Do you have diastasis recti? Tons of mothers do! So why don’t we talk about it more? Do you know what it even is? And do you have it too? Let’s chat and hopefully, you’ll know all you need to know about Diastasis Recti, the super common condition caused by pregnancy.
I currently have Diastasis Recti. I got it with my fourth child, I may have had it before then, but didn’t know what it was until after having her. My body healed after having my daughter and even though I knew about it with my fifth, now two months later, I have a finger and a half gap. Now, this gap is fairly normal. But as time goes on I will be watching to make sure my body and abs heal.
Do I Have Diastasis Recti
What is Diastasis Recti?
Diastasis Recti is the separation of abdominal muscles. This is caused by pregnancy from the uterus putting pressure on the abdominal muscles. It can also happen to men and women who have not had children. But for today I am going to address it from the perspective of a postnatal woman. Now there are different factors into whether or not you will end up with this condition. Some of these include:
- rapid weight change
- some exercises
- genetics
- advanced age
- weight lifting
I’ll be addressing the exercises later in this post as this has really affected me. Also here are some more resources to read.
https://www.babycenter.com/0_
How can you tell if you Diastasis Recti?
It is best to notice if you have it by laying on your back. Bring your feet close to your body. From here raise your head and shoulder off the floor like you are doing a crunch exercise. Place your fingers on your belly button and move a few inches upward. Press your fingers in between your abdominal muscles. If there is a gap that is Diastasis Recti. You can also watch this video.
How do I heal from Diastasis Recti?
First of all, if you just had a baby, don’t stress. Recovering from a baby takes time. And if your baby is new you don’t need to stress. Your body may recover on its own with time. Secondly, in order to try to remedy Diastasis Recti, you need to know your ab muscles and how to engage them. You can check this out to learn more about how to engage your transverses abdominis. You will also want to do safe exercises that don’t accentuate the gap.
What are safe exercises to do if you have Diastasis Recti?
Some exercises like crunches and planks can actually make the gap between your muscles widen or delay healing. So here are some exercises that are safe and good alternatives to crunches/planks:
And here’s another.
https://fitnessista.com/
And some more abdominal exercises that are safe are:
- side planks
- belly raises
- side leg lowers
- bridge
- squats
- calf raises
- lunges
- weights
Good luck mammas in your recovery. I hope this helps you along your postpartum journey. I’ll be sharing updates as they come. But remember to take it slow, you just had a human come out of your body for crying out loud, and I will too! Hugs!
-Natashia
https://canaryjane.com/2018/04/birth-story-of-rocky-rainbow-baby.html