Sometimes a woman who has recently become a mother does not know what to think when all her efforts to tidy up her belly after childbirth remain unsuccessful. With a balanced diet and adequate exercise, the abdominal muscles not only do not regain their previous tone, but begin to bulge even more. The reason for this strange “behavior” of the body may be diastasis of the abdominal muscles - it is this pathology that prevents a woman from regaining her former slimness.

To understand what the pathology is with such a diagnosis, you need, first of all, to know the specifics of the anatomical location of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall. The rectus abdominis muscles are connected by tendon fibers woven into a strong mesh. The abdominal linea alba is the name given to where these muscles meet. When this ligament, for one reason or another, expands, and the rectus muscles diverge to the sides, they speak of their diastasis.

The underlying cause of the pathology can be considered congenital weakness of the connective tissue of the lower part of the white line. Under the influence of constantly increasing intra-abdominal pressure during pregnancy and childbirth, this area is greatly stretched and does not return to its previous position. This is also facilitated by the active synthesis of relaxin, one of the pregnancy hormones. The substance softens and deprives muscle fibers of tone, thus making the ligamentous complex of muscles and joints of the pelvis more mobile. This is what muscle diastasis looks like after childbirth:

Who becomes an accessible target for diastasis?

Women in the following categories are at risk:

• pregnant women with a large child;
• pregnant with several babies;
• pregnant for the second (third or fourth) time;
• with a diagnosis of polyhydramnios.

In addition to such obvious reasons for the development of diastasis as pregnancy and a high degree of stress during childbirth, there are other factors that contribute to the appearance of pathology. Among them are:

• increased physical activity with incorrect exercise technique;
• prolonged intense cough, which is accompanied by severe straining;
• loss of muscle tone due to sudden fluctuations in body weight (for example, rapid weight loss);
• predisposition to the development of a hernia.

Symptoms of diastasis

Among the obvious signs of diastasis after childbirth are the following:

• unnaturally convex navel;
• a protruding rounded belly, even if quite a lot of time has passed since childbirth;
• regular constipation;
• constant pain in the back and lower back;
• the appearance of fatty ridges in the abdominal area.

If you have at least one of the listed symptoms, you can suspect the presence of diastasis after childbirth.

Diagnosis of diastasis

The following test will help confirm concerns about diastasis: lie with your back on a flat, hard surface, bend your knees, placing your feet on the floor. Place one hand behind your head while contracting your abdominal muscles. With your other hand at this time, feel the longitudinal area in the middle of the abdomen. Diastasis will be indicated by the presence of a dimple immediately below the navel or directly at the site of the navel. Knowing how to determine diastasis after childbirth, you can guess the development of the disease even before visiting a doctor.

Don't panic if you feel "huge holes" under your fingers in the first few weeks after the birth of your baby. At this time, the connective tissue is still very soft and vulnerable. Proper implementation of special exercises and, most importantly, time will return it to its former strength and elasticity, and the diastasis pits will noticeably decrease.

Degrees of development of diastasis

When there is no pathology, the distance between the rectus abdominal muscles does not exceed 2 cm. The degree of pathology depends on the gap between the xiphoid pectoral process and the navel. To understand what treatment to prescribe to eliminate abdominal diastasis after childbirth, the doctor will first determine the degree of pathology.

The course of diastasis is characterized by 3 stages:

1. At the first stage, the rectus muscles diverge by a maximum of 5–7 cm along the white stripe. This anatomical metamorphosis does not affect the appearance of the abdomen and is considered normal after the first birth. A woman may experience occasional nausea, pain in the epigastric region, discomfort when walking, and occasionally constipation.
2. The second stage of diastasis of the rectus muscles after childbirth is diagnosed when the muscle discrepancy exceeds 7 cm. In this case, it is externally noticeable that the lateral abdominal muscles are not in good shape.
3. In the third stage of the disease, the size of the fossa between the rectus muscles is more than 10 cm. For this reason, a woman may be diagnosed with an umbilical or abdominal hernia, and there is a risk of atrophy of muscle fibers and displacement of internal organs. A severely saggy belly can even limit the patient’s ability to work.

