Prenatal Fitness, Diastasis Recti, & Body After Baby
What every mom should know about pregnancy, abdominal separation, and rebuilding strength postpartum.
Can I be honest for a moment?
This post is for all you ladies who are thinking about becoming pregnant, are currently pregnant, just had a baby last week, have given birth at any point in your life, or for personal trainers who work with any of the above demographics.
I think one of the questions we all ask ourselves at some point is:
“What is having a baby going to do to my body?”
That might sound vain or superficial to some, but I think it’s an important topic to discuss.
Over the years, I’ve seen so many women who have had babies, are working out, eating well, and yet, to no fault of their own, just can’t seem to get rid of their baby belly.
So what seems to be the problem?
The problem isn’t a lack of motivation or willpower. Sometimes, it’s simply understanding the anatomy of the body after baby.
Let me explain.
Relaxin: The Pregnancy Hormone
During pregnancy, the body releases the hormone relaxin. This hormone peaks around 14 weeks and again during labor. It allows the stretching of muscles and ligaments to accommodate the growing baby and prepare a mama’s body for labor and delivery.
Ladies, let’s just take a moment of silence and be thankful for how awesome our bodies have been made to accomplish such a feat.
(Crickets chirping.)
Now that that’s over…
Here are several things you may notice thanks to this hormone coursing throughout your body during pregnancy:
- Increased range of motion.
- Lack of stability or balance in the pelvis.
- Hips that feel “off.”
- Tightness on one side of the back.
- Ribs that seem to shift out of place or make taking deep breaths uncomfortable.
If you’re an avid gym-goer or enjoy frequent physical activity, you may also notice that your tummy doesn’t look quite right during a plank or push-up position.
Maybe you’ve noticed a bulge in the middle.
Or a cone-shaped tummy.
If you’ve seen this on yourself or a client, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Which makes this the perfect time to talk anatomy.
Anatomy of the Abs
If you’ve had a baby, you might be one of many women who have no idea that their abdominal muscles have separated and may still be separated.
Did you even know this could happen?
I had no idea until after I gave birth to Caden.
And as a personal trainer, this was something I never learned about in my coursework (I’ll discuss why this is important later).
Take a look at the Rectus Abdominis both before and during pregnancy…
The connective tissue between the right and left sides of the Rectus Abdominis, the Linea Alba, stretches to accommodate the growing baby. For some women, the gap closes naturally on its own. For others, the connective tissue becomes overly stretched and irritated and doesn’t heal properly.
The result?
A lingering belly bulge months, and sometimes years, after your little bundle of joy has arrived.
And with multiple pregnancies, the gap can become wider over time.
This separation is known as diastasis recti.
Prenatal Fitness: Modifications to Protect Your Abs
I am a huge proponent of exercising during pregnancy.
If you’ve been cleared by your doctor and exercised before becoming pregnant, movement during pregnancy can be incredibly beneficial.
Certain exercises, however, can aggravate the abdominal wall and make the separation worse.
Personally, I tend to shy away from lots of crunches and sit-ups because they can place additional strain on the abs.
I recommend planks and plank variations for many of my clients.
Planks and push-ups are fantastic exercises, but they need to be done mindfully.
You can modify by placing your hands on:
- A bench
- A table
- Stairs
- Or even the wall
When you look at your midsection during these exercises, you should see a gradual rounding.
If you notice a bulge or “coning” down the center, elevate your hands further from the floor.
There is no shame in elevating your plank. Protect yourself.
Diastasis Recti After Baby
Congratulations! You had your baby.
Once you’ve given yourself time to heal, here’s a simple way to check whether your muscles are still separated.
Diastasis Recti Self-Test
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Place one hand behind your head and the fingertips of the other hand across your belly button.
- Gently lift your head and shoulders as if beginning a crunch.
- Feel for the right and left sides of your abdominal muscles.
- Test above, below, and directly at your belly button.
Signs of Abdominal Separation
- A gap of more than two finger widths.
- The gap does not decrease when the muscles contract.
- A small mound or ridge appears along the midline.
Some Movements to Avoid
If you have abdominal separation, these are some movements that may aggravate the condition:
- Traditional crunches and sit-ups.
- Bicycle exercises.
- Roll-ups and roll-downs.
- Deep backbends.
- Exercises that cause the abdomen to bulge outward.
- Heavy lifting without support.
- Intense coughing without abdominal support.
Body After Baby
I am here to tell you that you can absolutely reclaim your body after baby.
In fact, you can be stronger.
