Years of pregnancy and losing around seven stone left her with a lot of excess skin and has no regrets splashing the cash for a tummy tuck
All of Alexa Booth’s six babies were big at birth, ranging from 10lbs to two ‘small ones’ at 8lbs. She had her first at 20 and by the time she had her sixth she was 31 and her body had been through the mill.
Years of pregnancy and losing around seven stone (100lbs/45kg) left her with a lot of excess skin. After baby number six, Alexa, 32, from Georgia, US, told her husband Anthony she was putting her body in for a complete cosmetic service costing £23,000.
This involved an extended tummy tuck, flank liposuction, a breast lift and breast augmentation following six pregnancies. She had so much excess skin that surgeons removed around 10lbs/4.5kg from her abdomen alone.
Warning squeamish viewers of her TikTok posts to scroll past, she even shared a black-and-white photograph showing the amount of skin removed during surgery.
“After my third baby, I gained a ton of weight, but then I lost all that weight, like 100 pounds gone,” says Alexa. “You could not exercise that off.” Unlike many creators who only post dramatic before-and-after photos, Alexa says she wanted to document every stage of recovery, including the swelling, surgical drains and exhaustion, so women considering the operation know what to expect.
And her experiences have gained more than 11.8 million likes on TikTok. “Some people think they’ll get a mommy makeover and 10 days later their body is going to be perfect,” she says. “When I was considering this, I saw all these amazing transformations. I could make a video six months from now looking really good, but if I didn’t tell you about the swelling, the drainage and the shape that’s not there yet, it wouldn’t do anybody any good.”
She says reputable surgeons often advise patients it can take up to a year after a tummy tuck to see the final result. Alexa underwent surgery with Dr Patrick Basile in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, US, choosing to stay close to home rather than travelling overseas for a cheaper procedure.
Her husband, who is a captain in the United States Army, took three weeks of leave to take care of her post op. “I spent $31,000 on a mommy makeover and I would do it again,” she says.
“I know I could have gone to Mexico or Turkey or somewhere else and done it cheaper. If you wanna do that, by all means, go for it, that was just not for me.”
The procedure 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 administered during surgery.
“This included Exparel, so I have literally never been in pain,” she said. “It also includes a laser scar treatment at six weeks using two different lasers and scar gels, everything to make that scar look almost invisible.”
For Alexa, staying local was about far more than convenience. “I knew I wanted to stay within driving distance, I’ve got six kids, I didn’t want to be away from my family. I don’t wanna have to get on a plane and fly, especially during those critical periods where you can develop a blood clot.”
She also wanted a surgeon she trusted and access to regular follow-up appointments. “When picking a surgeon, I wanted realistic expectations. My surgeon is very invested in his patients’ results, and being able to get that follow-up care, follow-up treatments and scar treatments has been worth the extra money for me.” Before surgery, Alexa carefully followed her surgeon’s preparation plan, using specialist skincare products, taking Arnica and bromelain supplements, eating a high-protein diet and avoiding cutting calories. “When you’re at that two-week mark before your procedure, it is not a time to cut calories,” she says. Only four days after surgery, Alexa surprised followers by revealing she was managing with little more than Ibuprofen. She posted at the time: “Day four post-op: again, feeling amazing. My nerve block that I got during surgery completely wore off, so I’m completely on ibuprofen. I don’t need to take any of the other meds that I was prescribed.”
Although she was still walking slightly hunched over because of the extensive operation, she said she was thrilled with the early results. She admitted she had prepared herself for “the worst pain” imaginable after undergoing extensive muscle repair alongside her tummy tuck and liposuction.
She said: “I was expecting the worst pain in my life and it just hasn’t been that way.” By the seventh day of recovery, Alexa felt well enough to drive herself to a nearby hair salon for a blow-dry.
Her surgical drains had also slowed to less than 30ml of fluid a day, meaning they were almost ready to be removed. Again she posted: “My drains are barely draining. I’m talking 10ml on one side and I think the other side had 20ml. Those drains are coming out. I can’t wait.”
Nearly two weeks after surgery, Alexa still had one drain in place and had already had seven “spitting” sutures removed after her body struggled to dissolve the stitches, something she says also happened after two previous Caesarean sections.
“As annoying as that is, I’d rather it drain the fluid out than have it stay in,” she said at the time. Despite describing her recovery as surprisingly smooth, Alexa says raising six children while recovering has been one of the biggest challenges.
“Having six kids, my oldest is 12 and my youngest is only one. Half of my kids are semi self-sufficient, the other half aren’t,” she says.
She says simple everyday tasks suddenly became exhausting. Unable to lift more than 10lbs (4.5kg) for six weeks, Alexa says she now understands why some mothers delay having cosmetic surgery until their children are older.
“So I do think that’s a really valid factor to consider if you’re considering this procedure is how old is your youngest, and are they self-sufficient?
“You also can’t lift anything more than 10 pounds for six weeks, and try telling that to a one-year-old.” Although she says she has experienced very little pain, she admits the fatigue has been far more difficult than she anticipated.
“So I am so grateful that I’ve had a really easy recovery and essentially been pain-free, but that doesn’t make up for the pure exhaustion,” she says.
Throughout her recovery, Alexa has repeatedly compared the experience with the Caesarean sections she previously underwent, saying she believes she received more comprehensive post-operative care after her cosmetic surgery. “I’m gonna be so real with you guys. This mommy makeover was way less painful than a C-section,” says Alexa.
She says the discomfort felt similar to Braxton Hicks contractions, while the first couple of days reminded her of a Caesarean section “but way less.” Reflecting on her previous births, Alexa says the difference came down to the support she received before and after surgery.
“Before this mommy makeover, I had a pre-op schedule of vitamins and supplements and compression and medication afterwards and specialised wound-healing care,” she says.
“I didn’t even get a binder after my C-section. My husband had to go to Target and find me one.” She also revealed that both of her C-section scars reopened during recovery and says she received very little follow-up treatment.
While acknowledging that doctors’ priority is ensuring mother and baby are healthy after childbirth, Alexa believes proper post-operative support following any major operation makes a significant difference.
“When you have proper care after a major operation, which a C-section is, the healing is so much easier,” she says. “That’s been my experience from having a tummy tuck versus a C-section. Tummy tuck? It’s way easier.”