How to remove diastasis after childbirth: the main prohibitions

To eliminate this pathology, a woman needs to understand what cannot be done in her situation, so as not to aggravate her condition even more. First of all, you need to minimize the pressure on the weakened abdominal wall. There is a list of special prohibitions for this:

1. Do not lift objects that weigh more than 5 - 6 kg. When lifting light objects, bend your elbows rather than straighten them out.
2. To hold or rock your baby, you must wear a postpartum bandage or tightly wrap your belly with a cloth.
3. When coughing, apply light pressure with your palm to your stomach to prevent it from becoming overly inflated.
4. You can only get out of bed and lie on it while lying on your side. To get up from a chair, first focus on your legs and transfer your body weight to one of the buttocks, while simultaneously drawing in your stomach and turning your body in a semicircle in any direction.
5. Try to maintain an even posture at all times - you cannot slouch or bend too much in the lower back if you have diastasis.
6. Sleep on your back or side, but never on your stomach, otherwise the pressure on your abdominal muscles will increase significantly.

What to do with diastasis after childbirth

Diastasis is a pathology that, unfortunately, over time not only does not go away on its own, but also gets worse. Features of the treatment of this disease are determined by its stage of development. Thus, diastasis of degrees I and II can be eliminated with the help of special gymnastics aimed at strengthening the anterior abdominal wall and lateral abdominal muscles, due to which the rectus muscles will be brought together. Correction of stage III pathology can be carried out exclusively through surgical intervention.

Exercises for diastasis after childbirth

From time to time, with muscle effort, pull in your stomach for 30 seconds, then relax and after a few seconds repeat the exercise again. The frequency of exercise during the day can be whatever you want, the main thing is not to train until painful sensations appear in the abdomen.

1. Lie on your back, raise your head slightly and lift your shoulders off the floor, stay in this position for 30 seconds. Repeat 30 times.
2. Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Exhale and lift your pelvis off the floor. When you reach the top point, tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.
3. While in the starting position from the previous exercise, lift your straight leg up so that a right angle is formed between it and your torso, then return to your previous position. Repeat 10 times for each leg.
4. Press your back against the wall, place your feet at such a distance from it that an angle of approximately 45 0 is formed between them and the wall. Hold a medium-sized ball between your knees. Now start squatting slowly until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Stay in this position for 20 - 30 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat 10 – 20 times.

As you can see, the exercises are very simple, but their implementation will not leave a trace of stage I and II diastasis, provided that you exercise regularly (ideally every day).

Note! The upper abdominal muscles (ordinary straight abs) cannot be loaded during diastasis - such exercises will only contribute to an even greater separation of the muscles. It is also contraindicated to separately lift the upper or lower body so as not to inflate the internal abdominal cavity.

Specifics of therapeutic exercises

To achieve successful results and eliminate diastasis forever, you need to exercise correctly. First of all, this concerns breathing and proper retraction of the abdomen.

In order for the anterior abdominal wall muscles to retract naturally, take the baby in your arms more often - this will give a load to the deep transverse abdominal muscles that encircle the torso, like a corset. As for breathing, during physical exercise you need to inhale deeply through your nose, making sure that your lungs fill with air gradually and your stomach inflates slowly. Exhale through the mouth, imagining how, as the lungs empty, the abdominal muscles rise upward, like an elevator.

Surgical intervention for diastasis

The solution to the problem of pathological divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles by surgery is to remove the diastasis hole and strengthen the abdominal wall. Essentially, the surgery brings both cosmetic and functional benefits. Please note that you should contact a surgeon in exceptional cases: in stage III diastasis, when there is a risk of developing serious complications in the functioning of internal organs.

There are two surgical ways to eliminate diastasis:

1. Tension plastic surgery of “native” tissues, when the edges of the diastasis are tightened by suturing muscles and ligaments.
2. Non-tension plastic surgery using special mesh-shaped prostheses. The prosthesis is attached to the edges of the diastasis so that it brings its edges together and covers the entire area of ​​pathology. After about 2 months, the prosthesis mesh becomes overgrown with connective tissue and a dense anatomical septum appears between the rectus abdominal wall muscles.

The photo shows diastasis after childbirth and after surgery.

Rehabilitation after tension plastic surgery takes a fairly long period of time, during which you should not lift objects that weigh more than 10 kg. For the first 3 months after surgery, a woman needs to perform a special set of exercises that will provide her abdominal muscles with adequate load to return to their “pre-pregnancy” shape.