Here are a few pictures of me postpartum.
If anything, I hope this post encourages you and sheds some light on what is really happening with your body after pregnancy.
It isn’t always that you aren’t doing enough.
Sometimes, you simply don’t know what is happening underneath the surface.
A Word About Trainers and Social Media Workouts
For this reason alone, if you’re working with a personal trainer, make sure they are educated on how a woman’s body works before, during, and after pregnancy.
Their lack of education might actually be hindering your progress.
And on that same note, I want to caution you about Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram workouts.
While I love seeing women inspire one another to live healthier lives, not every workout is appropriate for someone who has recently had a baby or is dealing with abdominal separation.
That’s why it is so important to have someone guiding you who understands anatomy, physiology, and how the body moves.
Final Thoughts
For those of you who have just had a baby, or are about to, I hope this post has encouraged you.
Your body has done something incredible.
And while pregnancy changes us, it doesn’t mean we can’t rebuild strength and feel good again.
You are not broken.
And with patience, knowledge, and the right approach, you can absolutely become strong again.
For those who have just had or are about to have a baby I highly recommend a Belly Bandit
I also highly recommend the MuTu System for those wanting to heal their core and pelvic floor after giving birth.
You might also be interested in my Losing The Baby Weight Series! Topics include: Pregnancy & Exercise, What to Expect After Delivery, The First Six Weeks, Nutrition, and Exercise.
Additional Reading:
- The Truth About Diastasis Recti & Healing Your Core
- Why I’m Over Kegels & Loving Squats: Real Pelvic Floor Advice
- The Problem with Body Bashing
Thank you for this, I have been talking to my husband about the possibility of diasrasis recti for a while now, so frustrated that no amount of exercise helps me rid of that belly budge. I am not a big person, average weight for my height. I have had four girls in eight years time, after the first two my body sprung back and was even better, but now, nothing. I feel defeated and so out of shape, I don’t know what to do. Is surgery my only option? What is your opinion?
My personal opinion is that you can always improve where you are currently. I would never tell someone not to see a surgeon about it because you know your body best and you know what you have done to try and correct the issue on your own. Your connective tissue could still be overly damaged to the point that surgery would be the best way to bring the gap back together. That being said even with surgery if the underlying cause of the instability has not been addressed you may still have problems. I will be talking about that next week on the blog. Thanks for reading and for your question!
Great post! I was actually wanting to ask if you had any experience “closing the gap”? I didn’t use a brace for that long; I should have bought a smaller one. But my gap is considerable and im kinda surprised it hasn’t closed some. I had it before baby #3 but naturally its worse. Evan is 10 months now. Any suggestions?
Thanks Chrissy! I am going to do a follow up post on this topic. The main way to close the gap is to concentrate on the deeper muscle groups. Specifically the Transverse Abdominals. Because the gap is just a symptom of the actual cause the entire core musculature has become unstable. I will make sure to address this question in my post next week. Can’t believe Evan is 10 months old!
Okay great ill watch for it! Thanks!
What exercises would u recommend along with a plank? I’ve had my baby belly for 2 years now. It is back to being a lil flatter, but there is still a slight bulge. Especially when bending over or anything!
Hi Liberty, I am going to do a follow up post on this ASAP. I will address the specific answer to this question next week.
I LOVE your progression of your tummy after baby. Very interesting since I’m just starting to think about kids and how that might affect my body.
Thanks Cheri!
Good post! Other than planking, any other workout suggestions? What about deadbugs, good or bad for getting rid of the baby belly? My 3rd baby is 3months now and I’m doing a fitness challenge of running, squats, glute bridge, handstand hold, deadbugs and side planks. I’m almost down to my pre-pregnancy weight but still not fitting into my jeans b/c of this baby belly. Would love to not have to buy a whole new wardrobe!
Eunice
Hi Eunice, I am going to do a follow up post and focus more on mechanics of core engagement. When you are working out if you notice the bulge in the middle of your belly it would probably be a good idea to back off that exercise. I will explain more ASAP in another post.
Thank you for posting this! I’m a personal trainer and I have an 11 month old right now. Getting your abs (and body) back in shape after having a baby is definitely a process.
You are welcome!
This is awesome information! My doctor had talked a little bit about diastasis recti when I was pregnant with my daughter, but this detailed info is SO helpful. Can’t wait for your follow up post!!
