Anyone else have diastasis recti after giving birth?
I just gave birth to my daughter almost 2 weeks ago. My diastasis recti is only slightly worse after this pregnancy than it was with my son. I look about 3-4 months pregnant. And I still have an umbilical hernia. I'm currently living in Italy and I haven't been able to find anyone to tell me where I can go have it all fixed. They just advised me to diet and exercise. Whatever. A few hours after the birth I still looked very pregnant and had many individuals (which included nurses and doctors) ask me if I still had to give birth or if I had another one inside. Needless to say, I felt truly horrible. And I didn't need to feel bad about my body on one of the happiest days of my life. Can anyone relate?? Has anyone had their diastasis recti fixed? Thanks.
Pregnancy - 2 Answers
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1 :
Surgery is the only way to fix this. No amount of dieting and exercise is going to get you back to your pre-pregnancy state. Start by asking your OBGYN for a referral to a surgeon. You can ask at your 6 week checkup. I doubt any one would want to operate before 6 weeks post delivery unless it were absolutely necessary. In the mean time try wearing a support band or abdominal binder to try and keep those muscles in place. I am sorry people have been so rude to you- especially doctors and nurses! Some people can be so insensitive without even realizing it. Take it in stride and ignore those people.
2 :
Diastasis recti, or abdominal separation, occurs frequently as a result of the combination of pregnancy hormones which soften and lengthen connective tissues, and the mechanical stress that the uterus places on the body's mid line. Every woman's mid line is always a little wider after pregnancy. The goal of diastasis repair is to close the gap to less than two finger-widths. To close abdominal separation, you need to start by building strength back into your deepest abdominal muscle, your Transverse Abdominis, or TvA. This is the body's internal "girdle" and when contracted, compresses the abdomen. After adequate strength has been re-established, then you should perform special postpartum exercises that train the muscle to function as a stabilizer. Depending on the severity of the condition, you may also want to add on manual splinting of the abdominal wall. Until the condition has resolved, usually by 6 months postpartum, do NOT perform any abdominal exercises that lift/roll the upper body off the floor against the force of gravity. NO crunches, sit-ups, roll ups/roll backs, most Pilates mat work, and yoga moves like "boat pose." Every woman's abdomen is extended after childbirth. The comments you received were totally out of line. More info on diastasis recti can be found at: http://www.befitmom.com/abdominal_separation.html More info on postpartum exercises can be found at: http://www.befitmom.com/abdominal_reconditioning.html
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