In this article
At a glance
- What it is: a tummy tuck combined with breast surgery, and often liposuction, in one plan
- Operation: general anaesthesia, usually 3 to 6 hours
- Hospital stay: 6 nights in a private hospital in Istanbul
- Time in Turkey: about 7 days
- Back to desk work: usually after 2 to 3 weeks
- Price: a fixed, written quote once your surgeon has seen your photos
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and the years that follow can change your body in ways that diet and exercise cannot reverse: a tummy that stays loose, separated stomach muscles, and breasts that have lost volume or dropped. A mommy makeover treats these changes together, in one trip and one recovery.
This guide explains what a mommy makeover can include, when is the right time, what your week in Istanbul looks like, and how to plan recovery around your family.
What can a mommy makeover include?
There is no single mommy makeover. Your plan is built around the changes that bother you most. The most common combinations are:
- Tummy tuck with muscle repair. Removes loose skin and stretch marks below the belly button and stitches separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) back together, for a flatter, firmer tummy.
- Breast lift. Lifts and reshapes breasts that have dropped, and raises the nipples.
- Breast augmentation. Restores lost volume with implants, often combined with a lift.
- Breast reduction. Helps if your breasts stayed larger and heavier after pregnancy.
- Liposuction. Refines the waist, hips, flanks or back.
Is it the right time for you?
You are likely to get the best and longest-lasting result if:
- you have finished having children, because a future pregnancy can stretch the tummy and breasts again
- it has been at least 6 to 12 months since your last birth, and a few months since you stopped breastfeeding, so your breasts have settled
- your weight has been stable and you are close to your goal
- you do not smoke, or can stop for at least 4 to 6 weeks before and after surgery
- you can arrange help with childcare for the first few weeks at home
If you might want more children, you can still have surgery, but tell your surgeon. Some women choose a breast procedure now and wait on the tummy tuck.
One operation or two stages?
Combining procedures means one anaesthetic, one trip and one recovery. For most healthy women, a tummy tuck with one breast procedure can be done safely in one operation of 3 to 6 hours.
If your plan includes several areas, or if you have health conditions, your surgeon may suggest two stages a few months apart. Shorter operations carry a lower risk of complications such as blood clots, and recovery is easier. Your surgeon will explain which approach is safer for you.
How much does a mommy makeover cost in Turkey?
Because every mommy makeover is different, Booking Surgery gives you a fixed, written price after your surgeon has reviewed your photos and agreed your plan. Your package includes:
| Included | Not included |
|---|---|
| Plastic surgeon consultation | Flights |
| Pre-operative tests and medical assessments | Travel insurance |
| General anaesthesia and surgery | Procedures not listed in your plan |
| Private hospital room for 6 nights, with nursing care | |
| Meals for you and a companion | |
| Private airport transfers and an English-speaking interpreter | |
| Dedicated patient coordinator | |
| Compression garment and medication |
A combined plan usually costs less than having each procedure separately, because hospital, anaesthesia and travel costs are shared.
Your week in Istanbul
Your driver meets you at the airport and takes you to the hospital for blood tests and an anaesthesia review. You then meet your surgeon, agree the final plan and choose implants if they are included. Your surgeon marks the incisions while you stand.
After surgery, you stay in a private room for 6 nights. Nurses manage your pain, help you get up within hours and walk with you, slightly bent forward to protect the tummy tuck incision. Drains are removed before you leave. A companion can stay with you at no extra cost.
Recovery at home
| When | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 2 | Tightness and tiredness. Short walks several times a day. You need help with lifting and childcare. |
| Weeks 2 to 3 | Most women return to desk work. You can stand straighter each day. |
| Up to week 6 | Wear your compression garment and support bra. Avoid lifting anything heavier than a full kettle, including children. |
| From week 6 | Gradual return to exercise and normal lifting, as your surgeon advises. |
| Months 6 to 12 | Swelling settles, breasts soften into their final shape and scars fade. |
Planning childcare is the most important part of preparation. Toddlers want to be picked up, so arrange someone to help with lifting, bath time and the school run for at least the first two weeks, and ideally up to six.
Risks and how they are managed
- Seroma, a fluid collection under the tummy skin, managed with drains and compression.
- Wound healing problems, more likely in smokers and where incisions meet.
- Blood clots, reduced with early walking, compression stockings and blood-thinning injections.
- Infection, usually treated with antibiotics.
- Changes in nipple or skin sensation, which often improve over months.
- Implant-related issues such as capsular contracture, if implants are used.
Get medical help quickly if you notice
- fever, or redness and heat spreading from a wound
- one breast becoming much more swollen or painful than the other
- shortness of breath, chest pain, or a painful swollen leg
Contact your local emergency services first, then let your Booking Surgery coordinator know.
What results can you expect?
Most women notice a flatter tummy and a lifted bust straight away, although swelling hides the final shape for several months. The full result is usually visible between 6 and 12 months. Scars are placed low on the tummy and around or under the breasts, so most are hidden by underwear or swimwear.
Results last best when your weight stays stable. Another pregnancy, or a big weight change, can stretch the skin and muscles again.
How to get started
- Send your details and photos. Include your height, weight, number of pregnancies, and photos of your tummy and breasts.
- Get your free plan. Your plastic surgeon recommends the procedures that fit your goals and you receive a fixed price.
- Book your trip. Your coordinator organises transfers, your hospital stay and your interpreter.
Read more on our mommy makeover page.
This guide is general information and does not replace advice from your own doctor or surgeon. Suitability is confirmed after medical assessment. Every operation carries risk, and individual results vary.
