Testing for a diastasis recti during your pregnancy is really not necessary. Whilst you can minimise the impact of diastasis on your core muscles by working on alignment and core strength during pregnancy, please don’t go poking about in your bump or worrying about diastasis recti or abdominal separation during your pregnancy.
The rectus abdominus muscle parts in a third of first pregnancies, and in around two thirds of second or subsequent pregnancies. We’d rather it didn’t, but it is common, and being aware of and adjusting your alignment and the mechanics of how you carry your growing bump will help comfort now and recovery afterwards.
What you can do is work on your alignment and keep your transverse and pelvic floor muscles supple and strong throughout pregnancy, whilst avoiding exercises or movements that will exacerbate the problem. You can make changes to your alignment to reduce intra-abdominal pressure and to ensure that your whole core is carrying your growing baby, rather than all the pressure being out front and straining at the weakest point. This will ensure the effective recovery and restoration of those core muscles after the birth, and make repair of the gap easier.
Keep your body strong, aligned and working in the right direction… and most women will be able to repair the gap painlessly in 6-12 weeks.
Even if you had your baby many months or even years ago, once you start doing the right exercises, and stop doing the wrong ones, you can reverse the condition.
For information and articles about exercises for diastasis recti and exercises to avoid, see more Diastasis Recti articles
So don’t panic. And leave your poor bump alone… Mother Nature knows how to make room!
I developed a DR after my first son who was born at 9.7 lbs, but I was able to close by gap to 1 finger. Now I am pregnant with my second child and I see a big bulge in the center of my stomach anytime I engage those muscles. It definitely looks to me as though my seperation became much worse. I am 32 weeks pregnant. Is it okay to start the program so far into my pregnancy?
I developed a DR after my first son who was born at 9.7 lbs, but I was able to close by gap to 1 finger. Now I am pregnant with my second child and I see a big bulge in the center of my stomach anytime I engage those muscles. It definitely looks to me as though my seperation became much worse. I am 32 weeks pregnant. Is it okay to start the program so far into my pregnancy?
I developed DR after my first child and am now 12 weeks pregnant with my third. I’m excited to have found this program. Is it for postpartum only? What type of exercises should I do or avoid. I am still jogging and doing Insanity workout DVDs.
The MuTu System 12 Week Program is entirely safe + beneficial for a healthy, low risk pregnancy… Please join … + please stop doing that DVD while you’re pregnant!? The Intensive workouts in 12 Week will give you the workout buzz you need, but you really would benefit from a program designed with a mothers body in mind 🙂
I developed DR after my first child and am now 12 weeks pregnant with my third. I’m excited to have found this program. Is it for postpartum only? What type of exercises should I do or avoid. I am still jogging and doing Insanity workout DVDs.
The MuTu System 12 Week Program is entirely safe + beneficial for a healthy, low risk pregnancy… Please join … + please stop doing that DVD while you’re pregnant!?
i didn’t realize i had this until it became very painful and my doctor tested me for it. i would like to help these muscles not work as hard (since when they flex is when i am in the most pain) by strengthening complementary muscles. any suggestions? i was hoping i could fix the diastasis recti before the baby comes, but as that is not considered a good idea i am now just looking to ease the pain.
You need to work the whole core as a system Nicole – isolated squeezes of any one muscle alone will not work in the long run. MuTu Focus is the program which will help you learn to engage these muscles properly during pregnancy or immediately postnatal
i didn’t realize i had this until it became very painful and my doctor tested me for it. i would like to help these muscles not work as hard (since when they flex is when i am in the most pain) by strengthening complementary muscles. any suggestions? i was hoping i could fix the diastasis recti before the baby comes, but as that is not considered a good idea i am now just looking to ease the pain.
You need to work the whole core as a system Nicole – isolated squeezes of any one muscle alone will not work in the long run. MuTu Focus is the program which will help you learn to engage these muscles properly during pregnancy or immediately postnatal
I forgot to mention that 2 of my sisters developed DR during their pregnancies (3 kids for 1 sis and 2 for the other); the sister with 3 children did end up having surgical intervention as her DR was pretty severe. I’d really like to avoid that but as I’m an older mum (40 in April) I feel I’m starting at a disadvantage anyways and the physio’s comments have left me feeling really discouraged.
