A mum who was left with a “saggy” and “deflated” chest after breastfeeding her toddler and was quoted £25,000 by UK doctors for surgery, decided to fly to Turkey to get her body back – at a heavily discounted cost.
Olivia Stevens paid just £5,500 to go under the knife abroad, a fraction of the price she was given in Britain.
This included a breast uplift with implants and a rhinoplasty for the 31-year-old mum, who hails from Devon.
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Although she was admittedly “very nervous”, Olivia, who had battled postnatal depression and anxiety after the birth of her now two-year-old daughter Bonnie, wanted to do something for herself and get her confidence back.
“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,” she told Need To Know.
“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.”
Olivia shared her journey on TikTok, where one of her videos has millions of views, and she was met with a mixed response.
The procurement officer said: “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.
“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.”
Luckily, the surgeries – which took place this summer – went smoothly, and Olivia has been recovering well since.
She added, “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.”
