QuestionMy third child is now 11 months old the others are almost 3 and 5. I lost all my baby weight after the boys but I'm having a hard time getting it off now. Even though I lost the weight before I never could get rid of the huge bulge starting directly under my chest and of course going down my belly. I have a rather large separation in my abs, and from what I've been reading it sounds like all those sit-ups I did after the boys may have contributed to the "still pregnant" look. do you have suggestions on what to do this far past my daughters birth?
AnswerBecause your tummy is still round, this tells me that you deepest abdominal muscle, your Transverse Abdominis, or TvA,is weak and/or not functioning properly. When contracted, the Tva compresses the abdominal wall and pulls the abdomen closer to the spine. In fitness, we call this muscle the body's "internal girdle."
After pregnancy, this muscle should be strengthened first, and then trained to function as a torso stabilizer. This is key to developing a flat abdominal wall after pregnancy.
If you do exercises like crunches, with a weak TvA, then the abdominal wall will bulge outward during exertion. This is especially problematic after pregnancy. In fitness, what you practice is what you get. So if you unintentionally allow the abdomen to protrude during exercise, this is what you're training you abs to do.
The good news is that you rebuild strength and functional control in your TvA and then when you do a move like a crunch, you will be able to maintain a flat abdominal profile. This is how to flatten the abs after pregnancy.
For more info on this method of reconditioning after pregnancy, see my web site at:http://befitmom.com/abdominal_reconditioning.html
