QuestionQUESTION: Hi,
I am 6 months PP and have rectus diastasis. I came to know when I was 1 month PP and since then I have been doing excercises for closing it. Initially I had 3" and it reduced to 2". My question is if I still continue to do excercises then will I be able to get it closed and get a flat belly or it won't reduce furthur inspite of doing the excecises. I had my delievery on 8th Aug 2009.
In Feb 2010, I am also starting pilated based physio therapy and have a plan to join pilates later.
ANSWER: To close diastasis, you need to take several steps, in the right order.
Step one is to build a lot(!) of strength into your Transverse Abdominis, or TvA. If TvA isolations have not been an integral part of your rehab, you need to start doing these types of exercises now.
Step two is to train the muscle to function properly as a stabilizer. This is key to abdominal flattening after pregnancy, both for those with and without diastasis.
The most commonly advised abdominal exercise to close the mid line is a splinted crunch, or sometimes a "mini" crunch. But women with diastasis should NOT start with any type of exercises, splinted or not, which lifts/rolls the upper body off the floor, or against the force of gravity. Lower spine flexion exercises should be used instead.
Many Pilates exercises, both mat and reformer, utilize the "head float" position: upper spine flexion, and therefore are not advisable until your diastasis has resolved. Don't get me wrong, I love Pilates. It's just that the method was never designed for postpartum women. Even the easier exercises require a fair amount of TvA strength to do properly.
You describe your gap as being in inches, is this correct? Most of the time, diastasis is measured in finger-widths. Since your gap has partially closed, you most likely will be able to close the gap further. Without a doubt, you can significantly flatten your abdomen with my program, "Bounce Back Fast! Post Natal Core Conditioning."
For more information on abdominal reconditioning after pregnancy go to:
http://befitmom.com/abdominal_reconditioning.html
For more information on abdominal separation go to:
http://befitmom.com/abdominal_separation.html
For more information on the award winning "Bounce Back Fast!" program go to:
http://befitmom.com/bounce_back_fast_post_natal_core_conditioning_dvd.html
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QUESTION: Hi,
You are right it was 3 fingers gap and now it got reduced to 2 fingers.
I have one more question...
On some of the Internet sites, its mentioned that separation can't be closed after 6 months of pregnancy postpartum. Is that true? Since i am already 6 months of pregnancy postpartum. I have started abdominal reconditioning after two months from my delivery that is in Oct 2009. I had a C-section and after delivery I had a severe back pain and when I went to phyio therapist, she told me that it was due to muscle separation.
Thanks,
Rakhi
AnswerYour PT is right, diastasis can cause, or exacerbate, back pain. But there are many, often times overlapping, causes for postpartum back pain.
As to the 6 month mark, it's best to begin closure of the mid line before that time, when the connective tissues are still soft from pregnancy hormones. At about six months pp, most women will begin to feel their joints tightening up again, as their ligaments and other connective tissues become more dense and elastic.
Most likely you can close your gap a little bit more. The goal of diastasis rehab is to close the mid line to two finger-widths or less, which you've achieved.
