If you have young children, recovery may be one of the biggest practical questions when you are considering a mummy makeover.
It is one thing to know that you will need time to recover. It is another to imagine that recovery while you have a toddler asking to be picked up, a baby needing feeding, or children who still need help with everyday activities.
A mummy makeover can involve more than one surgical procedure, so your recovery will depend on exactly what you have done. Your surgeon will give you specific instructions, including when you can lift, drive, exercise and return to work.
Planning childcare and household support before your surgery can make those restrictions much easier to manage.
How long should you wait before a mummy makeover if you are breastfeeding?
If you are currently breastfeeding, you will need to have fully stopped breastfeeding before having a mummy makeover that includes breast surgery. Your breasts also need time to settle after breastfeeding has ended. Your surgeon will assess your individual circumstances and advise you on the appropriate timing during your consultation.
It is also important to discuss future breastfeeding before having breast surgery. Depending on the procedure and how it is performed, breast surgery can affect your ability to breastfeed in the future. If you may want to breastfeed another baby, tell your surgeon during your consultation so this can be taken into account when discussing your options.
If you are taking prescribed or over-the-counter medicines after surgery and breastfeeding, ask your doctor, surgeon or pharmacist whether they are suitable.
Can you pick up your child after a mummy makeover?
This is one of the most important questions to ask if you have young children.
After abdominal surgery such as a tummy tuck, you will usually be advised to avoid strenuous activity and heavy lifting during the early stages of recovery. The NHS advises that recovery from a tummy tuck can take several weeks, with around four to six weeks away from work and exercise as general guidance. Your individual recovery may be different.
That can make caring for a toddler particularly challenging.
A toddler may not understand why you cannot pick them up. They may instinctively reach for you, climb onto your lap or expect you to carry them upstairs.
You should therefore plan on the basis that you may not be able to lift your child during the early part of your recovery.
The exact lifting restriction will depend on your surgery and your surgeon’s instructions. Do not assume that because you feel better, you are automatically ready to lift your child.
This is something to discuss specifically at your consultation, particularly if your children are still young enough to need carrying.
What does a lifting restriction mean in everyday parenting?
A lifting restriction can affect more than simply picking up your child.
You may need to avoid:
- Lifting your child in and out of a cot
- Carrying a toddler upstairs
- Putting a child into a car seat
- Lifting a child into a high chair
- Carrying a child while walking around the house
- Picking up toys or other objects from the floor repeatedly
- Moving a pushchair or other heavy baby equipment
- Bathing a young child if it involves lifting them in or out of the bath
Even activities that do not feel particularly strenuous can involve bending, stretching, twisting or lifting.
This is why it is worth planning your normal routine in advance rather than simply arranging someone to be present on the day of surgery.
Think about the moments when you normally need to lift your children and work out who will take over those tasks while you recover.
How much help should you arrange before surgery?
If you have young children, it is sensible to arrange more help than you think you will need.
You may feel reasonably comfortable at some points during recovery but still have restrictions on what you can lift or how much physical activity you should do.
Ask your partner, family member, friend or other trusted support person to take responsibility for tasks such as:
- Getting children out of bed
- Dressing younger children
- Preparing meals
- School or nursery runs
- Bathing
- Putting children into car seats
- Carrying children
- Household shopping
- Laundry
- Cleaning
- Bedtime routines
If your children attend nursery or school, consider who will handle drop-offs and collections.
It can also help to arrange backup support. Children get ill, plans change and the person you expected to help may not always be available.
What should you change at home before your operation?
A little preparation can make everyday life easier when you are tired or uncomfortable.
Move frequently used items so that you can reach them without repeatedly bending or stretching. Keep medicines, water, snacks, chargers and other essentials within easy reach of where you will spend most of your time.
If your toddler normally sleeps in a cot that requires you to bend down or lift them out, arrange for someone else to handle this.
You may also want to prepare meals in advance and stock up on everyday household essentials.
Think about your child’s routine too. If there are activities that require you to get on the floor, carry equipment or travel frequently, consider whether someone else can take over temporarily.
The aim is not to recreate your normal routine immediately. It is to make your normal routine possible with less physical effort while you heal.
What might you manage during the first week?
The first week is likely to be the most demanding from a practical point of view.
Your body will be recovering from surgery, and you may experience discomfort, swelling and tiredness. If you have had abdominal surgery, movements such as getting up from a chair or bed may also be uncomfortable.
Your priorities during this stage should be rest, following your surgeon’s instructions and taking care of yourself.
You may be able to spend time with your children, read to them, talk to them or sit with them, but you should not assume that you will be able to provide their usual physical care.
If you have a baby, feeding arrangements need particular thought.
What might you manage during weeks two and three?
