Cosmetic surgeons are putting their foot down and saying no to people wanting to buy their mums a nip/tuck for Mother's Day.

‘Yummy Mummies’, a term coined in the early Noughties to describe mothers who haven’t lost their sex appeal post pregnancy, has arguably gone one step too far, with the introduction of the latest US surgery craze - ‘Mummy Jobs’.

Women opting for a ‘Mummy Job’ have a three-way, invasive surgery combination; a breast lift, tummy tuck and lipo. And, some new mums in America, desperate to get their flat stomach back in record time, are having a tummy tuck under the same anaesthetic as their caesarean section.

Most UK clinics seem to be resisting jumping on this surgery bandwagon, which promises new mums a new body, way before their post pregnant body has had time to recover, and at a time when they feel most body conscience and vulnerable. One clinic in particular is Surgicare, a leading UK cosmetic surgery provider, who is simply saying no to ‘Mummy Jobs’.

Mark Bury, chief executive of Surgicare says: "As a company we strongly disagree with any new mums having surgery before their baby is at the very least six months old. It is our advice to allow the body to return to normal, recover and repair itself after the experience of pregnancy and childbirth.

"The new generation of ‘Yummy Mummies’ should try and resist pressure from celebrity mums who unnaturally return to their ‘normal’ appearance in a dangerously short amount of time. New mums should embrace motherhood this Mothers’ Day and all that comes with it. "

Not a lot of women know that having breast surgery within six months after childbirth rules out the possibility of breast feeding. However, there are a number of individual procedures mums can have when the time is right. Liposuction can target post pregnancy fat around the waist or hips and because stomach muscles stretch to accommodate the baby, a tummy tuck is ideal way to remove excess skin.

Equally the breasts, which will change shape due to fluctuations in weight and hormonal changes, can potentially be stretched out of shape. Like the stomach area, excess skin will not stretch back post birth. Breast uplift and reshape can rectify this.

Mark Bury concludes: "Surgicare’s knowledgeable team of surgeons are on hand to give advice to woman considering cosmetic surgery following child birth, and through expert evaluation will be provided with surgery options right for the individual."

The cosmetic surgery market has witnessed massive growth over the past two years. Market statistics suggest the value of the industry will increase to over £350 million by 2008.

Surgical growth has been mirrored by an increased demand for the non-invasive side of cosmetic surgery, made popular by such treatments as cosmetic Botox for wrinkles and sclerotherapy for thread vein removal. In 2003 the non-surgical market was worth an estimated £83.3m and is predicted to be worth around £100m between 2006/2007.


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