New Jersey-based influencer and mom of two Sandra Madonia takes PEOPLE inside her journey toward a stronger sense of confidence in her 40s: “Now my body reflects how I feel inside”
courtesy of Sandra Madonia
Mom of two, 47, undergoes liposuction, boob job and tummy tuck
Warning: this post contains graphic images
- After giving birth to her first child at 15, content creator Sandra Madonia said she never got to experience a “youthful” figure
- When she entered her 40s, she decided to take life back into her own hands — and that included undergoing a surgical two-part “Mommy Makeover” consisting of liposuction, a breast augmentation and tummy tuck, the results of which she says have made her “so happy”
- The cosmetic procedures, which typically cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars, are performed on women after giving birth
Entering a new decade in life often comes with realizations, and when Sandra Madonia turned 40, she went through an empowering moment when she thought: “You know what, I’m going to take back me.”
What that looked like for the content creator, now 47, was stepping into a very transformative period in which she got into the “best shape” of her life through working out and maintaining a healthier diet.
“Even though I looked amazing, there were things that I couldn’t improve on my own,” Madonia tells PEOPLE in an interview following her two-part “Mommy Makeover,” which she says was the cherry on top of her newfound confidence.
A “Mommy Makeover” is a combination of cosmetic procedures that restore the shape and appearance of a woman’s figure following birth, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgery. And after birthing two children who are now in their 30s and 20s (her first being born when she was 15), going under the knife was her next big step.
“I never really had the opportunity to appreciate a youthful pre-motherhood body because I got stretch marks immediately,” she shares. “As a teenager, I would go to the beach with friends who didn’t have children yet. I always had to wear the one-piece, and back then I was still very young and there was a lot of embarrassment associated with it. I felt like I wasn’t like all of the [other] young women.”
@alexsandra_madonia I’m 47 and I’m “considering” getting the mommy makeover, PART 2! I’ve struggled with my weight most of my life and I got stretch marks early on, since I had my son, at 15. I can’t remember what it’s like to not have them. As a single mom, it wasn’t until my youngest of 2 went to college that I had the opportunity to make changes for myself. I lost around 40lbs and met the love of my life in doing so and he makes me feel beautiful the way I am however this would be for me. The goal of a mommy makeover is to restore the shape and appearance of a woman’s body after childbearing. I would consider a tummy tuck and breast lift, since I breast feed both my children and the girls have gone through it. If I do move forward with it, I will wait until the end of summer so stay tuned! #mommymakeover #plasticsurgery #weightlossjourney #tummytuck #breastlift #fitmom #momlife #womenempowerment #selflove #fitover40
♬ original sound – alexsandra_madonia
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Now at an older and more emotionally secure place with her body, Sandra was ready to consider surgery. Though she had reservations, researching other women’s personal stories on social media — and not seeing patients her age talking about it — Sandra realized: “Maybe this is something that I probably should move forward with.”
And she did. In August 2024, Sandra embarked on what turned out to be a two-part “Mommy Makeover” and decided to candidly share it all — from her pre- and post-op consultations to her surgeries to her recuperation — on TikTok and Instagram with her 66,000 followers.
Not having undergone such major procedures prior, Sandra was ready but “extremely nervous” to start the process. But joining her on this whole journey was N.Y.C-based board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Thomas Sterry whose reputation in the field soothed her worries.
courtesy of Sandra Madonia
Sandra Madonia’s body before undergoing a tummy tuck and liposuction
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Sandra initially wanted a tummy tuck (medically referred to as abdominoplasty) and breast lift, however after having a “health scare” with an inflamed area around her right breast (she previously had a fibroadenoma or benign breast tumor in her 20s), she decided to start with the tuck, postpone the lift and move forward with liposuction to address the perimenopause changes to her flanks a.k.a the area between the lower ribs and hips.
The first half of Sandra’s surgical makeover lasted four hours. What surprised her the most about her results? “The cinching of the abs. They basically cut out a diamond shape of your flesh and they pull it together, and it’s so tight. On top of that, they have a binder that they send you home in, which was snug. So I felt like the whole core area was very tight, to the point where if I wanted to take a deep breath…I could see how some people would kind of hyperventilate after that surgery.”
