Pregnancy Article 31

What is Diastasis?

Diastasis Recti, or abdominal separation, is one of the many changes that may happen in your body if you are pregnant. Indeed, diastasis is actually unavoidable during pregnancy. Research has confirmed that nearly 100% of women experience abdominal separation by the end of their third trimester. The degree to which this separation occurs varies among women; but it is, in fact, an unavoidable phenomenon.

In order to understand diastasis, we first need to examine how the abdominal muscles connect with each other. Every person’s abdominal muscles are separated down the middle and connected by a band of tissue called the linea alba. The linea alba allows for abdominal expansion during normal daily activities, such as breathing. Without it, your body would not be able to adapt to your needs. Your abdomen needs to expand in order to function properly.

Is Diastasis Preventable?

Pregnancy requires abdominal expansion over a significant amount of time. Diastasis must occur in order for your baby to grow. Hormones also surge and increase during pregnancy. Relaxin is one such hormone that increases the laxity in your joints and tissue. Without these hormones, your abdomen would not be allowed to expand as your baby grows. Women are often frightened by diastasis happening to them during pregnancy, but it is truly unavoidable. Once we understand how the abdomen is designed, we can then understand why diastasis occurs. It is nothing to be feared! There are some techniques you can employ in order to manage the degree of separation that may occur.

How Can I Manage Diastasis During Pregnancy?

While we cannot avoid diastasis from happening during pregnancy, we can attempt to minimize the severity and help quicken the healing process postpartum. This can all be achieved by training your core throughout your pregnancy! Focus on these simple tips:

Inhale during the easier part of the exercise and exhale during the hard part
Modify exercises throughout each trimester as your body changes
Stack your ribs over your pelvis during exercises for proper alignment
Decrease reps, sets, or weight as needed throughout each trimester

Training safely during pregnancy will set you up for a more positive postpartum healing journey. Diastasis typically resolves on its own after labor and delivery, but it is important not to jump back into too much activity while you are still healing. Lastly, give yourself grace. You’re growing life, and that is something to be celebrated and cherished!

Sara French, ACSM CPT, NASM CNC

Sources

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22346-diastasis-recti

Diastasis Recti and Pregnancy: ‘Closing the gap’ between current treatment practices and clinical evidence

Cesarean Recovery Tips

Whether your cesarean section was planned or a result of a birthing complication, it’s important to remember that you’ve had a major abdominal surgery that requires eight to ten weeks or more for recovery.

Although you may not feel like doing much the first few days post-surgery, specific exercises should be started right away to help speed recovery after anesthesia, and stimulate muscle function, and promote circulation.

Check with your healthcare provider before doing any of these exercises to make sure it’s safe for you to get started.

Cough five times each hour to help clear your lungs following anesthesia. You should support your tender abdomen by holding a small pillow or rolled towel against your tummy over the incision as you cough. If you are in the hospital, you can ask the nurse for an incentive spirometer. This is a special tool designed to help with breathing after a surgery. The nurse will show you how to use it.
Log roll to get in and out of bed. Log rolling is a technique that helps to decrease pressure on your belly. Start your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the bed. As you roll to one side, use your top arm to help roll and grab the side of the bed (or at least put the hand on the bed for balance support). Once on your side, knees still bend, use your top hand to help push you up as you gently swing your legs over the side of the bed with your body moving as a single unit or a “log”. Once you are up far enough, you can use your bottom hand to help push you up. Breath the entire time. If you need help with this technique, as the nurse to teach you or request a visit from a physical therapist in the hospital.
Lie or sit in a comfortable position and slowly pull your belly in towards your spine. Use your breathing by exhaling as you draw inward and inhaling as you relax. Work up to a set of five to ten repetitions every hour.
Lie on your back with the knees bent and arms out to the sides. Imagine that your tummy is the face of a clock, and gently press down at 12 o’clock, then to the side at 9 o’clock, down to 6 o’clock and then to the other side at 3 o’clock—reverse direction and repeat. Try and work towards a smooth movement of circles in each direction.
Once your anesthesia has worn off try walking a few steps with support. You can ask for a physical therapist to come see you in the hospital if you think you may need help or if you think you may need a walker for balance. Make sure you have someone holding you as you move as you may feel dizzy or unstable. You’ll prevent fluid retention and speed the return of bowel and bladder function by getting up and walking a few minutes every hour.