A mum has fired back at trolls who call her “selfish” for forking out £5,500 on a “mummy makeover”.
Olivia Stevens was unhappy with her looks after welcoming her two-year-old daughter, Bonnie, with “saggy, deflated” breasts from breastfeeding, and had long been insecure about the shape of her nose.
The 31-year-old was desperate to feel confident again and, after battling postnatal depression and anxiety, decided to do something for herself.
Documenting the journey on TikTok, where her post has garnered 2.3 million views, Olivia shared how she flew to Turkey for budget plastic surgeries.
And while not everyone is on board with the drastic decision, Olivia has no regrets.
“I’ve faced criticism, with people calling me selfish for having surgery as a mum, but I don’t believe it’s selfish to want to feel good about yourself,” the procurement officer, from Devon, told Need To Know.
“After becoming a mum, I think a lot of women struggle with body confidence.
“Breastfeeding and pumping took a real toll on my body.
“I exclusively pumped milk for Bonnie, which I’d do all over again in a heartbeat, but it left my breasts saggy and deflated.
“I also lost a lot of weight, and I didn’t feel confident in clothes – especially in simple tops or bikinis.
“I’d wanted my nose done since I was 13, and after years of feeling unhappy about it, plus going through postnatal depression and anxiety last year, I reached a point where I wanted to feel not only happy but also confident again.
“I’d worked hard on my mental health, and this year I thought: why not give myself the chance to feel the best version of me?
“Mums give so much to their children, and we deserve to feel confident and beautiful too.
“Right now, I feel like the happiest, most confident version of myself, and that’s something I never thought I’d be able to say.”
Olivia initially tried to get the work done in the UK, but was quoted a staggering £25,000 for a breast uplift with implants and a rhinoplasty.
Instead, she started researching clinics abroad and found one in Turkey for a fraction of the cost.
The mum said: “I was very nervous.
“I kept going back and forth, wondering if I should just get an uplift without implants because of things I’d read online about breast implant illness.
“I was also anxious about rhinoplasty because you hear so many stories about risks and complications.
“Just before my surgery, there was a big news story about a woman who sadly passed away during a cosmetic procedure in Turkey, which made me panic even more.
“But I did thorough research – I checked my surgeon’s certifications, spoke with other patients who had used him, and asked endless questions.
“I think my fiancé thought I was overdoing it!
“In the days leading up to the surgery, I felt calm, but half an hour before going into theatre I was terrified.”
Luckily, the surgeries – which took place this summer – went smoothly, and Olivia has been recovering well since.
She said, “I’m honestly in love with the results.
“My nose is still swollen, and I know it will take up to 12 months to see the final outcome, but even now I can see such a difference.
“[With] my boobs, I couldn’t be happier.
“I feel confident in bikinis again and love trying on clothes, which is such a change from before when I’d avoided certain styles.
“My wedding is next September, and I feel incredible knowing I’ll walk into it feeling my most confident self.
“My boobs healed much quicker than I expected, so I was able to choose my wedding dress without worrying about scars or recovery.
“I also wanted to feel amazing on my hen do and honeymoon, and now I know I will.
“But more than that, I did this for me.”
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