Diastasis recti?

Yep, happened to me in my first pregnancy. My abs were my best feature, too. I was able to get a pretty decent mid section after the first 2 kids with my regular running and some weight training. Took a little longer with number 3 and even longer with number 4. My stomach will never be what it was 16 years ago, but for a mom of 4, I'm doing pretty good. If you breast feed that helps burn a lot of calories, too, and it is great for the baby. Just try not to stress about it. Your goal is to keep yourself and the baby healthy. Oh, and I didn't even gain very much weight. I think that when your abdominal muscles are so tight they just can't help but come apart as your abdomen expands.

0/10

Just kidding. Wish you and your child the best.

Mind Runner wrote:

Yep, happened to me in my first pregnancy. My abs were my best feature, too. I was able to get a pretty decent mid section after the first 2 kids with my regular running and some weight training. Took a little longer with number 3 and even longer with number 4. My stomach will never be what it was 16 years ago, but for a mom of 4, I'm doing pretty good. If you breast feed that helps burn a lot of calories, too, and it is great for the baby. Just try not to stress about it. Your goal is to keep yourself and the baby healthy. Oh, and I didn't even gain very much weight. I think that when your abdominal muscles are so tight they just can't help but come apart as your abdomen expands.

Thanks, this makes me feel better :) I do plan to breastfeed, and I also plan to have more kids in the future, so I know that my six-pack days are probably behind me. I think I'll settle for a reasonably firm, not freakish tummy.

To prevent or lessen the severity of diastasis recti you should strengthen the deepest abdominal muscle, the Transverse Abdominis , or TvA.

Two great, safe, TvA exercises for pregnancy can be found at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cdSxWvF06g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkTlpSCmJyY

If you mid line is already more than 2.5 finger-widths, you should add on manual splinting of the abs as you do the exercises as shown here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juMlSPiZHTw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxbsq808lxE

To protect your mid line, always use the "log roll" technique when getting in and out of bed, or when rising off the floor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xoe8PaYvRRc

Women with diastasis should NOT perform any exercises that flex the upper spine off the floor or against the force of gravity, or exercises that twist the spine, as these moves will make diastasis worse.

no amount of abdominal exercises is going to change the amount of sretch in your "abdominal muscles" think of putting 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound sack. the amount of diastasis depends largely on how YOU picked your parents- i.e. genetics. to a small extent, size of the baby as well as age are other factors. the elastic property of your skin, as well as the contracture of your diastasis post pregnancy has zero to do with wrapping or anything else you see advertised by celebrities on tv. the stretch (both skin and diastasis) can always be repaired surgically post pregnancy with a tummy tuck (in exchange for a big assscar).

Mind Runner, did your belly button ever move when you were pregnant? Mine is off-center now, it's shifted to the right, and it's kind of freaking me out!!