Abdominal Separation - AKA Diastasis Recti. What, Why, & How To Heal!

Postpartum mamas are an often underserved population - you have the baby, see your OB one or two times and then you're on your own to figure it out! Thank God mamas have super powers and DO figure it out beautifully. (Go mamas!)

But all too often that means they've sorted out how to be a Super Mom to their new little one, and their own needs take a back seat. We see this show up physically in a few ways: 
1) Incontinence - the fancy way of saying you peel when you laugh or cough
2) Diastasis Recti - the fancy way of saying the top layer of your belly muscle separated to make room for your baby

If you're wondering if you have Diastasis Recti, here's how to self-check:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Place your hand palm down over your belly, with your fingers pointing toward your toes. Press your fingers gently into your navel area then slowly lift your head, drawing your chin to your chest. This causes your rectus abdominis to contract. If you feel a gap of at least two finger widths between the muscles as they contract, you have a diastasis. A gap as wide as four or five fingers is considered severe. Repeat the procedure below and above your belly button because the separation may be wider in different places.

There's plenty of resources for you online and in-studio if you discover you have diastasis recti, so no need to worry! If you take proper care and are committed, you can close the separation with time. 

When it comes down to it, think: safety first — postpartum mamas should always ask their OB to check for diastasis recti (separation of the top layer of your abs). If you begin doing crunches too soon it can worsen the split and potentially even require surgery to correct it. Once cleared for movement, keep your postpartum core work LONG on the front body, rather than curling and shortening. 

Here are three exercises that fit the bill for postpartum work whether you have diastasis recti or not:
1) Plank - use these 5 tips to get the most out of your plank
2) Side plank - same tips apply. Choose to be on your hand or forearm, then focus on length and deep abdominal wrapping sensation. 
3) Bridge roll-down - start lying on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor. On an inhale, gather through your waistline and glutes to lift your hips up. At the top, focus on length through the spine and hips, then start rolling down from behind your heart all the way until your hips return back to the floor, using your deep abdominals to lengthen you and roll you down.