Diastasis recti- have you managed to repeir the muscles ?

[Goodliz]

Thanks for the nudge. I aim to have some info by the end of this week. I've started a new job which means I've been rather consumed by that these last few weeks.

Anyone who has been to my classes will know they are not expensive so I hope I will be able to provide something appealing.

Thanks, Liz

[LRoseA]

Hi - I wish there had been a thread on this earlier in the year after the birth of my second child...

I really wanted to recommend the wonderful Pilates teacher, Karen Meek, whose email is: [email protected]

I had a relatively severe gap and sessions with Karen have bought it down to what is considered normal. I was upset having been diagnosed and really thought I would never be able to repair the muscles at all but (along with a brilliant physio -Emma Hunter from EH Physio), I feel so grateful to have found Karen. She has a brilliant knowledge and understanding of this issue and is very encouraging, it can be helped!

[AnyaJoeli]

Hi there I wish I'd seen this thread earlier. One thing that I find alarming is that we aren't checked by midwives or dr at your 6-week check as a matter of course postnatally for diastasis recti. I teach postnatal Pilates and always check mums before we begin a course and I'd say at least 99% of people haven't even heard of the rec check or why we do it, or have any idea that the abdominals separate during pregnancy and don't necessarily ping back together without careful training.

The main issue is then not strengthening them in their separate position as they're less likely to bind back completely. And there are a few things you should avoid doing in order to make sure that you get them to knit back. You can get them to knit back and strengthen, you just have to be very careful about the type of strengthening work that you do.

My mummies tummies class on a Tuesday night is suitable, and also my Wednesday 7.30pm class seems to have become more of a diastasis-affected zone (!) and so everything we do is particularly strengthening for repairing the abdominal gap. It can be repaired never fear don't despair.

A 1 and a half finger gap is pretty normal post birth and shouldn't cause much issue as long as you're aware of it, and if you've had a big baby it's likely to be bigger. I've had a client with a 3-finger gap 6 years postnatal as she had no idea that she had had a gap after her second baby and it was causing all sorts of issues for her spinal stability, and we were able to close it to 1 1/2 over a 2 month period with careful work and awareness of what she was doing outside class too. So it's definitely not a non-reversible thing.

I'm always annoyed by how little we are told about it during pregnancy and after though, as the gap can cause problems if you're not aware of it and start doing loads of abdominal work trying to fix the postbaby belly but not realising the abs are compromised.

If anyone wants to come along for a free diastasis repair workshop to check out Pilates and I can check your gap and show you how to check yourself properly, let me know and I can sort something out...

x

[canela]

where do you run your classes?

and is it still something worth tackling if it has now been several years since having children?

[AnyaJoeli]

Hi there

Yes it's totally worth it, whenever you had your children. If there is still a gap years later then it's very much worth trying to repair it, as it can cause problems further down the line as your spinal and pelvic stability will be compromised. The woman in my class with a gap 6 years postnatal was facing surgery if she wasn't able to strengthen her abdominals because she was experiencing so much back pain and there was risk of hernia. That's not necessarily going to happen to everyone, but it is always worth regaining the core strength that might have been lost on the motherhood journey!

My classes are in Peckham, Friary road, at my home studio. Info here: http://anyajoeli.wix.com/bodybalancepilates

Let me know if you have any questions!

Anya