QuestionQUESTION: Hello - i have had 3 c sections, my last one 13 weeks ago. I went to the doctor last week as I wanted to find out how much my stomach muscles had separated. I was told there was a 2 finger separation. my stomach is still rounded and looks about 4 months pregnant. I have been working on my transverse muscle for the last 3 weeks. Should I just carry on working on this to bring my stomach in and cardio? I read in my friends book by j tupler to avoid crunches and oblique exercises as this can make it worse. Does this mean I should never do these again? I am abit confused as to what I can do and what I can't. I would really apppreciate some advice as I don't know what to do. Thank you
ANSWER: First the good news: you only have a two finger-width separation of your Rectus Abdominis (your "six-pack") which at 13 weeks pp after your third childbirth is really good.
Most fitness pros define diastasis as being more than two finger-widths, while some PTs define it as being slightly smaller, at more than 2 centimeters. So you're borderline for diastasis, at worst.
It's totally normal that 13 weeks after your 3rd childbirth that your abdominal muscles are very lax - which means that the muscles are both weak and stretched out. That's why new mummy tummies are so squishy.
To rehab diastasis, you need to first build A LOT of strength into your Transverse Abdominis, then you need to perform specialized postpartum exercises that train the muscle to function as a stabilizer. This is key for both closing the mid line and flattening the abdomen.
Do not perform any abdominal exercise that lifts/rolls the upper body off the floor or against the force of gravity as these moves will widen the mid line, prevent the development of functional core strength and stability, as well as prevent the abdomen from flattening after pregnancy.
After you have fully rehabbed from pregnancy and have developed a strong functional core, then you can slowly start adding in more traditional abdominal exercises. If you do these types of exercises with out adequate strength in you Transverse Abdominis, then your belly will bulge outward during exertion, which is exactly what you don't want to do.
For more info on diastasis go to: http://befitmom.com/abdominal_separation.html
The standing exercises on this page are also great for early postpartum rehab and are safe for those who have had a C. Do a set of these daily.
For more info on how to recondition after pregnancy go to:
http://befitmom.com/abdominal_reconditioning.html
Always use the "log roll" technique when rising off the floor or out of bed, to protect your mid line. Video demonstration: http://befitmom.com/abdominal_separation.html
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QUESTION: Thank you so much for your reply! I really appreciate it. Its great to be get advice from an expert. Can you advise approx when my tva will be stronger if I do these exercises daily? What finger separation should I expect it to go down to? Do you think when my baby is 6 months plus? If I closed the gap completely and my tva muscles were strong then maybe I could look at other stomach exercises as well or do you think it is just best to stick with tva exercises for good. I don't want to make anything worse. Thank you so much!!!!
ANSWER: Plan on spending about three weeks of intense TvA work to build up a foundation of strength, then move on to postpartum exercises that train the TvA to function properly as a stabilizer. You should be able to get down to one finger or less.
Once you finish this basic rehab, then you can start to slowly integrate other, more traditional abdominal exercises into your routine.
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QUESTION: Hello - sorry one more question. can you advise what exercises you would do (intense tva)and what is the difference between the intense tva exercises and then exercising the tva to function as a stabilizer? what do you do differently. Thank you so much!!
AnswerFor exercise programs that rehab diastasis, you can use either my book and/or DVD. The two exercises I advised previously are good for basic TvA strength building. Take a look at the photo of the Heel Slide with Belly Scoop, as shown on page: http://befitmom.com/abdominal_reconditioning.html. This is an example of a postpartum exercise that trains the TvA to function as a stabilizer.
More info about how to repair diastasis rect can be found at:
http://befitmom.com/abdominal_separation.html
