Post-Baby Nips and Tucks

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Docs are seeing more tummy tucks and breast lifts on their schedules. Is the older mom trend causing a surge in post-baby plastic surgery?

The Scoop

With the likes of Mariah Carey, Halle Berry, and Nicole Kidman having kids in their 40s,being an older first-time mom never looked so good! But some health experts think increased focus on celebrity 40-somethings having babies, and a general trend among women—famous or not—to hold off on pregnancy until their 30s and 40s, is leading to a spike in the number of new moms requesting cosmetic surgery.

According to statistics released by UK's Harley Medical Group, Britain's leading cosmetic surgery specialist, the number of mothers having post-birth operations has soared over the past five years, with a 42 percent increase in surgery requests coming from older moms.

The most popular procedures? Tucks and lifts. The demand for tummy tuck operations and breast lifts have surged an average of 40 percent since 2006. According to Harley, non-surgical treatments such as stretch mark and scar removal have also spiked in popularity, with Harley noting a 28 percent increase in requests.

"As pregnancy stretches the skin, many women can be left with stretch marks and the skin around their breasts and stomach can become saggier than it was before. These factors can become more visible in older mothers," says Lisa Littehales, lead nurse counselor at The Harley Medical Group.

Is the Pressure On?

Some of the requests may come from women who feel pressured to look like their favorite celebrities and who are not seeing results through diet and exercise. Other older moms may opt for plastic surgery because their post-baby shape-up plans just aren't working out. "Although in some cases women are able to get their pre-baby body back through diet and exercise, for a lot of women there are areas that are particularly difficult and too stubborn to shift, no matter how much of a healthy lifestyle they may have," Littehales explains.

Sporting a different shape since welcoming Baby? Some of us like to call those "new mama curves" and we think they look fabulous, no matter what your age!