If the surgeon used a minimally invasive technique during the operation, the patient will be advised to get out of bed on the first day after the procedure. In this case, you must definitely wear a bandage, which will be an indispensable part of a woman’s wardrobe for another month. The next day after minimally invasive surgery, the patient can go home.

Constant physical activity should be introduced 2 weeks after surgery to eliminate diastasis. You will be able to fully return to your normal lifestyle in about 5 weeks.

Diastasis: dispelling myths

There are a large number of misconceptions about diastasis, as about any other disease, that can simply confuse a woman and thereby prevent her from thinking rationally when the question of eliminating the pathology arises. Here are the most common myths about diastasis that should not be taken seriously:

• the disease provokes irreparable changes in the abdomen and abdominal cavity - it is useless to fight;
• diastasis can only be eliminated surgically;
• diastasis is the cause of regular bloating and flatulence;
• muscle separation during diastasis is certainly accompanied by pain;
• muscles affected by diastasis will remain affected forever.

To avoid becoming a victim of such false truths, you should discuss all your doubts and concerns with a competent specialist.

Statistics say that for approximately 40 - 45% of women in labor, the problem of diastasis becomes a reality, however, many manage to avoid surgery. If you have a basic desire and perseverance, you can get rid of the pathology with the help of simple physical exercises. At the same time, it is important to remember that diastasis does not have the property of eliminating itself and it can only be defeated by your active actions.

Trainer about diastasis. Video

Abdominal muscle separation is one of the problems that new mothers may experience. The reason for this problem is that the connective tissue between the rectus abdominis muscles stretches during pregnancy. As a result, after childbirth, a woman is left with a noticeable saggy tummy. How to regain lost slimness? And is it possible to prevent abdominal muscle divergence during pregnancy?

Abdominal muscle separation during pregnancy: how and why does it happen?

The rectus abdominis muscles are two long, symmetrical muscles that run along the inside of the abdomen from the chest to the pubis. These muscles, in particular, are responsible for the “cubes” on the stomach of bodybuilders.

People who are not engaged in the targeted development of the rectus abdominis muscles do not have such “cubes”. At the same time, the rectus abdominis muscles can be in excellent shape and perform all their functions with honor. One of these functions is the protection of internal organs, reliably holding them in the correct position. Outwardly, this manifests itself in the form of a neat flat or slightly rounded tummy.

Diastasis, or discrepancy direct abdominal muscles, is associated with stretching of a narrow strip of connective tissue between these muscles. Most often, the problem of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles occurs in women during pregnancy. An increase in the volume of the uterus and the simultaneous production of special hormones that promote stretching of body tissues in preparation for childbirth leads to divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles in approximately 25% of young mothers.

Is a rounded tummy after childbirth always associated with separation of the abdominal muscles?

If after giving birth a young mother has a noticeable belly, this does not mean abdominal muscle separation. Firstly, immediately after the birth of the baby, in most cases you should not expect the restoration of “pre-pregnancy” forms - it takes some time for the uterus to contract, returning to its previous volume. The duration of this process depends on the woman’s heredity, her age, the course of pregnancy and childbirth. Breastfeeding helps to significantly speed up this process - frequent attachment of the baby to the breast causes intense contractions of the uterus.

In addition, the reason for the appearance of a rounded tummy may be “fat reserve” caused by changes in metabolism in a woman’s body during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Proper nutrition and increased physical activity will help you cope with this problem (but only after the postpartum recovery period is completed!). It should be understood that a nursing mother’s nutrition should remain complete and sufficient; “fasting days,” fasting, and diets should be postponed at least until the end of the lactation period.

How to diagnose diastasis, or separation of the abdominal muscles?

Self-diagnose diastasis, or abdominal muscle separation, you can do it in the following way.

You need to lie on your back on the floor (sofa, another fairly hard surface), bend your knees, and press your feet firmly to the floor (sofa). Place the palm of one hand behind your head, and with the other hand, feel the area in the center of the abdomen above and below the navel. In the case of diastasis, with a relaxed abdomen, a “gap” is felt between the abdominal muscles - it can be either above or below the navel.

Then lift your head with your hand and tighten your abdominal muscles. If the abdominal muscles diverge, you will see a roller-shaped longitudinal “protrusion” with clear contours.

Why is abdominal muscle separation dangerous?