There is no single recovery timetable for everyone, but you may gradually become more mobile as the early postoperative period passes.
You may be able to spend more time with your children and take part in quieter activities. You may also find that everyday tasks become easier.
That does not necessarily mean you are ready to resume all your parenting responsibilities.
You may still need help with lifting, bathing, carrying and other physically demanding tasks. If your surgeon has told you not to lift your children, continue to follow that advice even if you are feeling significantly better.
Recovery is not simply about how you feel on a particular day. Your body is still healing, and returning to strenuous activity too soon can interfere with recovery.
What might you manage around weeks four to six?
By this stage, some people may be able to return to more everyday activities, depending on the procedures they have had and how their recovery is progressing.
The NHS gives four to six weeks as general guidance for time away from work and exercise following a tummy tuck, although this does not mean everyone will be fully recovered at six weeks.
Your surgeon will tell you when you can gradually resume particular activities.
You may be able to do more around the house and spend more active time with your children, but lifting restrictions may still apply depending on your surgery and progress.
This is also why it is important not to organise your childcare on the assumption that you will definitely be back to normal on a particular date.
Give yourself some flexibility.
When can you return to normal parenting?
There is no universal date when normal parenting resumes after a mummy makeover.
Your recovery depends on the procedures you have had, your general health and how your body heals.
A mummy makeover involving a tummy tuck, breast surgery and liposuction may require a different recovery from a procedure involving only one area.
Your surgeon will advise you when it is appropriate to increase your activity and resume things such as lifting, exercise and other physically demanding activities.
If you are caring for a young child, ask specifically about the weight of your child and the activities involved in your usual routine.
“Can I return to normal?” is a useful question, but “Can I lift my 12 kg toddler into the car seat?” is much more helpful.
The more specific you are, the clearer your recovery plan is likely to be.
What if your child needs you during recovery?
This is perhaps the hardest part to plan for.
Young children do not always understand physical restrictions. They may want to cuddle, climb onto your lap or be carried when they are upset.
It can help to explain beforehand, in age-appropriate language, that you will have a sore tummy or need to rest and that another adult will help with lifting.
You can still spend time together without doing everything you normally would.
Reading stories, watching a film together, drawing, playing a quiet game or sitting together can allow you to stay involved while someone else handles the more physical parts of childcare.
If your child is old enough to understand, involving them in simple preparations can also help them adjust to a temporary change in routine.
What should you arrange before a mummy makeover?
If you have young children, make a practical recovery plan before your surgery.
Think about:
Childcare: Who will provide day-to-day care, including mornings, meals and bedtime?
Lifting: Who will pick up your child, use the car seat, handle the pushchair and manage stairs?
School or nursery: Who will do drop-offs and collections?
Night-time care: Who will get up if your child wakes?
Feeding: How will feeding work if you cannot comfortably lift or position your baby?
Household tasks: Who will cook, clean, shop and do laundry?
Backup: What happens if your main helper is unavailable?
It may be useful to write down your normal weekday routine and identify every task involving lifting, bending, carrying or prolonged standing.
Then arrange help for those tasks rather than simply asking someone to “help out”.
Is it possible to recover from a mummy makeover while caring for young children?
It can be possible, but you should not plan to manage the early recovery entirely on your own if you have young children who depend on you physically.
The practical challenge is not simply having children in the house. It is the lifting, carrying, bending, feeding, bathing, driving and other physical tasks that come with caring for them.
A good recovery plan gives you time to heal without expecting your body to return to its usual workload immediately.
Before deciding on surgery, talk to your surgeon about your children’s ages, their approximate weights and the physical tasks you normally perform for them.
That conversation can help you understand what support you are likely to need and how you can plan for the recovery period.
If you are considering a mummy makeover, a consultation with us gives you an opportunity to discuss the procedures you are considering, as well as the recovery and practical considerations that apply to you.
Frequently asked questions
There is no single timeframe that applies to everyone. Lifting restrictions depend on the procedures performed and your individual recovery. Your surgeon should give you specific instructions about when you can safely lift your child.
You may be able to spend time with your toddler during recovery, but you may need someone else to handle lifting, carrying, bathing, car seats and other physically demanding tasks, particularly during the early stages.
Future breastfeeding may still be possible after a mummy makeover, but breast surgery can affect your ability to breastfeed. This depends on the type of breast procedure you have and how it is performed. If you may want to breastfeed in the future, discuss this with your surgeon before surgery so you understand the potential impact on breastfeeding.
There is no fixed date. As your recovery progresses, your surgeon will advise when you can gradually resume activities such as lifting, exercise and other physically demanding tasks.
Consider arranging help with childcare, lifting, school or nursery runs, meals, bathing, bedtime, shopping and household tasks. It is also sensible to have a backup plan in case your main support person is unavailable.