Diastasis Recti

After your baby is born and before you start a fitness routine you need to know about Diastasis Recti and how to assess your own body for this very common disorder.  In order to grow a baby, obviously, your body grows and expands and to a certain extent the connective tissue in your abdominal muscles widens.  This is normal.  What determines Diastasis Recti is how your body recovers from that pregnancy and if things function as they should.

This site has a great description of how to assess if your separation is normal or needs additional support.  It’s important to know because many exercises can actually cause additional damage if you haven’t first worked to heal your core.  

If you have concerns or an especially wide gap during your self assessment or you are having symptoms of a weak core, it might be helpful to meet with a physical therapist for a consultation.  We have a variety of excellent women’s physical therapy options here in Indy including Camille Fenwick of Indy Women Physical Therapy.  Dr. Fenwick also specializes in women’s pelvic floor dysfunction and can help you recover from childbirth in a variety of ways. 

In person physical therapy with an actual therapist is always going to be the best option.  However, we all know that sometimes getting to regular appointments would take an act of congress once you have small children running around.  And if you are struggling with a postpartum mood disorder that just makes it that much harder.  If you don’t have family nearby who can provide regular childcare or your work schedule make it’s impossible to make appointments, there is another option.  
​The Tummy Team is an online program designed to provide women with core healing from their home at a time that works for them.  No need to worry about your kids and how you’re going to get out of the house or how you are going to work one more appointment into your day.  I really believe that this program could be life changing for many women. 

In my opinion, physical therapy should just be a normal part of postpartum care.  But our medical system isn’t there yet.  Its focus is not on basic function and accepts many fixable problems as normal unless your particular provider has searched for more options.  Our culture still accept symptoms as normal and part of having a baby and or getting older.  It doesn’t have to be this way. Spread the word!

Interested in a doula?  Looking for childbirth education? Planning a VBAC?
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