Abdominal muscle separation not only spoils the ideal silhouette of a female figure, but can also lead to the following problems:

• the occurrence of an umbilical hernia;
• displacement of abdominal organs;
• the impossibility of effective pushing during natural childbirth;
• changes in posture, improper distribution of the load on the spine, the appearance of back pain.

For the reasons stated above, diastasis recti must be diagnosed and treated promptly. Of course, in most cases, everything is not so scary at all - with a mild degree of discrepancy of the abdominal muscles (which occurs in most cases), the problem is purely aesthetic in nature.

There are three degrees abdominal muscle discrepancies:

• 1st degree: discrepancy from 2 to 7 cm;
• 2nd degree: from 7 to 10 cm;
• Grade 3: more than 10 cm.

Abdominal muscle separation third degree - a rather serious physiological disorder that is corrected through surgery, but such a discrepancy occurs extremely rarely, in exceptional cases. Most often, young mothers experience first-degree abdominal muscle discrepancy. In this case, you can combat this problem with the help of a special set of physical exercises. These exercises do not affect the condition of the connective tissue, but strengthen and develop the abdominal muscles, as a result of which a reliable muscular wall of the abdominal cavity is restored, and with it a flat tummy.

Is it possible to avoid abdominal muscle separation during pregnancy?

One of the most important factors to avoid abdominal muscle discrepancies during pregnancy, good physical preparation of the expectant mother is essential. Sufficient development of the abdominal muscles avoids excessive stretching of the connective tissue.

Therefore, in order to avoid this problem, a woman should maintain good physical shape even before pregnancy: lead an active lifestyle, perform physical exercises to develop various muscle groups of the abdominal cavity (and not only). If pregnancy has already occurred, you cannot perform exercises on the abdominal muscles, as they cause hypertonicity of the uterus and can lead to a threat to pregnancy. In this case, you should wait until the baby is born, and only then restore your shape.

Additional risk factors for abdominal muscle separation during pregnancy include:

• multiple pregnancy;
• polyhydramnios;
• second and subsequent births;
• mature age of the expectant mother.

Exercises to combat abdominal muscle separation

You can start doing exercises only after completing the postpartum recovery period and only after consulting with your doctor! In the case of an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy and natural birth, the recovery period ranges from three weeks to one and a half months, in other cases this period can be much longer. There is one more important rule that applies to nursing mothers: all exercises are performed either immediately after breastfeeding or at least 1 hour before feeding.

1. Abdominal retraction

A very simple exercise that can be done sitting, standing, lying down, anywhere and at any time. Pull your stomach in and hold this position for 30 seconds. Relax, then repeat the exercise another 10-15 times. Repeat the exercise throughout the day - while doing household chores, while walking, etc. The exercise effectively reduces abdominal muscle separation, strengthening almost all muscle groups of the abdominal wall.

2. Raising the head from the “lying on your back” position

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your head and shoulders and hold this position for 25-30 seconds. Repeat 20-30 times.

3. Raising the pelvis from the supine position

Lie on your back, legs bent at the knees, feet pressed to the floor, arms along the body. Slowly lift your pelvis off the floor, starting from your tailbone. The movement should be smooth and slow. In a position where the pelvis, knee and shoulder form one straight line, freeze for a few seconds. Then slowly lower yourself to the starting position.

4. Straightening the legs from the “lying on your back” position

The starting position is the same: lying on your back, legs bent at the knees, arms along the body. Slowly lift your right shin up to a right angle at the knee. Exhaling, straighten the leg, while drawing in the stomach as much as possible. While inhaling, we return to the starting position. Then we repeat the exercise for the other leg. It is optimal to perform at least 10 exercises on each leg in one approach.

5. Straightening the legs from the “standing on all fours” position

Starting position - on all fours, palms directly under the shoulders. Pull your stomach in, and as you exhale, smoothly straighten your left leg until it reaches a position “parallel to the floor.” As you inhale, return to the starting position. Repeat for the right leg. Avoid arching your lower back! Perform a total of 10 repetitions for each leg.

To reduce the discrepancy of the abdominal muscles and regain a beautiful tummy, exercises should be performed regularly, five to six times a day. We wish you good health and good mood!

The separation of the abdominal muscles during pregnancy is called diastasis. There are many reasons for the occurrence of this pathology. How to determine diastasis during pregnancy? What to do if there is a discrepancy in the abdominal muscles? How to prevent diastasis? Let's look at the answers to these questions later in the article.

