Selling the “mom job”
Despite protests from doctors and feminists, “mommy makeovers” — breast augmentation, tummy tucks, and liposuction — are becoming more and more popular in the US to help women regain an hourglass figure after child bearing. Last year more than 325,000 women between 20 and 39 had “mom jobs”, up 11% from 2005. Plastic surgeon William H. Huffaker told the New York Times that he operates on three or four mothers a week at a cost of between US$12,000 to $15,000.
According to the Times, advertising for mom jobs “seeks to pathologise the postpartum body, characterising pregnancy and childbirth as maladies with disfiguring after-effects that can be repaired with the help of scalpels and cannulae.”
Other factors are at work, too, which impel women to seek surgical help. There is more pressure to look young and sexy today, said one woman who had recently remarried. “I don’t think it was an issue for my mother; your husband loved you no matter what,” she said.
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
More Stories
After 49 years, SCOTUS strikes down Roe v Wade, abolishing a constitutional right to abortion
The US Supreme Court has struck down two of the most famous decisions in American history, Roe v. Wade and...
Fallen stem cell hero convicted in Swedish court
Once hailed as a stem cell technology pioneer, Italian surgeon Paolo Macchiarini has been convicted of causing bodily harm and...
Hollywood actress explains why she chose surrogacy: ‘I was terrified’
Hollywood starlet Jamie Chung, 39, surprised her fans last year when she and her husband announced the birth of twins....
First legal assisted suicide in Italy
Italy’s parliament is still debating the details of legal assisted suicide. However, last Thursday the first Italian to take advantage...
Re-examining autonomy
The buzzword cutting through the noisy controversy over the US Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe v. Wade is “reproductive autonomy”....
World swimming authority takes conservative stand on gender inclusion
Swimming's world governing body, FINA, has backed a new policy on gender inclusion which will stop most trans women swimmers...