Went to the GYN and it is indeed diastasis recti. He told me to excersize to try to correct it (I already do 5x a week) and obviously when I am done having kids I'll prob do the surgery. I am going to go to another doc to see if they would write up a thing for physical therapy since online sources and some of you said thats what would need to be done.
I can't say how grateful I am to you ladies for bringing this all up. I have been searching for months what could be wrong and couldn't find anything. You are the reason I made the appt!
Surgery is not necessary unless it is a very large separation. Consider seeing a physical therapist who can show you corrective exercises and perhaps put you in a brace to wear around your torso. Avoid all twisting exercises for this will cause the separation to increase. (so no oblique work basically). Also, the book, Bounce Back Into Shape After Baby by Caroline Creager who is a PT is a great book and shows you progressive exercises for the separation. It can be found on amazon for about $15, worht the investment if you can't get to a PT.
Hello Lindsay,
Just wanted to tell you to let your DR know about our Tupler Technique Fitness classes. Every exercise (upper body, lower body, and VERY SPECIFIC abdominals - NOT CRUNCHES!!!) are to help women bring their diastises Recti together.
It is based on Julie Tupler's work - she has the most extensive research in the world on CORRECTING the diastises recti through specific exercises. We have trained personally with her. In fact I, along with the other instructor who is a physical therapist, are the ONLY ones certified in this technique in the entire CHICAGOLAND area. I hope you can take our classes. Let your doctor know about them too!
We are in Orland Park Sportsplex starting in September (Monday nights at 8 for 6 weeks 708-645-play) and we are at Homewood Flossmoor Park District starting July 31st Thursday nights at 7:30 pm for 6 weeks - ( 708-957-7275.)
I also recommend getting the book "Lose Your Mummy Tummy" which is a book ENTIRELY based on closing the diastisis (as is our class) as well as a DVD. You can get them on Amazon.com. Our class is basically the book and dvd combined - but you can at least get a head start if you read up on everything and go to your doctor as an informed patient as well.
After #2, i closed my diastises 3 fingerwidths on all three areas you check (at belly button, 3 inches above and 3 inches below). Good luck and we hope to see you!
PS Please be aware that MANY exercises you do can actually INCREASE the diastises. You must inform yourself. Crunches, pilates 100, jacknifing, corkscrew, are just some examples of exercises that can make your diastises bigger. Even simple movements - like getting out of bed wrong, can also make it bigger. OB GYNs can tell you that you have a diastises and maybe even measure it, but they are not trained to bring it together. In fact in physical therapy school, PTs learn about the diastises, but not how to bring it together (my co instructor TEACHES other PTs about the diastises recti as a Master Trainer). Hope that helps you in your quest to bring it together!