Diastasis Recti During Pregnancy: http://beyondfitmom.com/diastasis-recti-pregnancy/
In about 60% of pregnancies the abdominal separation will be wider than 2 – 2.5 finger widths apart and you will be considered to have DR during your pregnancy. DR in pregnancy will, again, in most cases, heal naturally post birth, especially if you take the right steps and do the correct exercises!
Generally, DR will not develop until the latter part of the second trimester or in the third trimester. Although it can develop earlier. The most likely causes, or factors that lead to DR developing in pregnancy include gaining a lot of weight quickly upon becoming pregnant, gaining too much weight throughout the duration of your pregnancy, if you are carrying more than one baby, you have a big baby, if you are over the age of 35, if you have subsequent pregnancies that are close together and if you had a poor core strength or posture pre-pregnancy.
Often you are not checked for DR at all during pregnancy. I advise my clients, however, to check themselves (or ask a specialist to check them) or you can accidentally increase your risk of DR or make your DR worse. If you can take a few steps to prevent a problem why wouldn’t you?
As mentioned in diastasis recti part 1 you can use the same test (detailed in my first blog) in pregnancy and postpartum. However, from about the 18th week of your pregnancy the height of your uterus can affect the test and you may not feel comfortable lying on your back, even for a short while. Therefore I suggest that in addition to, or as an alternative to the test where you lay on your back (if you can do that comfortably and safely), you also consider the following diastasis recti tests…
How to Know if You Have Diastasis Recti During Pregnancy: http://beyondfitmom.com/diastasis-recti-pregnancy/
What is Diastasis Recti?!
Your core (or the central portion of your body excluding your arms, legs and head) is made up of a number of muscles that help you to maintain a correct posture. Having a good posture is not just about whether you have rounded shoulders!! With a correct posture you keep your bones and joints properly aligned, which in turn limits abnormal wear and tear, decreases stress on ligaments, decreases the risk of strains and muscular pain, reduces the risk of back pain and injury and will make you look and feel better and slimmer!
The core muscles include your rectus abdominis (or “six pack”), your transversus abdominis (the deep core muscles often referred to as “TVA”), your obliques (at the sides of your core) and your erector spinae (that runs either side of your spine).
Your left and right rectus abdominis are separated by fiborous connective tissue known as your linea alba. If someone has a defined six pack then it is the linea alba you see as an indent running down the middle via the belly button.
During pregnancy as your baby (and bump!) your rectus abdominis and linea alba are stretched to accommodate your growing baby. In the majority of pregnancies the internal abdominal pressure of your uterus pressing against your rectus abdominis and the hormones in your system to loosen connective tissue leads to a gap forming between the right and left rectus abdominis and a stretching of the linea alba. Still wondering how to know if you have diastasis recti? You have DR if the gap between the left and right rectus abdominis is more than 2 – 2.5 finger widths apart. (“Diastasis” means separation and “recti” refers to your rectus abdominis.)
So now that you know what it is…When and how do you test to see if you have DR? Click here for an at home Diastasis Recti Self Test: http://beyondfitmom.com/how-to-know-if-you-have-diastasis-recti/
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