Abdominal seperation?

[Fitmommyof2]

I normally stick to the mommy/pregnancy area, but now that I am 9 months post baby and getting my body back I thought I'd venture over here. : ) I have had an abdominal seperation after my 3rd child and then I just had my forth last October. The seperation is even bigger now. If I lay back and crunch up I can fit 2 fingers into the space. That is two fingers side by side. I am going to my yearly appt on Monday and will ask the dr. then, but I wanted your opinions on this. Has this happened to anyone? If so, what did you do? I have read conflicting stuff online about it. I have been back doing cathe weight tapes for about a month now and I am seeing results, but I am so leary to work my abs since this seperation is so large.

 

[spyrosmom]

I swear I have seen posts by Cathe stating she has this. Maybe try a search for posts she has responded to using the term "diastasis". I'm at work and need to clock in and get to working, or I would do it. Give it a try.

Hope this helps a bit

Nan

 

[Jennifit]

It is diastatis. I have it after having twins. I did not do any surgery - just too drastic for me. I did go to a surgeon and ask about it and she gave me great advice...After about a year PP, I start doing pilates and small movement abs with weights...using an 8 or 10 pound weight. It has dramatically improved my abs...I have my 6-pack back...just with a small space in it. I am very happy.

I posted something about this about a year ago and people gave me great advice. Try to find that link.

Good luck. Babies definitely change our bodies, don't they...sometimes it makes me want to pull my hair out!!! HA HA

 

[Tan]

Cathe has it - I recall doing a similar search and reading something she wrote about it.
I have it too, but mine has dramatically improved and after two and a half years my stomach looks nearly as it did pre pregnancy.
I'd recommend a book by Helen Byrne - I can't recall the name - I think her website is maternalfitness.com. Do a search on Cathe's site because I think thats where I got the info from in the first place. I used it when I was immediately post partum and it really helped.
You can have your lovely stomach back, more or less, even with diasistis - it just requires a lot of work...

 

[Fitmommyof2]

Thank you ladies. I knew you'd have great advice. I will search for cathe's post about it. I don't mind putting in hard work, but I don't want to make it worse by doing the wrong things. I feel like regular crunches are pulling it apart more. Again thanks!

 

[nancy324]

Just wanted to reiterate what Nan said. All I remember is that Cathe and others have discussed having this problem in the Ask Cathe forum, so it's worth a search to see how they handled it.

 

[prettyinpink]

I had this and it is back to less than one finger separation. I used the exercises from "Lose Your Mummy Tummy" by Julie Tupler, R.N.

You have to be careful because most traditional ab exercises can actually make it WORSE, before it is back together. Like regular crunches, and a lot of Pilates exercises where you make a curve in your back and move up and down. Standing ab work is good, and things like planks are good.