Diastasis Recti (Ab Separation) Recommendations for During & After Pregnancy PLUS Loose Belly Skin

Diastasis recti is a common condition encountered during pregnancy, mostly in the 2nd & 3rd trimesters for singleton pregnancies and early pregnancy for twin and triplet pregnancies. It is a temporary separation of the abdominal wall and usually goes away after the baby is born. It is not harmful, but during pregnant and non-pregnant exercise you need to modify your workout. This is done for you on the Moms Into Fitness pregnancy DVDs. *Note: if you are pregnant with twins you need to read the MIF exercise modifications here. If you are pregnant with triplets or high order multiples you should NOT exercise.

The word diastasis means "separation" and the rectus abdonimis muscle is the center muscle of your "six-pack". What happens as a result of your expanding belly is this muscle can become separated from the linea alba. The linea alba is line of fibrous tissue that runs down the midline of your abdomen. It separates your rectus abdonimis muscles into a left and right side. Sometimes, as your baby develops and your abdomen expands, a slight separation of the muscle from the dividing tissue can occur. If you have this condition, then you should not do the traditional Core exercises. Generally, women don’t have this separation during the first trimester, but if you experience any discomfort in this area, you may want to ease up on the core exercises.

After pregnancy, diastasis recti usually goes away within a few weeks. Some moms (less than 5%) have diastasis recti 2-20 years after having a baby. If you are one of these moms you must use the Moms Into Fitness modifications found on Boot Camp 2 and the CFS Method DVDs. It can take several weeks to several months to heal the diastasis. But doing traditional ab exercises will make it worse, so you must do exercises specific for diastasis recti.

The condition is not serious and in most cases will heal after the baby is out. Because it is caused by the expanding of your belly, those of you who are carrying twins or who are having a larger baby are more susceptible to it occurring.

If you have diastasis recti either during pregnancy or after pregnancy, then you should not do the traditional Core exercises.

If diastasis recti (a separation of the right and left side muscles of your belly) occurs, then you should stay away from twisting motions, planks, quadruped positions, crunches and most traditional abdominal exercises. You will need to train the pelvic floor and transverse abdominis to re-create the strength and integrity of your core. You can do this with pelvic floor training, supported crunches and TA training. Listed here are the 7 Simple Movements that initiate the healing of diastasis recti. And can be done directly after pregnancy or further down the line. And all of these abdominal exercise modifications are provided Lindsay’s Boot Camp 2 DVD and CFS Method DVD. Please scroll down or go to Diastasis Recti after Pregnancy or Diastasis Recti during Pregnancy to determine if you have diastasis recti.

Supported Crunch from Boot Camp 2 DVD

If you have diastasis recti either during pregnancy or after pregnancy, then you should not do the traditional Core exercises.

Generally, women don’t have this ab separation during the first trimester, but if you experience any discomfort in this area, you may want to modify the core exercises. You can find these modifications on Lindsay's pregnancy DVDs. You should stay away from twisting motions, traditional planks, quadruped positions, crunches and most traditional abdominal exercises. You will want to continue training the pelvic floor and transverse abdominis – these muscles act as a sling to support the baby and are extremely important in getting a flat stomach after the baby is born. You can activate the pelvic floor by controlling the flow of urine. And you can activate the transverse abdominis by placing a hand on our belly and forcefully saying the word "ha". *Remember you should not do exercises lying on your back after the first trimester. (ACOG 2009)

Diastasis recti is a common condition encountered during pregnancy, especially in multiple gestations. It is a temporary separation of the abdominal wall and usually goes away after the babies are born. It is not harmful, but during pregnant and non-pregnant exercise you need to modify your workout. This is done for you on the Moms Into Fitness pregnancy DVDs. *Note: if you are pregnant with twins you need to read the MIF exercise modifications here. If you are pregnant with triplets or high order multiples you should NOT exercise.

