A Deep Dive into Diastasis Recti
by Laura Barrett
Do you have a bulge down the centre of your tummy when you try to sit up? Did you deliver your baby months ago but still look pregnant? You could have a tummy separation, a Diastasis Recti.
A Diastasis Recti is where the central abdominal connective tissue, the linea alba, stretches during pregnancy and as a result the tummy muscles attached to it move apart. This is a normal response in pregnancy to your hormones, your growing baby and your changing posture. In fact, research suggests between 30 and 100% of women will have a Diastasis Recti by the third trimester.
Image Credit: https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/blog/articles/how-do-i-know-if-i-have-diastasis-recti/
During the pregnancy you may notice some doming or coning of the tummy when you try to sit up or lean backwards. After delivery you may still notice this doming of your tummy, or you may feel you still look pregnant even though you are losing weight. This can be very upsetting and disheartening, especially if you are eating healthily and trying to exercise. It normally resolves by itself in the first 9 weeks after having your baby. However, in approximately one third of women, it will not resolve by itself, and you should seek advice from a women’s health physiotherapist.
You may hear your friends talking about how wide their separation is, and although this is important to measure and monitor, the key factor is the depth of the separation combined with the tension you can generate across the separation. An abdomen that can generate enough tension to manage the changing pressures within it, as well as support a movement, is vital in preventing strain on other joints and muscles in the body.
However, the assessment and treatment of a Diastasis Recti is not just about your tummy. A Diastasis Recti can affect your posture, movement and function, your breathing style, surrounding joints and the function of your pelvic floor. It can also be affected by any abdominal scars or any tightness or restrictions in local muscles, organs, ligaments and connective tissue. So, treatment will involve improving your breathing pattern and linking this with a good pelvic floor contraction to help you during exercise. It will require soft tissue release of any surrounding tightness to allow the muscles to work optimally, in the best posture.
There is a lot of scaremongering on the internet telling you to avoid certain activities as they will make your separation worse. This is simply not true. Doing a plank or a crunch is not going to worsen your separation. However, it may lead to you hurting your back or another joint if you are too weak to perform the exercise correctly due to the separation.
Correcting a Diastasis Recti requires consistency with your exercise programme, using correct technique and posture, working closely with a physiotherapist or fitness specialist to progress your exercises appropriately, allowing you to return to your day-to-day activities and hobbies safely and effectively.