. The mommy makeover is not one-size-fits-all.
You and your plastic surgeon will decide which procedures will best achieve your desired outcome.
BREAST CHANGES AFTER PREGNANCY AND YOUR OPTIONS
Pregnancy and breastfeeding affect each woman’s breasts differently. Some women find that after nursing, their breasts have lost volume and look “deflated.”
Others might experience significant sagging (ptosis) due to stretched skin and ligaments, even if some volume remains. For a few, breasts may have grown larger or become asymmetrical.
When planning a mommy makeover, it’s important to assess what your breasts specifically need:
Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
This surgery addresses shape and position. If your primary concern is sagging breasts (nipples pointing downward, loose skin), a breast lift can remove excess skin and tighten the breast tissue, lifting the breasts back to a perkier, higher position. A lift can also reposition and resize stretched areolas. However, a lift does not add volume. It reshapes what you already have.
Breast Augmentation (Implants)
This procedure addresses volume and fullness. If your breasts have emptied out or shrunk in size after baby, implants can restore or even increase your bust size. Implants come in various sizes and types (saline or silicone), and they can bring back the fullness in the upper part of the breast that often disappears after breastfeeding. Augmentation can also help if you’ve always wanted a larger cup size or more cleavage than you had pre-pregnancy.
Lift with Augmentation
Many moms have both issues: significant sagging and loss of volume. In these cases, combining a lift with implants can give the best result. The lift provides a youthful position and shape, while the implant restores fullness. Done together in one surgery, this can dramatically rejuvenate the breasts. For example, if you have very lax skin and deflated breasts, an implant alone might not properly fill out the excess skin, and a lift alone might make the breasts perky but smaller than you’d like, so the combination addresses both size and shape.
Neither, or Non-Implant Options
Not every mommy makeover has to include a breast procedure. If you’re happy with your breast size and shape, you might skip breast surgery entirely. Alternatively, if you’d only like a subtle volume increase, a fat transfer to the breasts can provide a modest boost. If your breasts became overly large and uncomfortable post-pregnancy, a breast reduction (often with a lift) might be the procedure you need instead of implants.
In a nutshell, the decision to get breast implants comes down to whether adding volume aligns with your goals.
REASONS TO INCLUDE BREAST IMPLANTS IN YOUR MOMMY MAKEOVER
Choosing to add breast implants during your mommy makeover can offer several benefits if they match your goals.
Here are some common reasons women decide to include implants:
- Restoring lost volume, due to pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Enhancing shape and fullness
- Increasing cup size
- Improving body proportion (along with the tummy tuck)
- Correcting asymmetry or deflation differences
- Getting a boost in confidence
REASONS YOU MIGHT SKIP BREAST IMPLANTS
Breast implants are optional in a mommy makeover. You can absolutely have amazing results without them if they’re not a fit for you.
Here are some reasons you might choose not to include breast implants in your combo surgery:
- Already satisfied with breast size and shape
- Not interested in additional maintenance (breast implants come with some long-term considerations)
- Smoother recovery
- Cost savings
- Keeping the option open for later
In summary, you might skip breast implants if you don’t feel a strong need for bigger breasts or if you have any reservations about implants. Your decision could be driven by comfort, health considerations, or simply contentment with a more subtle enhancement.
All of these reasons are completely valid: what matters is what will make you happiest and most comfortable.
MAKING THE DECISION: WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Deciding whether to include breast implants in your mommy makeover ultimately comes down to personal preference and individual circumstances.
Here are a few final points to help you navigate this choice:
Evaluate Your Post-Baby Breasts
Take an honest look at how pregnancy and breastfeeding have affected your breasts. Are you unhappy with the volume (they feel too small or “empty”)? Or is it more about the position/shape (they’re droopy but you don’t mind the size)?
If volume is a major issue for you, augmentation might be worth it.
If volume is fine but sagging is the problem, a lift alone could solve it.
Sometimes it’s both, calling for a combined approach. Consider trying on padded bras or sizers to envision what a fuller bust would look like on your current body. Does that image appeal to you, or do you prefer how you look in your natural size once lifted?
Clarify Your Aesthetic Goals
Think about your ideal outcome. Do you dream of the curves and fullness you had at your peak (or more), or are you aiming for a natural, subtle rejuvenation? Look at before-and-after photos of mommy makeovers with and without implants. Which results do you gravitate towards?
If you find yourself loving the rounded, fuller look, that’s a sign you may lean toward implants. If you prefer the gentler, natural look of a lift-only result, you might skip them. Remember, this is about what makes you feel beautiful and confident. There’s no right or wrong answer.
Discuss With a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
A qualified, experienced plastic surgeon like Dr. Jaime Schwartz MD FACS will be your best guide. During your consultation, be very open about your desires and hesitations. A surgeon will examine your breast tissue, skin elasticity, and chest measurements to advise what will achieve your goals.
They may tell you, for example, that to get the upper fullness you want, an implant is needed, or conversely that you have enough tissue to forgo implants if you wish. They can also explain the specifics of implant types, sizes, and the incision approach, as well as what a lift entails, so you fully understand the implications.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions about safety, recovery differences, or even long-term considerations.
Consider Future Plans
Ideally, you should be done having children and at a stable weight before a mommy makeover. This ensures your results last longer.
If there’s any chance you’ll have another baby, keep in mind pregnancy can re-stretch breasts and possibly affect implants or undo some of a lift. Also, significant weight fluctuations in the future could change your breast size and shape again. While these factors shouldn’t scare you away from surgery, they’re part of the picture.
If you’re on the fence partly due to future uncertainties, discuss that with your doctor.
They might recommend a more conservative approach if, say, you plan to lose more weight or might have a baby later, so you don’t do anything you’ll have to redo. Generally, though, if you’re at the point of considering a mommy makeover, you’re likely past those life changes.
Trust Your Instincts
After gathering all the information and professional advice, listen to your own feelings. If you’re truly excited about having fuller breasts as part of your makeover, that enthusiasm is important.
If you have a gut feeling of discomfort about implants, that is important to acknowledge too. The goal of cosmetic surgery is to make you feel happier as your authentic you.
Choose the path that you feel most at peace with and excited about. It’s completely normal to have some nerves about any surgery, but you should ultimately feel confident that your decision aligns with your vision of yourself.
Lastly, remember that a mommy makeover is about you reclaiming your body and confidence after the changes of motherhood. For some, that journey includes breast implants. For others, it doesn’t, and they feel fantastic with a lift or no breast surgery at all.
Both choices are valid and can yield beautiful results.
FIND OUT MORE
The best way to know if breast implants are right for your mommy makeover is to talk it through with an experienced surgeon who understands your goals and body type.
A personal consultation with Dr. Jaime Schwartz MD FACS can give you the clarity and confidence you need to make the choice that feels right for you.