Akademik

n.

Cosmetic surgery aimed at making a mother look the way she did before she had children. Also: mummy makeover.

So-called mommy makeovers can involve a variety of procedures, but often involve tummy tucks to tighten stretched abdominal muscles, liposuction to remove excess fat and a breast lift, with or without implants. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that demand for those three procedures rose by 11 percent for women ages 20-39 between 2005 and 2006.

—Jeannie Kever, "Moms have found a new little helper in the post-baby era," The Houston Chronicle, September 16, 2007

Shannon Buttram, of Beaumont, got six souvenirs from her pregnancies: four adorable children, a shriveled bust line and bulging lower stomach.

Unable to regain her old shape through exercise, Buttram, 32, opted for breast augmentation and a tummy tuck, popular procedures in what plastic surgeons have dubbed "the mommy makeover."

"I just wanted to fix what childbearing did," said Buttram, a registered nurse whose children are 12, 8, 4 and 3.

—Janet Zimmerman, "Moms made over," The Press Enterprise, June 19, 2007

The birth of a last child often sends women to a plastic surgeon for the first time, typically for tummy tucks and liposuction, breast lifts and, sometimes, implants to fill out sagging breasts.

It's so common that a Scottsdale, Ariz., plastic surgeon calls the combination surgeries he offers women after pregnancy "The Post Baby Tune-up."

—Patricia Anstett, "Mommy makeovers: Women use plastic surgery to regain their shape," Detroit Free Press, July 9, 2004

The phrase mommy makeover also refers to a simple makeover (such as a new hairstyle, makeup, and so on) for recent mothers. This sense is a bit older, as the following earliest citation shows:

The second annual Boston's Biggest Baby Faire takes place today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Bayside Exposition Center in Dorchester. ...

A Storyland with storybook characters and a Santa's Village with a full-sized reindeer carousel will be part of the fun. There will also be assorted samples, financial advice, scavenger hunts and "mommy makeovers."

—Bruce McCabe, "Mariachi bands, babes in toyland," The Boston Globe, March 26, 1994