NEW DELHI — When a group of women from Uganda embarked on a trip of a lifetime to India, little did many of their friends and families at home know that a secret surgical "mommy makeover" was on their itinerary.

The three mothers from the east African nation meticulously planned their month-long tour around surgical procedures in New Delhi that they hoped would enable them to return to their husbands looking trimmer and healthier.

They admit that vanity is a key motive behind their choice to go under the surgeon's knife in a faraway country, saying they want their tummies tucked and breasts firmed up so they can again wear swimsuits with confidence.

"There are certain activities you can't do if your top is very heavy," one of the women told AFP, requesting anonymity after breast reduction surgery at a clinic in the Indian capital.

"I am feeling so light now. I can go for a jog or a swim without attracting all the negative male attention that I earlier did," said the mother of four.