@alexsandra_madonia Goodbye, Heavy DDs and hello, lifted and snatched Cs baby 👙 I’ve been asking the question whether or not I was more excited about the tummy tuck or the breast lift and honestly, I am not sure! If you had a choice, which would you pick? I am very happy that I decided to move forward with the 2nd half of this mommy makeover because there are few things I will be looking forward to, like: ✨ Jogging or working out without having to secure my girls so tight to reduce the bounce, they are very heavy. ✨ I will have less back pain and better posture! Period 💁🏻♀️ ✨ I’ll be able to walk around at home comfortably, without a bra and not worry about them flying all over the place hahaha! 🫢 ✨ And last but not least I get to wear many more dresses and shirts that weren’t an option before! 💬 Are you thinking about a breast reduction or lift or both? Let’s talk in the comments! Get to know my @Dr. Sterry He is a board-certified New York City plastic surgeon with over 20 years of experience. He has been president of both the New York State Society of Plastic Surgeons and the New York Regional Society of Plastic Surgeons. He offers procedures including facelift, eyelid surgery, facial and body liposuction, laser and more #MommyMakeoverJourney #TummyTuckTransformation #MommyMakeover #TummyTuck #BreastLift #BreastReduction #GlowUp #Over40 #fyp #Cosmeticsurgery I’ll be able to walk around home comfortably and not worry about them flying all over the place hahaha! And last but not least I get to wear many more dresses and shirts that weren’t an option before! 💬 Are you thinking about a breast reduction or lift or both? Let’s talk in the comments! Get to know @drsterry ! He is a board-certified New York City plastic surgeon with over 20 years of experience. He has been president of both the New York State Society of Plastic Surgeons and the New York Regional Society of Plastic Surgeons. He offers procedures including facelift, eyelid surgery, facial and body liposuction, laser and more #MommyMakeoverJourney #TummyTuckTransformation #MommyMakeover #TummyTuck #BreastLift #BreastReduction #GlowUp #Over40 #fyp #Cosmeticsurgery #fypage
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Around 10 to 11 days in, Sandra felt like she could get around “comfortably” by herself without her husband, who’d been helping her with everything post-operation. After six weeks, she tiptoed into working out again, “but even then and even now,” she says, “there are certain parts that you feel it. If I stretch too much, I feel a little sensitive down there [near the incision].”
Day-to-day movement proved to be a challenge too. She couldn’t drive and struggled to fix her posture. “You’re walking hunched over because of the inflammation. Your skin is pulled down so taut that it’s hard to stand up straight.”
courtesy of Sandra Madonia
Sandra Madonia’s chest after having a boob lift and reduction post-tummy tuck
Fast forward to this past March, Sandra went back to considering a breast augmentation (the lift and a reduction) to address her double-D-size chest, which had grown from a B cup after breastfeeding and gaining weight throughout her pregnancies. The goal was having a “smaller and perkier” bosom.
This operation took six hours, including the corrections Dr. Sterry made to tighten the loose skin left over from the liposuction. Recuperating this time was “a lot easier,” but again Sandra faced daily challenges, such as difficulty lifting her arms (even when washing and styling her hair) and having to deal with prominent scarring (Sandra says Dr. Sterry cut an anchor-shaped incision that is still healing).
courtesy of Sandra Madonia
Sandra Madonia showing off her scarred tummy tuck incision months after surgery
Did she have any regrets? “You do get those blues. I especially felt that after my breast [surgery]. There were a couple of days where it was like…you’re super swollen, you’re healing, your incision looks nowhere near what it’s going to look like in a few weeks. You feel a little bit of regret, a little bit of sadness.”
Yet, “it really is a dream,” she says. “Even now, when I take off my shirt and I’m in front of my husband, I’m just like, ‘Babe, I can’t believe it.’ “
She adds: “I’m so, so, so happy. I think now my body reflects how I feel inside, I still feel very young and have a lot of life in me right now. Part of me was always afraid to kind of get to this age… [but] I’m so overwhelmed with joy to see my body.”
courtesy of Sandra Madonia
Sandra Madonia’s body following her complete “Mommy Makeover”
Dr. Sterry has been performing “Mommy Makeovers” for 24 years now and tells PEOPLE it’s not a fairly new concept. Similarly to Sandra’s experience, he says the transformation typically involves a tummy tuck and “some form of breast surgery, whether a lift, implants or reduction.” Liposuction is a common addition and his practice has just introduced RibXcar, a rib-modeling procedure that enhances an hourglass shape, but leaves a nearly invisible pinhole scar, reads the practice’s website.
As far as cost goes, Dr. Sterry says his makeovers “typically range from $44,000 to $60,000, depending on the type of breast surgery and whether liposuction is included.”
Clients who are looking to undergo the makeover, or more specifically a tummy tuck, definitely have to take in consideration the weeks-long recovery (which demands emotional and physical support post-op) and prior health conditions, more so than age.
“I’ve worked with patients of all ages. What’s more important is lifestyle, how well the body has recovered since childbirth and genetics. Smokers and those with diabetes are generally not good candidates, as the tummy skin is undermined during the surgery, and these conditions can affect circulation and slow healing. Individuals with significant intra-abdominal fat (patients with fat inside the belly) are also not ideal candidates. It’s also ideal to have the procedure during the cooler months, so you have time to heal before summer.”
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