Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Extreme Mommy Makeovers

So much for cocoa butter and stomach crunches. Now mommies who are dissatisfied with their post-baby bodies can pay a visit to their plastic surgeon, who, in Extra correspondent Dayna Devon's case, also happens to be her husband. Hey, he's loving his wife for who she is on the inside (literally) while making a few adjustments to what she looks like on the outside. Not many guys can claim that feat.

It seems that plastic surgery is fast becoming the hot new postpartum trend. “When I first started [my] program three years ago, I’d see two to three patients a month and now I see five to six patients a week,” says Dr. Mark Schusterman, founder of the aptly named Makeovers for Moms program at Houston's Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Center. He offers package deals on tummy tucks, breast lifts and laser surgeries for new moms.

On top of the astronomical costs (hopefully women aren't choosing new boobs over college funds) and health risks of these procedures, there's also the question of how much time these patients are giving their bodies to "bounce back" after giving birth before they sign up for surgery. Is our celebrity mom watch culture stirring up an unnecessary and accelerated panic? When women compare their new mom bodies to the airbrushed, overexercised, and yes, nipped and tucked images on every newsstand and gossip blog, is it any wonder more and more moms are rushing to go under the knife? [MSNBC]

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I, for one, have mixed feelings about the makeover surgeries. Certainly, pregnancy changes the body in ways that are remarkable and awesome. Women should be honored for being able to reproduce, not shamed for it. On the other hand, time and gravity all wreak havoc on a youthful figure and let's face it, pregnancy doesn't do much to help. We use makeup to make our lips look fuller, our eyes look bigger and our skin, fresher. We use hair care products to keep our locks lustrous and full and shiny. Yes, surgery is more extreme and more expensive, but is it really SO wrong to want to look attractive? I don't think a hanging bag of a stomach is attractive.....and I wouldn't feel sexy if my boobs hung down to my belly. I had braces to straighten my snagglepuss teeth. Is it really so much worse to want a flat belly?

Again, I have mixed feelings about it all.