May 8, 2025

Is There a Weight Limit or BMI for Mommy Makeover?

Written by Dr. Smita Ramanadham. Posted in Blog.

BMI for Mommy Makeover is an important consideration for any woman thinking about this transformative procedure. We see many images of celebrities who look great just a few months after pregnancy. This has spurred an increase in demand for mommy makeovers. A mommy makeover surgery is a flexible set of cosmetic procedures to improve a woman’s figure after childbirth or weight loss.

Patients can customize their New Jersey mommy makeover according to their body’s needs and budget. Most mommy makeovers, however, usually focus on the breasts and abdomen.

Procedures often included in a mommy makeover surgery are:

Find out more about mommy makeovers below, including whether there is a weight limit for this procedure.

What Is a Mommy Makeover?

Not every woman needs all the procedures mentioned above. The only way to find out the best procedures for you is to talk to your plastic surgeon.

Let’s take a look at some of the more common mommy makeover procedures:

Breast Lift

The physical changes that come with pregnancy are significant. Many women in their 30s and 40s need a breast lift after having their baby. This is because the breasts expand with milk during pregnancy and then go back down in size afterward. It’s common for some women to go up and down two or three breast sizes during and after pregnancy. Breast augmentation is right for other women.

The breast skin must stretch to accommodate the milk, so the woman may be left with flat, sagging breasts that affect her self-confidence and appearance. Some women also may be left with smaller breasts after they finish breastfeeding, so breast surgery such as augmentation may be helpful.

If the patient’s nipples point south, that indicates they need a breast lift. But if the nipples are in a normal position, you may only need breast augmentation. Talk to your surgeon about saline or silicone implants. Breast reduction surgery, while possible, isn’t as common in a mommy makeover.

Liposuction

Even with a healthy diet and exercise for months, it can be challenging to get rid of stubborn fat accumulated during pregnancy. Liposuction is popular for mommy makeovers because it removes excess fat and body fat from the abdomen, sides, legs, arms, and more.

Your surgeon can use liposuction combined with a tummy tuck to give you a flatter, trimmer belly, too. These will help to remove fat and excess skin and give you a more flattering figure. Stretch marks are a common concern after pregnancy. Many women are curious if liposuction can help with stretch marks. Unfortunately, stretch marks are not something that is addressed by lipo.

Tummy Tuck

During pregnancy, the abdomen expands to make room for the growing baby. After childbirth, the stretched skin in the abdomen may not completely retract. Many women are left with sagging, flabby excess fat and skin that they cannot eliminate with diet and exercise.

A tummy tuck trims away excess fat, tightens sagging skin, and restores a flatter belly. This procedure is especially popular after significant weight loss, where loose skin often remains. If you’re planning to lose weight, it’s usually best to wait until you are at a stable weight before undergoing a tummy tuck.

The incision is usually made from hip to hip below the navel. The surgeon may also tighten the abdominal muscles with internal sutures while trimming and suturing the remaining skin.

They may do liposuction during the tummy tuck to eliminate additional fat pockets. After your tummy tuck, make sure to follow your surgeon’s instructions carefully to ensure the wound healing process goes smoothly and to reduce the risk of surgical complications.

Weight Limit For Mommy Makeover & BMI for Mommy Makeover

Many plastic surgeons have weight limits for their procedures for safety reasons. Many say that a patient’s body mass index (BMI) indicates how ready they are to have plastic surgery. Surgeons often require a healthy BMI—usually less than 32—to have a major cosmetic procedure, such as a mommy makeover.

However, other surgeons may look at other factors than your weight to decide whether you’re ready for a mommy makeover. Mommy makeover candidates are evaluated individually.

BMI for Mommy Makeover

It can be too simplistic to only look at a patient’s body mass index to determine their suitability for plastic surgery. For example, some patients may have more muscle mass which makes them heavier. But, on the other hand, they could be relatively fit and healthy enough for a mommy makeover.

Fat Removal Limits Based on BMI

Also, many mommy makeovers include liposuction. For years, most plastic surgeons considered 11 pounds of fat and fluid as the most that could be safely removed in one session.

However, a study in 2015 indicated that the maximum amount of fat taken out doesn’t need to be constant for safety’s sake. The higher your body mass index, the more fat can be safely taken out.

For instance, if the surgeon removes 11 pounds of fat from someone who weighs 140 pounds versus 250, it’s a very different situation. That’s why many surgeons now advocate for a sliding BMI scale for cosmetic procedures.

Plastic surgeons also consider how the patient’s fat is distributed and how much muscle mass they have.

Higher BMI Means Higher Risk

Studies also show that while a patient with a higher body mass index can have a mommy makeover and liposuction, it doesn’t mean the risks are less. For example, a person with a BMI of 30 still has a higher risk for surgical complications, such as infection and tissue necrosis.

Best Results at Ideal Weight

Mommy makeover results also may be better for patients close to their ideal weight. For example, an overweight patient who has a mommy makeover may find it more challenging to have a proportional appearance if they have fat in other areas of the body. For this reason, some people consider it a weight loss procedure, even though it’s best reserved for those who are already near their ideal weight.

Your plastic surgeon will consult with you to determine if you are at a healthy BMI and stable weight to move forward as one of the mommy makeover candidates.

Best Time To Have A Mommy Makeover

Many surgeons say you should wait at least six months after pregnancy to have a mommy makeover of a concern for patient safety.. This gives the body a chance to recover from a mommy makeover and return to a normal weight. However, if you still need to lose more than 10 or 15 pounds after pregnancy, the surgeon may recommend you wait to have the surgical procedure. It is also important to stop smoking before your surgery. Whenever you choose to have your cosmetic surgery, your surgeon will advise you to avoid heavy lifting after your mommy makeover procedure

Having a mommy makeover when you are slightly overweight is probably safe; you simply may have more impressive results if you have the surgical procedure close to your goal weight.

As noted earlier, some surgeons may perform a mommy makeover when you are heavier. Talk to your surgeon to learn their guidelines and recommendations. Many patients are curious if their insurance company will cover the cost of mommy makeovers. Unfortunately this is not often the case.

A mommy makeover is a proven way to revitalize a woman’s body after pregnancy or weight loss. Speak to your surgeon today to learn more.

Request A Mommy Makeover Consultation

Considering a mommy makeover in New Jersey? Dr. Smita. R. Ramanadham can help you obtain the results you want. Dr. Ramanadham will go over your options, goals and the cost of a mommy makeover to determine if this surgical procedure is a good fit.

If you’re ready to take the next step toward rejuvenating your body and boosting your confidence, contact Dr. Smita today to schedule your consultation. She’ll guide you through every aspect of the procedure to ensure you achieve the best possible outcome.