Give Your Body a New Life
Mommy Makeover
Dr. Jonathan Zelken, MD · Board-Certified · Newport Beach, CA
Dr. Zelken believes 50 is the new 30. A thoughtfully combined mommy makeover restores the breast, abdomen, and contour changes of pregnancy or weight loss — helping your body match how you feel.
Approach
Dr. Zelken's Philosophy
A mommy makeover is never a template. At the Zelken Institute for Aesthetic Medicine in Newport Beach, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Zelken designs each plan around one goal: helping your body reflect how youthful and capable you already feel — without ever looking overdone.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and weight changes reshape the breasts, abdomen, and waistline in ways that diet and exercise often cannot fully undo. As both an artist and a scientist, Dr. Zelken combines only the procedures you truly need, in balanced proportion, to restore your natural figure.
The result should look like you — refreshed, restored, and entirely your own. His patients travel from across Orange County and beyond to place their trust in that philosophy of honest, individualized care.
The Procedure
What is a Mommy Makeover?
A mommy makeover is a catchall phrase used informally by patients and surgeons alike. It is not a single operation, but an assortment of procedures that address the common changes of the postpartum or post-weight-loss body. Generally, it involves one or more procedures of the breast, abdomen, and trunk — often paired with liposuction to enhance and prolong the result.
It is not uncommon for moms in their 30s through 60s to feel their appearance simply isn't on the same page as how they feel. Whether it's a pooch below the belly button, stretch marks, loose skin, or deflated breasts, many women want to look more like they did before having children.
These changes aren't unique to moms. Younger women in their 20s and 30s who have lost significant weight in a short period often see similar changes — and a mommy makeover can help them, too.
Tailored to You
Procedures We Combine
Dr. Zelken approaches every body individually. A makeover draws from several procedures, combined only as your goals and anatomy require.
- Breast Lift & Reshaping Breasts often deflate, enlarge, or sag after children. A lift — combined with augmentation or reduction as needed — restores both the shape and the volume that change after childbirth.
- Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Tightens the separated six-pack muscles and removes stretched, excess skin along the midline. Any hernias found are repaired at the same time for a flatter, firmer abdomen.
- Mini Tummy Tuck In less extreme cases, a mini-abdominoplasty removes excess skin alone through a shorter scar, with a quicker recovery than a full tummy tuck.
- Liposuction & Liposculpture Refines love handles and overall contour, and is often included to enhance and prolong the results of the other procedures in your makeover.
- Tubeless Tummy Tuck Drains are typically used in abdominal surgery, but can be avoided in select cases. Ask Dr. Zelken about a tubeless tummy tuck if you'd prefer no drains.
Benefits of a Mommy Makeover
Restores a flatter, firmer abdominal contour.
Lifts and reshapes the breasts after childbirth.
Removes stretched, excess skin along the midline.
Refines the waistline and love handles with liposuction.
Addresses several areas in a single, coordinated surgery.
Helps your body reflect how youthful you feel.
Is It Right For You
Who is a Good Candidate?
The best candidates are women who are done having children, in good overall health, and at a stable weight. If you're planning more children, it may be better to wait — particularly for the abdominal surgery, since a future pregnancy can undo the results. That said, waiting isn't always necessary, and Dr. Zelken will help you decide.
Candidacy isn't limited to moms, either. Younger women in their 20s and 30s who have lost significant weight often notice similar changes to the breasts, abdomen, and waistline, and can be excellent candidates for a tailored combination of procedures.
What to Expect
Your Consultation & Surgery
Every mommy makeover begins with a consultation — in person or virtually for out-of-town patients — where Dr. Zelken evaluates your goals and anatomy and designs the right combination of procedures for you. A preoperative visit follows to review bloodwork, photographs, and recovery guidelines. Surgery is performed in a fully accredited facility with board-certified anesthesiologists, as part of comprehensive, women's-health-centered care.
Healing Timeline
Recovery
First Weeks
- Recovery typically takes about four weeks. You may have up to four drains in place for roughly three weeks while the tissues heal.
Returning to Work
- Patients with a desk job usually return to work after about two weeks. Plan for up to six weeks if your work is more labor-intensive.
Comfort & Support
- Discomfort is managed with medication and clear post-operative instructions. Recovery may take longer if a complication such as fluid collection occurs.
Longer-Term
- As swelling settles over the following weeks, your new contour continues to refine. Our team stays committed to your safety, comfort, and satisfaction.
The Outcome
Results & What to Expect
A mommy makeover improves your contour by removing excess skin and fat and restoring the breasts, for a firmer, more youthful shape. As with any surgery, realistic expectations matter: the most noticeable changes come to those with excess skin and localized fat, while deeper factors — like fullness beneath the muscle or your underlying frame — are less affected.
Restoring the figure does involve scars along the lower abdomen and breasts. These cannot be avoided, but Dr. Zelken uses a number of techniques during and after surgery to keep them as fine and inconspicuous as possible. The goal, as always, is a natural result that looks like you — refreshed and restored, never overdone.
Transparency
Risks & Considerations
Like any major surgery, a mommy makeover carries risks. These can include infection, bleeding, pain, wound-healing problems, fluid collection (seroma), and areas of numbness or nerve pain. Because liposuction and abdominal surgery are involved, rarer but serious complications are also possible. Dr. Zelken believes in complete transparency and reviews every consideration with you, and our team provides detailed instructions to minimize risk and support healing.
Explore More
Related Procedures
Begin Your Journey
Ready to Feel Like Yourself Again?
If you're considering a mommy makeover, contact us today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jonathan Zelken. We're here to answer your questions and help you reach your goals.
Common Questions
Mommy Makeover FAQ
Answers to the questions patients most often ask about the mommy makeover.
It's best to be done having children, especially before abdominal surgery, since a future pregnancy can undo the results. In some cases waiting isn't necessary — we'll discuss your plans at your consultation.
Drains are typically used after abdominal surgery to prevent fluid collection, but can be avoided in select cases. Ask Dr. Zelken about the tubeless tummy tuck.
Whether you stay a night or more is decided between you and Dr. Zelken, but an overnight stay is generally not necessary for a mommy makeover.
Not at all. Younger women who've lost significant weight often have similar changes, and a mommy makeover can help restore contour whether or not you've had children.
Because every makeover combines different procedures, pricing is determined after your consultation. Our team will provide a clear, detailed quote based on your plan.
Scars along the lower abdomen and breasts are part of the trade-off and can't be avoided, but Dr. Zelken uses several techniques to keep them fine and inconspicuous.