ever dealt with diastasis recti???

**fes_fsa** · Posted On: 6/01/2007 11:20pm

i had a 9 pound baby a little under 2 years ago. i'm getting back into shape... and everything is good but my stomach. i've got mummy tummy (diastasis recti) where the left and right sides of the front abdominal muscles separate, causing the stomach to protrude. it's only on my upper abs--my bottom ones are really good and i don't even have a pouch there.

before you guys tell me to google it, i already have. it's been 8 months of sit ups, crunches, pilates, etc., with and without splinting my abs... and the muscles won't tighten up to where they're together when i'm sitting up. in fact... i'll work out on the floor and as soon as i sit up, i feel a painful pulling in the separated area from my organs pressing their way through the muscles.

i know that some of you guys have trained/worked with mothers. is there any exercises i can do to bring the muscles back together?

**Tom Kagan** · Posted On: 6/01/2007 11:33pm

Originally Posted by fes_fsa

i feel a painful pulling in the separated area from my organs pressing their way through the muscles.

You're describing a hernia. You may want to consider consulting with a doctor to give you more information on surgical options.

**fes_fsa** · Posted On: 6/01/2007 11:47pm

Originally Posted by Tom Kagan

You're describing a hernia. You may want to consider consulting with a doctor to give you more information on surgical options.

no. i talked to a doctor, thinking it was a hernia. he said that if it were a hernia, i'd be in constant pain because it's in the epigastric region. as it is... it's only painful when i get up from working my abs (it doesn't hurt while i work out--it burns the way it should).

it's a stretching of a tendon between the upper abs. is there a way to tighten a loose tendon?

my doctor said that it's a very normal thing for women... and said to bind it to keep my organs from pressing through. but it's been 8 months... and i can't always have my abs splinted.

**bob** · Posted On: 6/01/2007 11:56pm

How many finger widths is the separation? (Measure with your abs contracted).

**fes_fsa** · Posted On: 6/02/2007 12:02am

i can get 2 fingers in when they're fully contracted.

**KickAHippie** · Posted On: 6/02/2007 12:10am

I have this. I was in a lot of pain at first but after about a year it got better. Unfortunately there is no real treatment for it. I no longer have the random pain anymore. The only time it hurts is if I get hit there really good. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance.

**bob** · Posted On: 6/02/2007 12:26am

Ok, 2 is a fair degree of separation. e-diagnosis is fraught with peril but I can give you some general advice.

Usually this will resolve within about 3 months of giving birth. If it's still there after 2 years, it's probably an indication that it's not going away. Sometimes doing abdominal exercises (or heavy lifting perhaps) too early after giving birth can be at fault in causing a permanent separation, sometimes it's just bad luck. 2nd kids are especially likely to cause it.

The best kind of exercises you can do at the moment are for the deeper core muscles like transversus abdominus and the internal obliques. A decent physical therapist should be able to help you out with these. If I were you, I'd steer clear of hammering the upper abdominals and work lower - so instead of doing crunches (which won't flatten your stomach anyway), do controlled knee and leg lifts on your back while actively stabilising your spine, for instance. If you're feeling it down below your navel, you're on the right track. Again, get some help with these from a professional. Incorporate your pelvic floor for maximum control. (notice how I stressed control there...)

There is a surgical option to correct it, using a teflon mesh. To be honest, though, I'm not sure if this is just an aesthetic correction or whether it will give you a functional improvement. Talk to a good plastic surgeon about this if you're interested. And I have seen the mesh fail before when the patient went back to vigorous physical activity - caused all kinds of problems. It's not an option if you plan on having more kids as well.

**fes_fsa** · Posted On: 6/02/2007 1:11am

it's from my 2nd... and my last baby. it's not for cosmetic purposes--i just want to be able to take a body shot w/o worrying about the damage so much because of the separation. thank you guys so much for your help. i'll update if i have any success overcoming this problem.

**ysc87** · Posted On: 6/02/2007 3:08am

you know, as mean as you are to me, miss, i'm terribly sorry to hear about your condition.
hope you get better soon.

**AeroChica** · Posted On: 6/04/2007 11:13am

I hear ya babe! Having babies is t3h D34dly! I don't have the abdominal split like you, but thanks to two difficult pregnancies, many of my internal organs are not where God originally put them. I can't do any high or even medium impact activites (like running) any more - from here on out my feet are firmly planted on the floor.

I also know someone with the wire mesh treatment - it is MAJOR surgery and you should think twice before doing it. Her recovery was over 6 months - no lifting, no exercise at all. And if you've got little ones, they don't buy that "mommy can't pick you up" thing. You should also investigate just how effecitve any surgical treatment is over the long term - I looked in to having some of my problems fixed and was told that the sucess rate was only 50% over 5 years - so even if I decided to do the 6 month thing, after 5 years I had a 50/50 chance of being right back where I started.

Good luck!