Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Diastasis Recti - The cause of the Mummy Tummy might be the exercises you are doing!
What is Diastasis Recti??
Today I have been on the topic of 'DR' multiple times, I have put off blogging about it, because I do not want to misspeak, however, it's too important of a topic to put off any longer!
I will do my best to explain, Diastasis Recti is an abdominal separation that occurs during pregnancy, it results from the pressure on your transverse abdominals and connective tissue by the expanding uterus. After giving birth the abs are supposed to go back together, but in some women the transverse abs do not return back together and you are left with a 'diastasis'. This separation is more common in women who have had multiple children, carried large babies and are petite, carried breech babies or who have carried twins etc. Some women can find help in closing this gap by following the Tupler Technique or the MUTU system, but others either have to live with it or turn to surgery to sew the connective tissue back together (this is done in a standard tummy tuck)
*There is an easy way to do a self check. Lie on a flat surface flat on your back. Place your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent. Place your dominant hand on your belly button with your fingers pointed downwards. At this time slowly lift your head (just your head, you do not want to lift your shoulder off of the ground of you will get a false reading) while lifting your head slightly press into your belly button area with your fingers, you should feel your transverse abdominals working and coming together as you lift your head, if they come all the way together (no gap) then you do not have a diastasis, if however when they come together you can fit more than two fingers in the gap you have a medically diagnosable diastasis. If you do not feel the edges of your abs coming together you may have to use both hands (there are women who have been recorded with a 10 finger diastasis - meaning there was a gap 10 finger widths wide) A 1-2 finger diastasis is considered normal, but still a diastasis, so caution still needs to be taken when proceeding with traditional ab exercises even at just a 1-2 finger separation. You can repeat this process 3 inches above and below your belly button to see how far up and down your diastasis goes, it is most common to have a finger measurement like 2,3,2 or 3,5,3 etc - usually the belly button area (the middle measurement) is the area most affected.
* Special note: If you lift your shoulders off the ground your transverse abs will be drawn further together, and you may believe you don't have a diastasis when you do, this is why it is important to make sure you only lift your head and not torso off the ground*
I do not know why doctors do not inform women of this condition at their 6 week PP checkup, BUT it is VERY IMPORTANT to find out fi you have a diastasis before starting any traditional ab routine! Moves like crunches and jack knives, and even full planks will only cause the separation to widen!! This is why so many moms seem to see their tummies stick out further and further the more they try to work out their abs... Diastasis Recti is often the hidden cause to the dreaded, 'mummy tummy'!!! That's a short intro, I hope it helps! Please spread the word to your mommy friends. Feel free to ask questions. I will do my best to help.
(What are your transverse abdominals? The transverse abs are your innermost layer of abs, they are said to work as a corset and are responsible for holding everything in. When this corset isn't 'laced' tight -diastasis- the corset doesn't do its job. This is how a diastasis causes that pregnancy like bulge.) -It gets more complicated, but that's my working knowledge of it- See graphic above hehe.
Today I have been on the topic of 'DR' multiple times, I have put off blogging about it, because I do not want to misspeak, however, it's too important of a topic to put off any longer!
I will do my best to explain, Diastasis Recti is an abdominal separation that occurs during pregnancy, it results from the pressure on your transverse abdominals and connective tissue by the expanding uterus. After giving birth the abs are supposed to go back together, but in some women the transverse abs do not return back together and you are left with a 'diastasis'. This separation is more common in women who have had multiple children, carried large babies and are petite, carried breech babies or who have carried twins etc. Some women can find help in closing this gap by following the Tupler Technique or the MUTU system, but others either have to live with it or turn to surgery to sew the connective tissue back together (this is done in a standard tummy tuck)
*There is an easy way to do a self check. Lie on a flat surface flat on your back. Place your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent. Place your dominant hand on your belly button with your fingers pointed downwards. At this time slowly lift your head (just your head, you do not want to lift your shoulder off of the ground of you will get a false reading) while lifting your head slightly press into your belly button area with your fingers, you should feel your transverse abdominals working and coming together as you lift your head, if they come all the way together (no gap) then you do not have a diastasis, if however when they come together you can fit more than two fingers in the gap you have a medically diagnosable diastasis. If you do not feel the edges of your abs coming together you may have to use both hands (there are women who have been recorded with a 10 finger diastasis - meaning there was a gap 10 finger widths wide) A 1-2 finger diastasis is considered normal, but still a diastasis, so caution still needs to be taken when proceeding with traditional ab exercises even at just a 1-2 finger separation. You can repeat this process 3 inches above and below your belly button to see how far up and down your diastasis goes, it is most common to have a finger measurement like 2,3,2 or 3,5,3 etc - usually the belly button area (the middle measurement) is the area most affected.
* Special note: If you lift your shoulders off the ground your transverse abs will be drawn further together, and you may believe you don't have a diastasis when you do, this is why it is important to make sure you only lift your head and not torso off the ground*
I do not know why doctors do not inform women of this condition at their 6 week PP checkup, BUT it is VERY IMPORTANT to find out fi you have a diastasis before starting any traditional ab routine! Moves like crunches and jack knives, and even full planks will only cause the separation to widen!! This is why so many moms seem to see their tummies stick out further and further the more they try to work out their abs... Diastasis Recti is often the hidden cause to the dreaded, 'mummy tummy'!!! That's a short intro, I hope it helps! Please spread the word to your mommy friends. Feel free to ask questions. I will do my best to help.
(What are your transverse abdominals? The transverse abs are your innermost layer of abs, they are said to work as a corset and are responsible for holding everything in. When this corset isn't 'laced' tight -diastasis- the corset doesn't do its job. This is how a diastasis causes that pregnancy like bulge.) -It gets more complicated, but that's my working knowledge of it- See graphic above hehe.
Monday, August 6, 2012
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