Christi Gets Her Body Back
Christi sounds somewhat wistful talking about her pre-pregnancy body, like she’s describing an old friend she was proud of.
“Before having my oldest daughter,” she recalls, “I had a beautiful stomach.”
Six years and 2 more children later, Christi got her body back thanks to a mommy makeover performed by plastic surgeon Dr. Rocco Piazza in Austin.
“It was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself,” she says. “I can wear the clothes I want to. I’m so much more confident. I go out without feeling ashamed about my body. He changed my life.”
Pregnancy Takes its Toll
Pregnancy and childbirth wreaked havoc on Christi’s abdominal muscles. Carrying her first child stretched and “tore apart my muscles,” she says, turning her tight 6-pack into a shapeless mass.
“Then I had another baby, and it was even worse.”
That’s when she first consulted with Dr. Piazza, whose plastic surgery practice in Austin is near her home. Christi put off having surgery when she and her husband decided to have a third child. The youngest was 5-months-old when Christi returned to Dr. Piazza’s office for another consultation.
Her mommy makeover was scheduled for 2 weeks later. Christi says she didn’t want to wait.
‘I Didn’t Want to Go Out’
“It was socially crippling, because I didn’t want to go out.”
When she did venture out, she says, it required 2 layers of Spanx® to hold her body together.
“It was just basically hanging there,” she said of her sagging stomach. “It was ridiculous. I couldn’t live like that.” Between pregnancies, says Christi, “I was getting congratulated for being pregnant even when I wasn’t.”
A mommy makeover typically includes a breast augmentation or lift and tummy tuck surgery, along with liposuction if necessary. Christi says her tummy tuck surgery involved a complete reconstruction of her abdominal muscles because the damage was so severe. She marvels at the appearance of her scar.
“I’ve got the best one,” she says with a laugh, describing how she compares her tummy tuck scar with her Austin friends who have also had the procedure or a full mommy makeover. “They all say, ‘I want yours,’ but they didn’t have Dr. Piazza.”
Bonding With an ‘Amazing’ Staff
Christi says the entire experience couldn’t have been better. Dr. Piazza prepared her for the reality of recovering from surgery with 3 young children at home, including a 5-month-old and a toddler whom she couldn’t pick up until fully healed. And she says the surgeon’s office staff is “amazing.”
“I invited them to my birthday party this year.”
Christi was so comfortable with Dr. Piazza that she essentially relied on his expertise when it came to cosmetic decisions about her breast augmentation. She says she simply told him she wanted her body to look proportional and said, “What do you think I should do?”
“He’s a perfectionist. I knew he would do a great job.”
And the results?
“My breasts are perfect. I don’t even have to wear a bra. How many women who are 40 can say that?”
*Keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.
