What is Diastasis Recti and can it be fixed??
As a professional in the women's fitness space, pre and post-pregnancy is something I have spent a lot of time studying, and it's amazing how little information we are given as a mother after the birth of our babies and also how to look after ourselves safely moving forward!
EVERY pregnancy will experience some form of abdominal separation to allow space for the healthy baby to grow!!
The degree of separation varies dramatically between women and what you do during and post-pregnancy will determine the outcome. Most women will find that by their 6-week checkup postpartum, they have returned to approximately 1-2 cm separation, others much more.
When working with a women's health physio or health professional with experience in this space, you will learn to recruit the deep core muscles effectively to close that gap completely. Where you may run into problems is when you jump back into an exercise program too early, performing exercises that put strain on those muscles causing them to remain open, if not get worse!!!
My biggest piece of advice is to make sure you book an appointment with a women's health physio, not just your obstetrician, after the 6-week period to have a really thorough examination BEFORE returning to training!! This way, you have all the information you need to move forward SAFELY! They will be able to do an internal examination to check for any signs of prolapse as well as an external to know the degree of separation you have to work with.
Look after your body, particularly if you are planning to have multiple pregnancies. Your 50 year old self will love you for it!!!