DR is going to happen if it’s going to happen… apart from avoiding excessive extra weight gain (which you should do for health reasons anyway) you can’t stop it happening. It’s Mother Nature’s way of making room & you can put yourself back toegther afterwards! Read the post I have linked to in my last response to you. And enjoy your pregnancy 🙂
I forgot to mention that 2 of my sisters developed DR during their pregnancies (3 kids for 1 sis and 2 for the other); the sister with 3 children did end up having surgical intervention as her DR was pretty severe. I’d really like to avoid that but as I’m an older mum (40 in April) I feel I’m starting at a disadvantage anyways and the physio’s comments have left me feeling really discouraged.
You really DON’T need surgery! A 1 finger separation is perfectly reparable with corrective exercise & remember it won’t ‘fuse’ back together anyway. What you need is transverse abdominis & pelvic floor strength, along with postural & pelvic realignment. The MuTu System online training prog will get you in great shape for another pregnancy & beyond!
DR is going to happen if it’s going to happen… apart from avoiding excessive extra weight gain (which you should do for health reasons anyway) you can’t stop it happening. It’s Mother Nature’s way of making room & you can put yourself back toegther afterwards! Read the post I have linked to in my last response to you. And enjoy your pregnancy 🙂
i’m a first time mum and my little guy is 15 months old. I’ve suspected for a while that I had a DR but a physio confirmed a 1 finger separation just today. She told me that I would never be able to close it and that it would get progressively worse with successive pregnancies (we would like another child); apparently the best I can do is try and strengthen that area to help support it when I get pregnant again and then get surgical intervention once we’re done having children. is that true?
You really DON’T need surgery! A 1 finger separation is perfectly reparable with corrective exercise & remember (see this post http://mutusystem.com/can-t… ) it won’t ‘fuse’ back thogether anyway. What you need is transverse abdominis & pelvic floor strength, along with postural & pelvic realignment. The MuTu System online training prog will get you in great shape for another pregnancy & beyond!
You really DON’T need surgery! A 1 finger separation is perfectly
reparable with corrective exercise & remember it won’t ‘fuse’ back thogether anyway. What you need is transverse
abdominis & pelvic floor strength, along with postural & pelvic
realignment. The MuTu System online training prog will get you in great
shape for another pregnancy & beyond!
i’m a first time mum and my little guy is 15 months old. I’ve suspected for a while that I had a DR but a physio confirmed a 1 finger separation just today. She told me that I would never be able to close it and that it would get progressively worse with successive pregnancies (we would like another child); apparently the best I can do is try and strengthen that area to help support it when I get pregnant again and then get surgical intervention once we’re done having children. is that true?
Thank you! I am 24 weeks along with my second… have always been “in shape” and have been freaking out for the past couple weeks! I definitely have a separation of my abs and it’s been getting bigger as my pregnancy progresses. Most of the information out there is very scary and made me feel like I did something wrong for this to occur. I’ve been so concerned about not being able to keep up with my prenatal fitness because of this diastasis. So thank you for the reassurance and information. I will definitely keep working those kegels and transverse, while avoiding the exercises that could exacerbate it.
You’re very welcome. And ‘getting bigger as pregnancy progresses’ is the way its SUPPOSED to go ;)) Good luck x
You’re very welcome. And ‘getting bigger as pregnancy progresses’ is the way its SUPPOSED to go ;)) Good luck x
Thank you! I am 24 weeks along with my second… have always been “in shape” and have been freaking out for the past couple weeks! I definitely have a separation of my abs and it’s been getting bigger as my pregnancy progresses. Most of the information out there is very scary and made me feel like I did something wrong for this to occur. I’ve been so concerned about not being able to keep up with my prenatal fitness because of this diastasis. So thank you for the reassurance and information. I will definitely keep working those kegels and transverse, while avoiding the exercises that could exacerbate it.
You’re very welcome. And ‘getting bigger as pregnancy progrsses’ is the way its SUPPOSED to go ;)) Good luck x
You’re very welcome. And ‘getting bigger as pregnancy progresses’ is the way its SUPPOSED to go ;)) Good luck x