Causes

Separation of the abdominal muscles during the perinatal period is quite common. The reasons for the development of this pathology are the following factors:

• presence of body weight in the expectant mother;
• carrying several children at the same time (multiple pregnancy);
• short recovery period between pregnancies;
• large size of the fruit.

A woman who is diagnosed with one or more signs is at risk. The likelihood of developing diastasis is also influenced by hereditary predisposition.

Inelastic and too loose tissue does not recover well after severe stretching. Consequently, the muscles do not fall into place.

As diastasis develops, the linea alba expands. The tissue that forms it becomes thinner. As a result, a hernia may form - umbilical or abdominal.

During pregnancy, the growing baby and amniotic fluid put pressure on the anterior abdominal wall. This causes it to stretch. Normally, after childbirth, connective tissue and muscles return to their original position.

If the stretching was excessive, then this process is disrupted.

Symptoms and diagnosis

To understand how to check whether there is diastasis, you need to know the symptoms characteristic of this pathology. There is a special test to determine the discrepancy of the abdominal muscles.

1. Lie on your back (preferably on the floor), bend your knees and press your feet together.
2. Place one hand behind your head and tighten your abdominal muscles.
3. With the other hand, examine the abdominal press in the center.

The presence of diastasis is indicated by the following symptoms:

• upon palpation, a fossa is identified;
• the appearance of a “roller” at the site of divergence when raising the head;
• the dimensions of the recess are more than 2 cm.

Degrees of diastasis:

• 1st degree – the width of the muscle discrepancy does not exceed 7 cm;
• 2nd degree – muscle divergence up to 10 cm;
• Grade 3 – muscle discrepancy exceeds 10 cm.

Stage 3 diastasis is often accompanied by hernias and other side effects. This test can be performed as early as 3 weeks after birth. As a rule, by this time the woman’s abdominal wall is already in its normal position.

How to treat

Diastasis requires mandatory treatment. This pathology does not go away on its own. In most cases, diastasis therapy consists of the following measures:

• swimming;
• wearing a special one;
• performing therapeutic sets of exercises.

Swimming trains the abdominal muscles well, strengthening them and forcing them to stand in the correct position.

A bandage for diastasis fixes the abdominal muscles. Exercises, like swimming, focus on abdominal training.

Exercises to treat diastasis:

• vacuum;
• Pilates;
• gluteal bridge on two and one leg.

A trainer will help you choose exercises for diastasis during pregnancy in special classes for expectant mothers.

This treatment is suitable for those women who have been diagnosed with stage 1 and 2 pathology. Stage 3 diastasis requires surgical intervention. In this case, the muscles are sutured and fixed in the correct position.

Only a doctor after an examination can select the correct treatment. It is almost impossible to correctly determine the degree of diastasis on your own.

Surgical treatment is used if other methods have not yielded positive results.

What physical activity and gymnastic exercises are prohibited?

If a woman is diagnosed with diastasis, she should be careful about the types of physical activity that she does.

When the muscles of the abdominal wall diverge, it is prohibited:

• lift objects with straight arms (lifting is carried out only on the elbow);
• lift the child without a fixing bandage on the stomach;
• coughing excessively without holding the abdominal wall with your hands;
• get out of bed in a straight position (you can only get up from the side);
• bend in the lower back;
• hump;
• carry weights in one hand and bend the spine;
• sleep on your stomach.

If you have diastasis, you also cannot perform a number of physical exercises. These include:

• push-ups;
• bar;
• scissors;
• bike;
• raising straight legs;
• jumping.

Any physical exercise can be performed only after consulting a doctor and under the supervision of a trainer.

Improper loading can increase muscle separation and cause the formation of an umbilical or abdominal hernia.

What general rules must be followed?

If a woman has been diagnosed with diastasis during pregnancy, then she needs to adhere to a number of recommendations so as not to worsen the condition.

1. Do not lift heavy objects. The maximum permissible weight is no more than 5 kg.
2. You cannot increase the load on the spine, which will cause its curvature.
3. It is forbidden to rise from a lying position with a sudden rise of the body.
4. When rising from a sitting position, it is necessary to transfer the weight to one of the buttocks.
5. Strictly follow medical recommendations and undergo regular examinations in order to promptly identify possible deterioration of the condition.
6. Attend therapeutic exercises for expectant mothers.
7. If possible, goes to the pool.

