How Much Does a Mommy Makeover Cost?

[Jeannette]

I have Kaiser medical insurance and they will do the stomach as part of our procedure approx two years after we have our sleeve surgery. They want us to reach goal and maintain it for a year.

[Msvetrn]

I have Kaiser medical insurance and they will do the stomach as part of our procedure approx two years after we have our sleeve surgery. They want us to reach goal and maintain it for a year.

You are lucky, Jeannette!! That time will fly by.

[Dee Leshuz]

You ARE lucky. Not all Kaisers are the same and mine has told everyone who gets the sleeve or any other WLS that they will NOT be paying for "cosmetic surgery." If you have a pannis it has to hang down to your knees before they'll intervene!

[niamh]

....a pannis....

Gotta love the medical profession's ability to come up with a jargon-y name for everything! Never heard of this before - belly apron/flap worked fine for me. They are actually trying in the UK to stop doctors using jargon terms when there are commonly accepted words so that patients can understand reports etc written about them.

[Dee Leshuz]

To be honest I've heard doctors refer to apron, too, that is just what popped into my head this morning. However, many times medical procedures are not "covered" here by insurance unless they are deemed a medical "need" and if they're medically necessary they often come with official, jagon-y names.

[Jeannette]

Yikes, I hope they will still do it when the time comes! The first time I met my surgeon he asked to see my gallbladder incisions and did make the comment that I had a large pannis and I was thinking, "a what?!" He is not the warmest person but I know he is a good surgeon. I keep thinking if I didnt have this belly, I would probably be able to fit into pants that are two sizes smaller.

[Dee Leshuz]

Don't worry-as I've said, not all Kaisers are created equal-if they've said they will provide it for you, you will probably get that. I was just highlighting the difference between yours and my Kaiser where they say no deal!

Especially for me, I think, that I will have a small pannis when it's all said and done.

[mommyducky]

One thing I just don't understand is that I thought you were supposed to get to goal and then wait a year before doing plastics. I see that many many people are doing it even before they reach goal. Can someone educate me on this?

I have a consult on Friday, just to get the idea of what I can expect. I am near goal, but of course not really sure what weight I will stabilize at. I hope to do plastics in Nov/Dec 2013 - basically two years after my sleeve surgery.

It is a good idea to wait until you reach your goal. I was within 3-4lbs of my goal weight (and had been within 2lbs of this weight for a few months) when I started to look into doing the mommy makeover. When I scheduled my surgery, I determined to lose those last couple pounds prior to my surgery. When I went into surgery, I was 2lbs below my initial goal weight and decided to change my goal from 125lbs to 120lbs. My ps said that was a non-issue because I only wanted to lose 3lbs. As long as you do not have more than 10lbs to lose, it does not make a difference. I posed this question to each ps I consulted with and they all said the same thing. If your weight has been mostly stable for a couple months and you do not plan to lose more than 5-10lbs then you should be fine. In fact, since having my surgery, I have gotten on the scale and my weight now is 127 (2 days ago, it was 129)! I know it is because of the surgery; I have a lot of swelling and bloating that is making me weigh more (plus whatever the weight of my implants too, maybe?). But it made me realize when I look at my body now that those 5 lbs or whatever do not make any difference because I look fantastic now! I have a flat tummy! So whatever weight I end up at when this is all over will be my "goal weight" which I will just try to maintain from here on out. You have the right idea though about your weight because the number of pounds is far less important than being healthy.

I think weight, like age, is an arbitrary number. What matters more is that you look and feel good! If you feel young and look young then who can say you are not young? Same with weight. If you look and feel thin, you are thin. It doesn't matter what the scale says.

[Dee Leshuz]

mommyducky-how much did your surgery cost?

[mommyducky]

Just wondering how much everyone has paid for these procedures in the US and Mexico. I am interested in doing a breast lift with implants, tummy tuck and possible lipo.

mommyducky-how much did your surgery cost?

I did my surgery in South Florida and paid $11k for one of the best plastic surgeons around. I got a discount for being referred and also my surgeon was really super nice and understood that I was not as financially well off as the woman who referred me to him (she is like a billionaire). I wanted the rich Miami experience but did not have the rich Miami money. Luckily, he was very understanding. Other ps I went to in the area wanted around $14k. Although there are also doctors who have deals around $6-$7k. I do not know if I would feel safe with those who advertise such low prices online. I trust more the doctor who waits to see you before quoting a price. But that's just me. I also would be scared to go to Mexico.

The price I paid included all pre and post-op tests, all garments, medications (except a couple scripts I had to fill which cost $50 total), and as many post-op check ups as needed for a year. I like knowing my doctor and/or his wonderful nurse is always available and nearby whenever I need them. It really is a personal choice. I am very happy with the choice I made. But I must also tell you that my parents paid for my surgery so if I had to pay for it myself, it may well have gone differently. Good luck to you and everyone else going through this!

[mommyducky]

Realself.com is a good place to get the "average" price for procedures but it should be noted that to get an average you simply take the price of all procedures, add them together and divide. It's a rough, not specific, guide.


Mommy Makeover Price ~ What to Expect to Pay

Realself is awesome. It is a great place to connect with others who did the procedure you want to do. I read a ton of reviews there when I was planning my surgery and you can also find a surgeon in your area and read what others have said about him/her.

[tmclenn]

I was still a "big girl" when I went for plastics. I was 202 the day I left. He took off 12 lbs but when I got home I was only down a couple of pounds due to swelling (very normal) now I am 7+ weeks and am down 17 lbs. I still have some swelling but it is getting better and better all the time. I basically was stable on my weight at 200-204 for almost a year. I do NOT think it is a good idea to go until you are stable. In my case I didn't expect to look amazing just wanted my VERY large flap gone. Never knew I could look this good, but for some people my weight would not be acceptable at 185 today. I don't mind being a big girl just like that now I am curvy in the RIGHT areas!! LOL

ElleMarie, you mentioned you were a nurse, me too, how long did you take off work? Terry

[ElleMarie]

Sorry for the confusion Terry, I am NOT a nurse, I did work many years assisting doctors and working in the medical field. I believe you might be referring to a message I wrote alluding to Msvetrn being a nurse.

I did take off 5 weeks from work and when I went back it was to light duty. I had a VERY large surgery, the MMO isn't easy like the sleeve was. Overall I did VERY well, I did have incisions rip open but that was because I have issues with adhesives, steristrips, sutures and surgical glue. They are running out of ways to close me up!! LOL

I would recommend anyone to be off work a minimum of 3 weeks if you have a desk job, 6 if you don't and 8 if you have to lift. I am just getting where lifting above my head is comfortable at about 7 weeks out. I might have been able to do it but with open incisions in my breast I didn't want to push that envelope.

I don't say any of this to scare anyone, my wound issues are because of ME, not a reflection of my surgeon or my post op behaviors.

[lara0280]

it is true that you feel more confidence when the doctor see your pictures before giving you a price and solve you doubts before you go where your doctor is to have surgery and then ben check again by him on person, cause i know there are many who just met the patient at the O.R. like they were doing some kind of serial work and don't individualize procedures, thats why i like my surgeon, he wait to receive my photos, and the he told me what his plan would be and ask me if i agree, then he check on me again once i get to the hospital and explain me everything to me and the other 2 girls that had surgery the same day, doctor egana its really professional, he looks really young but in my opinion he is great.

[kildaere]

Definitely.
Dr Niebles wanted to see my photos before he would make surgical decisions and quote a price. Made me feel much more comfortable, I felt like he was more involved and invested than some 'assembly line' surgeons in Mexico/Central & South America.