Can’t Lose The Mummy Tummy? You Could Have Diastasis Recti

Pregnancy and childbirth can be rough!

And trying to get your body into pre-baby form can be even tougher. Many women complain about having “mummy tummy” after baby – otherwise known as a loose, soft stomach area or baby pooch that refuses to go away even when you lose that post-partum weight.

During pregnancy, it’s common for women to suffer abdominal separation, also known as diastasis recti, which could be the reason your tummy isn’t bouncing back as fast as you’d like.

Find out what the signs of diastasis recti are and how you can repair it or improve it with the proper exercises.

And crunches are a no-no.

*Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is provided for general informational purposes only. Please contact your physician before starting any new exercise plan or if you think you may have diastasis recti.

What is Diastasis Recti?

During pregnancy, the connective tissues (a.k.a. the linea alba) in your core can become weakened and widened from the pressure of your uterus on the abdominal wall.

This constant pressure can result in a gap between the left and right abdominal muscles known as diastasis recti. This muscle separation contributes to the loose mommy pooch that you’re left with after baby arrives and can also lead to a hernia if severe enough and left untreated.

For many women, the abdominal separation will close on its own.

 

For others, it may take a little more time and a bit of effort to strengthen and close these muscles. More serious diastasis recti separations can require surgery.

But before you start crunching your way to a six-pack, it’s important to first determine whether you have diastasis recti and what you can do about it (hint: crunches won’t help, so hold off on the P90X Ab Ripper sessions).

 

Which Women Get Diastasis Recti?

Women are more likely to suffer from diastasis recti that doesn’t heal as quickly if:

-they are petite

-carry multiple babies at once 

-carry their babies later in life

-have poor muscle tone

-have sway back posture

-have suffered from diastasis recti with a previous pregnancy

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Can Diastasis Recti It Be Prevented?

Yes and no – everyone is different and will experience pregnancy differently as well, but there are things that can help reduce the abdominal separation from diastasis recti. Always roll yourself out of bed, off the couch or off the floor (also known as the “log roll maneuver”).

The log roll maneuver is done by first rolling onto your side and then using your arms to push yourself up, not your core muscles. There are also safe ab exercises you can do while you are pregnant to strengthen your core muscles safely.

 

What NOT To DO If You Have Diastasis Recti

If you suffer from diastasis recti, it is important not to do any crunches/sit ups, front planks or push-ups, as these exercises can make the condition worse.

The force exerted on your core during these exercises can put pressure on the already weakened tissues and force them outwards (not good). Similarly, try to avoid lifting heavy objects where possible.

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How To Diagnose Diastasis Recti At Home (but see a doctor to be sure!)

To gain a better understanding of diastasis recti and determine whether I had it, I watched the video below and self-assessed my lack-luster abs for signs of abdominal separation. You can also ask your OB to do this test and I recommend that you follow up with them to discuss it even if you self-diagnose.

After performing the self-assessment from the video above, I found I had very little muscle separation below my belly button, but a two-and-a-half finger separation in the area about an inch above my belly button. Gaps of two or more fingers are usually considered diastasis recti. So…it appeared I had a bit of work to do to get my belly back to its pre-gap self.

*Note: if you think you have diastasis recti, please consult with your doctor for a full examination and proper diagnosis.

 

Closing the Gap – How To Improve and Repair Diastasis Recti

There are safe and effective exercises available to correct or improve diastasis recti. If you are working with a personal trainer, make sure they are properly trained and knowledgeable about the condition. If your trainer starts pushing you to do crunches, RUN, don’t walk, to the nearest exit.

After getting the 6-week postnatal ok from my doctor to exercise, I found Lindsay Brin’s MomsIntoFitness YouTube channel and got to work. I performed the eight exercises in the video below every other day. The video is only 8 minutes long, so there are no excuses! I used to do it when my daughter was taking her daily 15-minute nap – it can be done.

The exercises are easy to do and boy did I feel them!

The key to making these exercises effective is remembering to pull your belly button towards your spine (engage your inner core muscles) while you perform each series of moves.

 

It’s important not to do these exercises every day – you need to give your muscles a chance to rest and repair themselves in between sessions. Don’t rush the process.

Remember, it’s never too late to strengthen your core muscles and you don’t need to have diastasis recti to benefit from these exercises! They’re also great for people suffering from lower back pain who can’t do traditional ab workouts. If you’re new to core strengthening exercises or cannot perform crunching movements, please try out the video above.

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My Results

After two weeks of completing the exercises in Lindsay’s video every other day, my stomach was already visibly flatter. Every few weeks, I would perform another self-assessment and noticed the gap between my abdominal muscles closing.

I waited about six months before progressing into more traditional core exercises, mainly because I was paranoid that I would sabotage the progress I had made. At that time, my ab gap was less than a finger wide.

 

Current Update

Today, I regularly perform a variety of more challenging core strengthening exercises and can honestly say that I have no muscle separation left. My stomach is actually flatter now than it was in my twenties!

But everybody is different, so my experience and my results may not be similar to yours. More severe cases of diastasis recti may require surgery.  Another great resource that you may want to check out is BodyFitByAmy’s YouTube channel. She posted a 12-minute post-natal core workout that you can view below:

Do you think you have diastasis recti?

*Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is provided for general informational purposes only. Please contact your physician before starting any new exercise plan or if you think you may have diastasis recti.