plastic surgery

[Vort]

Originally Posted by Gwen

ok so here is the situation. my youngest, she is 16 months so obviously to young for anything. her belly button is an outie... like not a normal outie but a really bad outie... like you can see it sticking out under her shirt, and when she throws a fit it sticks out even more... there don't seem to be any issues with it, no medical problem, just.... prominant? i'm not kidding about how bad this is. she was in nothing but a diaper one day and throwing a fit so it was really sticking out and i had a conversation with her 14 yr old brother that went basicly like this

him: what is that?!
me: her belly button.
him: is it ok?
me: yes, it's just an outie
him: it looks like a... never mind

yes he was going to say what you probably think he was going to say... lol

so yeah, i've been thinking about belly button surgery for her. obviously not till she is much older. i don't consider myself vain. but... is it fair to make her go her whole life with such comments over something as stupid as a belly button? it's not even a genetic issue, belly buttons are luck of the draw.

am i compleatly wrong?

That doesn't sound like an "outie", it sounds like a hernia. She should get it surgically corrected.

[Generally_Me]

Originally Posted by Gwen

ok so here is the situation. my youngest, she is 16 months so obviously to young for anything. her belly button is an outie... like not a normal outie but a really bad outie... like you can see it sticking out under her shirt, and when she throws a fit it sticks out even more... there don't seem to be any issues with it, no medical problem, just.... prominant? i'm not kidding about how bad this is. she was in nothing but a diaper one day and throwing a fit so it was really sticking out and i had a conversation with her 14 yr old brother that went basicly like this

him: what is that?!
me: her belly button.
him: is it ok?
me: yes, it's just an outie
him: it looks like a... never mind

yes he was going to say what you probably think he was going to say... lol

so yeah, i've been thinking about belly button surgery for her. obviously not till she is much older. i don't consider myself vain. but... is it fair to make her go her whole life with such comments over something as stupid as a belly button? it's not even a genetic issue, belly buttons are luck of the draw.

am i compleatly wrong?

Gwen,
My brother got rejected from the Army because of his outie belly button. Something about "umbilical hernia". She could possibly have a hernia, which could be lived with or could be a medical problem. Ask Our Expert - Newborn's Belly Button

ETA: I see Vort beat me to it while I was researching a link for you.

[annamaureen]

I'd consider getting plastic surgery after I'm finished having children... but I would only want to attempt to return my body to the way it looked beforehand, not make any drastic alterations.

[Gwen]

i don't think it's an umbilical hernia. i've pointed it out to the doc on her normal check ups, he's not seemed concerned. even commented on it during the plastic surgeon follow up for her eye on friday. granted bellies isn't his specialty he said "wow that's an outie. but it looks healthy"

i guess we'll just wait and see.

[lattelady]

Gwen, my daughter (who is now 9) has the exact same issue. Kids at school have said, "What's that?" and pointed at the little bump sticking out beneath her shirt. She just says, "It's my bellybutton, DUH!" It's not herniated. The doctor has checked it thoroughly. It's just that her actual bellybutton skin protrudes. It's a REALLY-outie outie. She's fine with it now. But I suspect that when she's a teenager and is wearing a bathing suit (I'm not talking about a bikini, just a regular bathing suit--because you'd be able to see her li'l bump through it), she'll be self-conscious about it. We will be more than happy to have it corrected. We would do anything we can to help our kids be healthy, happy, welladjusted kids. I don't think that's spoiling them any more than it would be spoiling for us to correct our second oldest son's crooked teeth with braces. It's not mandatory, but boy is it nice to have straight teeth!

[dash77]

First off, I realize I am a male and that limits my perspective. Sadly, too many men (mainly in the world, but also in the Church) are more responsible for the pressure that women experience to look attractive by worldly standards. Also, I want to make it perfectly clear up front that although I am completely supportive of reconstructive surgery (repair loss from accident, disease or abnormalities, like birth defects), I am opposed to plastic surgeries (augmenting functioning body parts, like noses), and am particularly concerned about how more and more women are getting breasts implants. This article in MSNBC www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17932515 I think outlines some of the concerns.

The Savior taught to see the insides of others, not the outside. I believe the very act of getting plastic surgery is based on the worldly view that female worth is located by physical appearance. For example, in the world, “real” woman have “larger” breasts and as such, women with smaller breasts or women who had mastectomies are then labeled in society as “less than.” This in turn, causes them to dislike themselves and question their worth. We need to act like the Savior and I do not think He could support the view that body image equates female worth. I think the Savior (and therefore LDS’s) should see inner attributes of female worth – such as kindness, humility, meekness, intelligences, a strong work ethic, and service. Further, the underlying ideology of looking like a Barbie doll (e.g., women as sex objects) leads to a host other health concerns, such as eating disorders, depression, and so forth on the female side and other problems related on the male side (e.g., temptations of flesh, seeing female worth by attraction, etc.).

I look forward to thoughtful and Christ-like conversation and hope my views do not offend anyone who thinks otherwise.

[Gwen]

Originally Posted by lattelady

Gwen, my daughter (who is now 9) has the exact same issue. Kids at school have said, "What's that?" and pointed at the little bump sticking out beneath her shirt. She just says, "It's my bellybutton, DUH!" It's not herniated. The doctor has checked it thoroughly. It's just that her actual bellybutton skin protrudes. It's a REALLY-outie outie. She's fine with it now. But I suspect that when she's a teenager and is wearing a bathing suit (I'm not talking about a bikini, just a regular bathing suit--because you'd be able to see her li'l bump through it), she'll be self-conscious about it. We will be more than happy to have it corrected. We would do anything we can to help our kids be healthy, happy, welladjusted kids. I don't think that's spoiling them any more than it would be spoiling for us to correct our second oldest son's crooked teeth with braces. It's not mandatory, but boy is it nice to have straight teeth!

i'm glad to know she's not the only one. and that i'm not the only parent to see it this way.