The dreaded pregnancy weight. Now that you’ve had your baby, you’re probably wondering how to rid yourself of those excess pounds. Most likely, you’ve already tried crunches, sit-ups, and all those other abdominal exercises that are part of the post-pregnancy workout.

Postpartum support, such as a post-natal girdle, is key to firming your body and tightening that postpartum belly. A postpartum compression girdle or a postpartum support belt will also help reduce or eliminate stretch marks.

If diet, exercise, and postpartum compression aren’t enough to get your body back into shape, you may want to consider a mommy makeover. A mommy makeover, also known as body sculpting, is plastic surgery to help restore your body to its pre-pregnancy shape. Your postpartum cosmetic surgery options include tummy tuck, liposuction, breast augmentation, breast lift, or a combination of procedures.

No matter which surgery you choose, you’ll want to wear a compression garment during your plastic surgery recovery. There are a variety of tummy tuck support garments, liposuction support garments, and breast surgery support garments to choose from.

Second Stage Garments by ContourMD

If you are planning a plastic surgery procedure, you’ll need to invest in a compression garment. Compression garments, also known as plastic surgery recovery garments or post-surgical garments, improve circulation, help rid the body of potentially harmful fluids, reduce swelling, and decrease plastic surgery recovery time.

Immediately after your surgery, you’ll need a first stage recovery garment. The type of compression garment you need will depend on your type of surgery. If you are undergoing a breast augmentation, breast reduction, breast reconstruction, breast lift, or arm lift, you’ll need a compression vest or a post-surgical bra. For liposuction or a tummy tuck, you’ll want to purchase an abdominal binder, a compression girdle, or a body shaper. Facial compression wraps are recommended for facelift surgery.

A few weeks after your plastic surgery, your plastic surgeon may tell you to switch to a second stage compression garment. Second stage recovery garments are less bulky than first stage recovery garments. But don’t let the lightweight material fool you. Second stage recovery garments still provide compression, which increases circulation and helps the body heal.

Because second stage recovery garments are less restrictive than first stage compression garments, they can easily be worn undetected underneath everyday clothing. Second stage recovery garments come in a variety of styles. Mid-thigh girdles and mid-calf girdles fit well under shorts, capris, or skirts. Since they are lightweight, they are a good choice during the hot summer. Ankle body garments may be more comfortable under slacks and can add an extra layer of warmth during the cold winter months.

Whether you need a first stage compression garment or a second stage recovery garment, keep in mind that plastic surgery recovery can last several weeks, so it a good idea to have more than one post-surgical recovery garment on hand.

Everyone has scars. Whether your scars are due to injury or are a result of a surgical procedure, there’s no reason you have to live with them. There are products on the market today that can help you reduce the appearance of scars, whether they are old or new. This includes surgical scars, burn scars, keloids, hypertrophic scars, and most scars resulting from trauma. What these products do is soften and smooth the scar allowing it to blend with the surrounding skin. They also limit the growth of the scar, and reduce height, thickness, and discoloration.

For a completely healed scar, applying silicone sheeting is the best way to ensure that your scar will be as unnoticeable as possible. Silicone sheeting is also a convenient alternative to messy scar creams and gels. Adding to the convenience of silicone sheeting is that it comes in precut shapes to cover plastic surgery scars. Precut shapes are available for the following types of surgery:

• Breast augmentation
• Liposuction
• Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)
• Arm lift (brachioplasty)
• Umbilicoplasty
• C-Section

Scar gels and creams can be used alone or in conjunction with silicone sheeting. The main benefit to using a scar cream over silicone sheeting is that it can be easily applied throughout the day.