For women with diastasis, it is important to avoid excessive stress, which is caused by increased pressure inside the abdominal cavity.

During pregnancy, you cannot independently treat diastasis without the necessary medical supervision.

If a woman requires surgery, it can only be performed after childbirth. Therefore, it is important not to provoke a worsening of the condition.

Prevention

The question “How to avoid diastasis during pregnancy?” worries all expectant mothers. To do this you need to follow some simple rules.

Prevention of diastasis during pregnancy includes:

• correct rise from a lying and sitting position, so as not to create excess abdominal pressure;
• wearing a special bandage that supports the growing belly;
• weight gain control;
• regular visits to the doctor.

Every woman can experience diastasis during pregnancy. The separation of the abdominal muscles is provoked by excess pressure on the abdominal wall under the influence of a number of factors.

Useful video: what to do with diastasis in pregnant women

Pregnancy and diastasis

Pregnancy is an amazing and wonderful period. Not necessarily as carefree and light as they write about it in popular magazines, but always taking us to a new level of femininity.

The body changes a lot during pregnancy, all systems and organs adapt to the fact that a new life has now arisen and is maturing inside. Thus, many changes become a kind of strength test for the health of the expectant mother.

I am sure each of us is capable of supporting ourselves, protecting the most vulnerable places in the body and “coming out” of pregnancy and childbirth with minimal losses, or even without them.

To do this, let's arm ourselves with knowledge.

Today I want to tell you more about DIASTASE during pregnancy.

Here are some of the most common questions I get asked:

— What to do to avoid diastasis?

— How to stop the divergence of the abdominal muscles if it already exists, and I am now pregnant?

— How does diastasis affect the course of pregnancy and childbirth?

Let's figure it out.

Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles is the separation of these muscles at different distances from each other due to stretching of the strip of connective tissue between them, the so-called linea alba.

The main cause and factor in the development of diastasis in women is considered to be pregnancy and childbirth. Moreover, the more pregnancies there were, the higher the risk that muscle separation will remain after childbirth. The uterus and the baby itself grow and take up more and more space, and this greatly increases the pressure inside the abdomen. The muscles and tissues begin to adjust to accommodate your little treasure, and inevitably the transversus abdominis and linea alba become stretched. A scientifically proven fact is that diastasis to one degree or another affects all women in the third trimester, that is, in other words, unfortunately, it will not be possible to avoid muscle divergence completely.

How far the muscles diverge depends on many things.

• Depending on the hereditary predisposition and characteristics of the connective tissue, for some it is initially very elastic and stretchable.
• Depending on the number of children, with each subsequent pregnancy the tone of the deep abdominal muscles is restored more and more slowly.
• From the birth itself - the duration of pushing, caesarean section, damage to the perineum - all this matters.
• Depending on the mother’s build and the baby’s size, petite girls with large children have an increased risk of getting diastasis. The same goes for mothers of twins.
• From the peculiarities of posture - we are talking about excessive deflection in the lower back, which pregnant women rarely manage to avoid.
• A woman’s weight – being overweight increases the risk of diastasis
• Depending on the general fitness and tone of the abdominal muscles, diastasis occurs both in athletes with six-pack abs and in women who have never played sports. The situation here is influenced not by the strength of the rectus abdominis muscles, but by the tone and coordinated work of the deepest stabilizer muscles.

Diastasis in the third trimester of pregnancy (38 weeks) at the time of performing a self-diagnosis test. As you can see, my discrepancy at that moment was about 4 cm. I repeat that this is expected and, in general, completely normal, especially since I keep my diastasis under special control.

How can severe diastasis affect pregnancy and childbirth?

Stretching the muscles and linea alba weakens the entire anterior abdominal wall, making it much more difficult to cope with everyday stress on the back. During pregnancy, the hormone relaxin exerts its softening effect on the ligaments. It helps prepare the pelvis for childbirth, makes joints and joints more mobile, so stabilizing the position of the pelvis and spine is not an easy task. And the more pronounced the diastasis, the more vulnerable the spine. During pregnancy, such women will be more concerned about discomfort in the lower back, sacrum and pubic symphysis.

Weakness of the abdominal muscles and, in general, the displacement of the intestines by the growing uterus can contribute to constipation.

