The Mummy Tummy (Diastasis Recti) – Part1

It is an exciting day where all moms -to-be are about to meet their babies after a 10 month long waiting period. For most mummies, getting back into shape is probably a struggling concern and for some, regardless of the effort, their ‘mummy tummy’ is just not going away.

Doing specific abs exercises seems to be making it worse not to mention the lower back pain associated with it .

Diastasis Recti is a common post partum condition in which the abdominal muscles are separated by the ligament(linea alba) and it might cause a bulge in the middle of the abdomen where the two muscles separate. Diastasis recti is very common during and following pregnancy.

This is because the uterus stretches the muscles in the abdomen to accommodate your growing baby.  This happens mostly with pregnancy or a larger weight gain which can happen with males or females.

Having Diastasis Recti may cause you to notice the protruding belly and a general feeling of weakness in your core muscles. Other signs of diastasis include incontinence that continues more than eight weeks postpartum (separated abs can often cause pelvic floor dysfunction, which can lead to urine leakage, constipation and pain during intercourse), lower back pain and a four-months-pregnant look.

How do I know if I have a Mummy Tummy?

You can perform an easy test by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Put one hand on your belly, with your fingers on your midline at your navel. Press your fingertips down gently, and bring your head (shoulders stay on the ground) up into a mini crunch-like position. Feel for the sides of your rectus abdominis muscles, and see if and how far they are separated. Separation is commonly discussed in terms of finger widths — for instance, two or three (or more) fingers’ separation.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article.