The severity of diastasis recti in mothers of twins and triplets is usually increased. But you can do some simple movements to start healing the separation after pregnancy. Listed here are the 7 Simple Movements that initiate the healing of diastasis recti. And can be done directly after pregnancy or further down the line, of course with your doctor's permission and listening to the ability of your body after a multiple birth. And all of these abdominal exercise modifications are provided Lindsay’s Boot Camp 2 DVD and CFS Method DVD. Test yourself for diastasis recti (abdominal separation) Diastasis Recti after Pregnancy

Lie on your back with your belly exposed. Get into a crunch position. Place the middle finger of one hand an inch above your belly button and aligned with its center. Place your pointer and ring directly on the other side of your middle finger. Gently press in as you crunch up. If all three of your fingers sink into a gap (between your abdominis recti muscles) then you have the diastasis (separation). If only one or two fit easily in the gap, that is completely normal. If you notice a large gap or any pain associated with this test please read about diastasis recti and abdominal hernias.

Test yourself for Diastasis Recti during Pregnancy

Lie on your back with your belly exposed. Get into a crunch position. Place the middle finger of one hand an inch above your belly button and aligned with its center. Place your pointer and ring directly on the other side of your middle finger. Gently press in as you crunch up. If all three of your fingers sink into a gap (between your abdominis recti muscles) then you have the diastasis (separation). If only one or two fit easily in the gap, that is completely normal. If you notice a large gap or any pain associated with this test please read about diastasis recti and abdominal hernias.

Test yourself for Diastasis Recti after Pregnancy

If you have diastasis recti either during pregnancy or after pregnancy, then you should not do the traditional Core exercises.

During Pregnancy

Generally, women don’t have this ab separation during the first trimester, but if you experience any discomfort in this area, you may want to modify the core exercises. You can find these modifications on Lindsay's pregnancy DVDs. You should stay away from twisting motions, planks, quadruped positions, crunches and most traditional abdominal exercises. You will want to continue training the pelvic floor and transverse abdominis – these muscles act as a sling to support the baby and are extremely important in getting a flat stomach after the baby is born. You can activate the pelvic floor by controlling the flow of urine. And you can activate the transverse abdominis by placing a hand on our belly and forcefully saying the word "ha". *Remember you should not do exercises lying on your back after the first trimester. (ACOG 2009)

After Pregnancy

Generally diastasis recti goes away after pregnancy once the pressure of the baby on the abdomen is gone. But if the diastasis (3-finger widths separation) is still present you should stay away from twisting motions, planks (not modified), crunches and most traditional abdominal exercises. You will need to train the pelvic floor and transverse abdominis to re-create the strength and integrity of your core. You can do this with pelvic floor training, supported crunches and TA training. These modifications are provided Lindsay’s Boot Camp 2 DVD and CFS Method DVD.

Whether or not you establish you have Diastasis Recti, make sure your doctor checks for a hernia. Larger hernias can prevent the diastasis (separation) from healing. And some hernias require surgery since it's a protrusion through the cavity wall. Otherwise you should be able to create a healthy core again, even if you have the diastasis.

Please see Test yourself for Diastasis Recti during pregnancy and after pregnancy to self-evaluate if you have diastasis recti. If you do, you should do the exercises found on the CFS Method DVD to regain a healthy core, which can take several weeks to master depending on the severity of your diastasis.

Loose skin is what a lot of moms are left with after birth! About 6 months after pregnancy almost everything should be back to "normal" - in fact your uterus is its normal size at 6 weeks postpartum. What's left is loose abdominal muscles and loose belly skin. And the only way to reduce loose skin without surgery is exercise.

Toning is the most important part of this equation, and while we all wish there was 1 simple solution, you need to watch what you eat and do cardio as well. So make sure you challenge your muscles with toning while losing extra weight with cardio and nutrition. There are a few things you should know:

1. Genetics play a large role in cellulite and loose skin...if your mom has loose skin/cellulite/stretch marks you are more likely to have them.
2. Skin gets thinner with age and loses its elasticity. The elasticity is what allows your stomach skin to bounce back after having a baby.
3. Toning will get your to your BEST body, but in some cases it may not be the level you are happy with.