Pregnancy You gave birth almost 9 months ago (or more), and you still have a ‘’Mommy Tummy’’ or ‘’pooch’’ – why?

Pregnancy puts a lot of pressure on your abdominal wall. You most probably have what’s called
a diastasis recti – a vertical separation of the left & right parts of your rectus abdominis
(‘’6 packs/outer ab muscle’’) which causes your belly to stick out and create a bulge.
It is a condition that is very common among pregnant women (over 90%) and more common if
you had more than one child, especially if they are close in age, and if you are over 35 years old
when pregnant. A gap of 2.7cm (2-3 fingers) or more between the ab muscles would confirm the
condition. It can be open at navel level, below or above, or the muscles could be separated
through all their length.

This separation causes weak support for your uterus, bowels, and other organs and results in
many cases in lower back pain, constipation and urine leaking. In extreme cases, the tissue may
tear, and organs may poke out of the opening causing a hernia.

The muscle opening often shrinks after giving birth, but the muscle may never come back to
normal pre-pregnancy state. In all cases, don’t strain (heavy lifting) and be careful with exercise
to avoid actions putting additional pressure on the weak belly tissue.

Some routine fitness moves, including crunches, sit-ups, pushups, press-ups, and front planks,
make abdominal separation worse. So can swimming, some yoga poses (like downward dog),
and doing anything on your hands and knees.

You can wear a belly splint/girdle to protect and hold the abdominal muscles together while
exercising. Once you have the OK from your doctor to resume exercise postpartum, physical
therapists specialized in pelvic floor rehabilitation can assess your condition by measuring the
width and depth of your separation (if your doctor hasn’t already). This will further help them as
well as a specialized personal trainer to provide guidelines on what moves can help your belly
heal by strengthening your deep abdominal muscle (transverse abdominis) and to measure
progression.

All women should consult with a trainer who knows about diastasis recti if they plan on getting
pregnant, during pregnancy and after delivery. The support they can get will certainly make a
difference. You will most probably also need guidance to execute daily activities in a safe
manner.