There is also a very close connection between the presence and degree of diastasis and weakening of the pelvic floor. Unfortunately, according to statistics, more than 60% of women with diastasis experience symptoms of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, and this is a risk of organ prolapse after childbirth.

During childbirth itself, with severe diastasis, the pushing period may be prolonged, since in order to push effectively, the muscles must be in adequate tone, and if they are severely stretched, this can become more difficult.

Now for the good stuff. If you find yourself with diastasis during pregnancy, don’t panic or worry. The situation is fixable!

Firstly, well, for all women, muscle discrepancy persists after childbirth. I wrote in one of my articles about what changes in the body are completely normal in the first two months after the birth of a baby. That list includes the item “symptoms of diastasis,” including decreased tone of the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.

Secondly, even if the discrepancy remains with you after childbirth, remember that you have the power to correct diastasis - take control of it, reduce it and return to an active lifestyle without harm to your health. This can be done through rehabilitation exercises and following simple safety rules.

Thirdly, there are exercises that will help keep your muscles toned during pregnancy. The “target” in such exercises should be the deep stabilizer muscles, the so-called core muscles. We cannot prevent stretching of the abdominal tissues, but we can prevent the muscles from forgetting their functions - the functions of supporting internal organs and protecting the back.

To do this, you can and should continue to train the transverse abdominal muscle, the muscles of the perineum and coordinate their work with breathing during exercises. It is also important to ensure mobility of the spine, strengthen the muscles of the back, buttocks and hips. This will provide support and help support the pelvic joints during everyday activities and physical activity.

However, let's break down point by point how I like it :)

So what will help prevent severe muscle strain during pregnancy in the third trimester?

• Compliance with safety precautions in movements and postures - do not lift or carry heavy objects (and older children too!); stand up and sit down from a lying position on your side, leaning on your hand; from the very first day you learned about pregnancy, avoid direct and active exercises on the rectus abdominis muscles;
• Alignment in basic positions - standing, sitting. We spend significantly more time during the day in these poses than on the training mat. Therefore, it is extremely important to learn how to correctly redistribute weight, to find a body position in which the muscles can support the spine and growing tummy most effectively. In solving this problem, it is difficult to overestimate the positive effects of static basic yoga poses, for example Tadasana.
• Since we touched on the importance of the work of stabilizer muscles, at this point it is definitely worth writing about the complex of yoga therapy for the spine (Artyom Frolov) - the cat cycle, available vyayamas, that is, all kinds of dynamic exercises that help maintain mobility and warm up the spine, reduce tension in the muscles . During pregnancy, all this is more relevant than ever.
• Directly, activation and training of the transverse abdominal muscles - for the third trimester, and depending on the level of physical fitness, some exercises for the oblique abdominal muscles - in the first and second trimesters.
• Necessarily! Maintaining the muscles of the perineum (pelvic floor) in tone. In general, the harmonious work of these muscles is the ability to relax and tense them in coordination with breathing. This will provide invaluable support to the pelvic organs in conditions of high pressure and prepare the perineum for childbirth.
• Additional support for a growing belly with the help of bandages or kinesio taping - special tapes that are glued to the skin in a certain way and with precise tension. These bands, in combination with exercises, can create very good conditions for the muscles and protect the linea alba from excessive stretching.

If you have difficulty choosing specific exercises for yourself or putting them in a sequence, then I will be happy to help you with this on a special basis.

In conclusion, I want to say again that pregnancy is not a disease!

The changes that happen to us during this period are natural, and what we, mothers, need is wisdom, acceptance of the new self, as well as knowledge on how to help our body in a given situation.

I wish you a pleasant, joyful pregnancy and an easy birth!

Be healthy.

Yours, Maria Khavkina.

Hi all!
I have long wanted to write this post, because, unfortunately, no one told me this when I myself was pregnant.

I have been dealing with the issue of diastasis for 9 months now. I study foreign research, find various programs and try a lot on myself. I even translated one program into Russian and now it is available to Russian-speaking women. In this article I want to talk about how to determine whether you have diastasis during pregnancy, and what actions to take to strengthen your muscles. This article is based on the research of one fitness trainer from New Zealand who has been dealing with diastasis for a long time.
Unfortunately, our gynecologists do not warn us about this disease, and this is extremely sad. However, you need to know that divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles during pregnancy can cause such unpleasant things as:

• pain in the lower back and hips


• hernias


• pelvic floor muscle dysfunction

therefore, if you know a little more about what diastasis is, you will also know how to prevent the occurrence of the above unpleasant sores and help your body.

