Mommies & Makeovers

Last week, a friend told me she was disheartened by a radio ad for a "Mommy Makeover". I assumed she was referencing a spa-day for tired and sleep-deprived moms. You know, the typical feel-good fare: mani/pedi, facial, hair cut, etc. I was completely off the mark. If you're curious to know what it really is, take a moment and do a Google search for "Mommy Makeover" (heed caution, results will contain partial nudity). Why the partial nudity? Because it features before and after photos of mothers who underwent a new surgical procedure called the "Mommy job" - a triple combination of liposuction, breast lift, and tummy tuck.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Priyanka with her mom"]

I believe the choice to have plastic surgery is an individual's prerogative but when a clinic markets procedures specifically to mothers in a radio ad, they are attempting to prey on their insecurities by implying that all mothers need to be "fixed". This ad was intentionally designed to create insecurity where there wasn't before - it certainly worked on my wonderful friend who is a dedicated mother of three. She suddenly felt like all the work she did as a mother wasn't enough to be deemed worthy but that she now also needed to be sexy. She is not alone - the pressure to be a "yummy mummy" is sometimes a factor in triggering eating disorders in women in their 30s and 40s.

I try to keep a neutral and balanced view but I can't help but feel infuriated when I read things like "(the changes to your body) have made you feel unattractive and less desirable" on a plastic surgeon's website. I'm astonished that they would deliberately plant negative thoughts in the minds of mothers, all in the name of making money! It is no wonder a survey showed that a staggering 48% of pregnant women have participated in disordered-eating behaviour.
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An example of a plastic surgery clinic's pressure tactics:
"How would you like to feel as vibrant and youthful as you once did before having your children? The positive self-image and happiness you deserve can be achieved with a Mommy Makeover. You can better enjoy your role not just as a mother, but also as an attractive woman!"
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When I think of all the energy, love, and sacrifice that my mom and other wonderful mothers have provided to their families, it breaks my heart to think that there are people out there who want to make them feel like they have damaged bodies. As a tribute to our mothers, let's all make a commitment to stay away from participating in motherhood fat-talk (i.e. How do you plan on losing the baby weight? You look really skinny for a pregnant woman! You don't look like you even had kids). Maybe if we all do our part, in the future we will help eliminate a possible contributing risk factor in triggering eating disorders during pregnancy (1 in 50 develops an eating disorder, and more than a quarter of those surveyed said that changes to the body was the biggest stress factor during pregnancy).