Alexa Booth, 32, from Georgia, US, has no regrets spending £23,000 on a 'mummy makeover' after six pregnancies, calling it 'the best thing I ever did'. Years of pregnancy and losing around seven stone left her with excess skin, and she underwent an extended tummy tuck, flank liposuction, and breast lift with augmentation.
Procedure Details
All of Alexa's six babies were big at birth, ranging from 10lbs to two 'small ones' at 8lbs. After her sixth child, she told her husband Anthony, a captain in the United States Army, she was putting her body in for a complete cosmetic service. Surgeons removed around 10lbs of excess skin from her abdomen alone.
The procedure with Dr Patrick Basile in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, included an extended tummy tuck, liposuction to her flanks, a breast lift with implants, anaesthesia, laser scar treatments, scar gels, pre-operative supplements, and Exparel, a long-lasting nerve block.
Recovery and TikTok Documentation
Alexa shared her recovery journey on TikTok, gaining over 11.8 million likes. She documented the swelling, surgical drains, and exhaustion, warning squeamish viewers to scroll past a black-and-white photo of the removed skin. 'Some people think they'll get a mommy makeover and 10 days later their body is going to be perfect,' she says.
She says reputable surgeons often advise patients it can take up to a year after a tummy tuck to see the final result. Alexa chose to stay close to home rather than travel overseas for a cheaper procedure, saying, 'I spent $31,000 on a mommy makeover and I would do it again.'
Post-Operative Experience
Only four days after surgery, Alexa revealed she was managing with little more than Ibuprofen. By the seventh day, she felt well enough to drive herself to a hair salon. Her surgical drains slowed to less than 30ml of fluid a day, and she had seven 'spitting' sutures removed after her body struggled to dissolve the stitches.
Despite a surprisingly smooth recovery, Alexa says raising six children while recovering has been one of the biggest challenges. Unable to lift more than 10lbs for six weeks, she says, 'You also can't lift anything more than 10 pounds for six weeks, and try telling that to a one-year-old.'
Comparison with C-Sections
Alexa has repeatedly compared the experience with her previous Caesarean sections, saying she believes she received more comprehensive post-operative care after her cosmetic surgery. 'This mommy makeover was way less painful than a C-section,' she says.
She says the discomfort felt similar to Braxton Hicks contractions, and she didn't even get a binder after her C-section, while her husband had to find one at Target. 'When you have proper care after a major operation, which a C-section is, the healing is so much easier,' she says.