Based on research, it has been found that diastasis usually appears after 28 weeks, but you can start checking at 18-24 weeks. Many people do not know how to check themselves for diastasis during pregnancy, and this is very disappointing because the necessary measures are not taken to support the body and prevent complications.

In fact, diastasis can be checked in several simple ways:

1. Stand in front of the mirror and look at your stomach, wearing tight-fitting clothes - for example, a thin knitted T-shirt. You will see that the tissue in the navel area is not completely adjacent, and a small depression is formed. In the photo above are images A and B. By the size of the recess, in those places where the T-shirt does not adhere to the skin, you can determine the length and width of the diastasis. In image A - 32 weeks, diastasis is approximately 2-3 cm in length and width. Image B is at 23 weeks and clearly shows a slight discrepancy.


2. Stand in front of a mirror and bare your belly. Look at what your navel looks like - does it stick out or is it pulled in? A protruding navel also indicates that you have diastasis, just like an inverted one. (by the way, I had a retracted navel, but I remember that with light palpation around the navel, the skin around the navel was very stretched, and as if there was a hole there).


3. Gently clasp your tummy with your hands and gently touch the linea alba with your fingers, you will feel the edges of the rectus muscles and the divergence between them by gently moving your hand down.


4. And another way to determine diastasis: when you lie on your stomach and raise your head a little, you have a protruding ridge along the white line of your abdomen.

It cannot be said that the above methods will give you an absolutely accurate size of the discrepancy of the rectus muscles, but at a minimum, you will be able to roughly assess your condition. If you discover you have diastasis during pregnancy, you can take appropriate action to prevent a larger discrepancy.

In comparison, here is an image of the belly without discrepancy (click to enlarge).

Knowledge is power. When you know what is happening in your body, you can control your further progress. If you have diastasis during pregnancy, you can adjust your posture, nutrition, and perform a set of simple exercises that will help prevent the formation of a larger discrepancy and help you recover faster after childbirth. If you find a very large diastasis (more than 4 cm), or at a later stage, or you have certain contraindications to exercises, please contact a specialist who can help you. It’s just a shame that there are very few such specialists in Russia:((.

And one more thing, for some reason it is believed that you should not do exercises during pregnancy, wearing a regular bandage will help with diastasis - THIS IS NOT SO. Unfortunately, the bandage will not be able to prevent muscle separation.

Here are some videos and useful links that I carefully selected for this article that may help:

1. Excellent wrapping of the tummy with a soft sling. Very good uniform support for the tummy and the load is removed from the lower back, posture straightens accordingly.

2. Easy exercise for diastasis during pregnancy + good tips on how to lie down and get up correctly:

3. Diastasis program for pregnant women + proper nutrition there: .

There are also a number of paid programs, if interested, ask in the comments.

I would recommend that when purchasing the program, contact the author and be sure to say that you have diastasis. In principle, they are designed for this, but this will be an additional guarantee of a correct and responsible approach.

Be sure to tell your gynecologist if you have discovered diastasis, and let yours also begin to study this issue.

And now the most interesting question: Why do I have diastasis?

There are actually several reasons for the appearance of diastasis. Starting from the size of the fetus and polyhydramnios, to poor nutrition during pregnancy and incorrect posture. According to my observations, diastasis can appear regardless of whether you were actively involved in sports before pregnancy or not. Your physical training will probably speed up the recovery process after childbirth.

There are also a lot of factors such as age, elasticity and general condition of the skin, lifestyle, etc.

Why do you need to deal with diastasis during pregnancy?

Because if you don’t take care of this issue during pregnancy, after giving birth you will have a “stomach like in the 6th month” which will really upset you, not to mention the baby who will require a lot of attention, lack of sleep, and that’s all.

But, if you are reading this post after giving birth, do not be discouraged. There are programs that help a lot, tested from my own experience and not many other women.

My report on the program can be read on my blog.

I won’t show you what a belly with diastasis looks like after childbirth, because there are plenty of such photos on the Internet. They are real.

I hope I didn't break the community rules!