What might be causing your belly to bulge post birth and what can help?

What Is Diastasis Rectis?

"Diastasis" means separation. "Recti" refers to your ab muscles called the "rectus abdominis." Simply terms, it’s a gap between your right and left belly muscles that causes your stomach to protrude or round after birth. Two-thirds of women will experience

How Do I Know If I Have It?

There is a simple self test you can do which we show you in the video below. DR is defined by a 2.7cm or greater gap ( or more then 2 fingers)

What exercises should I avoid?

• Avoid traditional ab work: crunches, intense oblique curls, reverse curls, and roll-ups.

• Avoid heavy lifting, twisting the spine and also don’t work the abdominal wall against the force of gravity.

• No movement that puts strain on the ‘midline’ or causes bulging like sit-ups and planks.

• Backbends and spinal extension is also not ideal as it causes too much stress on already stretched abdominal muscles.

What exercises should I do?

• Toe taps, heel slides, pelvic tilts, single leg stretches, closed chain abdominals. (see video below for beginners guide of exercises)

• Do movements that keep the belly flat rather than causes the bulging 6 pack.

• Keep head down and gradually start lifting head and shoulders (hands behind head) when the Transverse Adominal(inner core muscles) can be maintained and the obliques hold.

• Beginner level oblique exercises are best to pull the midline back together. Think of it as a corset you’re pulling back together and the obliques are the best way to do that