I will be waiting anxiously for your post on how to resolve diastasis recti!! I had twins 14 months ago and I wore the belly bandit for almost 5 months after pregnancy and I didn’t see much of a difference besides it would hurt after wearing it for a couple hours. I still have ab separation even after going to physical therapy for it. When I first went in the PT was shocked at how strong my abs were after years of exercise and especially after having twins. My PT gave me exercises for my Transverse Abs that also included blowing air out forcefully to further activate those muscles (which made me dizzy!). I felt the gap close some immediately after exercising, but then a few hours later it would always go back to its old spacing. I finally stopped going because the PT said she wasn’t sure what else to do and had no more exercises for me. Even now, some days I will wake up and they will be close and then some days they will be far apart. I haven’t seen any specific correlation with how far my abs are apart and what exercises I’ve done that day.
I’m going crazy about what to do to resolve it. I’ve been very fit and extremely active my entire life and now the look of my stomach doesn’t match the rest of my body! Not to mention that my weight lifting isn’t as heavy as I would like because of a weaker core. Most recently, I have done CrossFit for two years (and throughout pregnancy) and am a runner. I’ve also maintained a practically perfect eating plan throughout and after pregnancy (I eat Paleo).
I ask every other fit mom I know if they have ab separation and no one ever knows what I’m talking about. I need help!!! I really will be checking your blog every day in hopes to get some resolution to this huge issue that I deal with daily! Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
Thank you so much for your comment! Congrats on your twins! That is perfect that you went to a PT about the ab separation and that she had you working on your Transverse Abdominis. I have not had any personal experience working with a PT for this condition but I am totally all for breathing exercises. I don’t like that it was so forceful that it made you dizzy, but breathing techniques can activate those deeper muscle groups. So I will try to answer some of your comments here to the best of my ability.
First off it sounds like you have done amazing! My first thought after reading this was do you have any other discomfort or symptoms that you are dealing with that you notice or is it mainly the abdominal separation? If you think of the diastasis like an injury, like any other type of injury you have in your body, there is always the potential for that injury to never be 100% back to how it was before. But there is always room for improvement. When you said you wake up and somedays find the separation is gone that is totally normal too. When we sleep there is not as much pressure in the abdominal cavity. But once we wake up and start moving around and as the day goes on there might be separation that you will notice due the the pressure build up. I will talk more about this next week.
I know it is so annoying when no one seems to understand what you are talking about. I am going to post more info on here soon that will hopefully be able to steer you and others in the right directions and be helpful to improve the abdominal separation you, myself, and so many others have dealt with.
xoxo, Tamara
I too am anxious to see your answer about how to resolve diastasis recti!!!!
Does the belly bandit still work 1 months after delievery?
Hi! I think that it can’t hurt, but I wouldn’t recommend wearing it long term. Since you are already 1 month pp you could wear it for a few weeks but after that I would recommend not wearing it anymore, because you want to allow your core muscles to start to activate again on their own. Congrats on your baby!
I understand the desire women have to get back.in shape but it is extremely important to first concentrate on the pelvic floor and strengthening both the pelvic floor and transverse abdominis before attempting to strengthen the RA which ultimately increases the pressure on the PF. Guarding against prolapse of pelvic organs is the first line of defense in the post partum woman.
Peg, I completely agree with you! Pelvic floor disorders are so common and often overlooked by first and second time moms for the reason as to why their body is not the feeling and looking the same as before baby. Transverse Abdominis training is so important too! Thanks for your great comment!
Hey Tamara, I’m pregnant with first baby due in August! I’ve done really well with my weight gain so far and am trying to stay healthy and while I’m not obsessing over it, I definitely want to get back in shape once baby is born! Hopefully this is not too personal, but if you breastfed did you find that losing weight relatively quickly and excersizing fairly soon after giving birth lessened your milk supply? Out of all the friends I know who have had kids, honestly only one lost weight quickly and she told me that, so just wondering if that was your experience as well. Thanks!
Hi Kristen, Sorry it has taken me so long to respond. Congrats on your upcoming arrival. Not personal at all. I breastfed Caden and I am breastfeeding Maisie currently have not found it to reduce my supple at all by exercising. I will say I am not doing anything super intense right now. With Caden once I started running and swimming again I had to make sure to drink more water and stay hydrated. Plus eat more too. I didn’t lose a ton of weight right away either from breastfeeding. I think everyone is so different. Don’t be discouraged if that is not you either, it will come off eventually. Let me know if you have more questions.
I had my two kids through CS and my belly is like am four to five months pregnant. Is there anything I can do to reduce it.
Check out MutuSystem. There is a link in my sidebar for an easy click. It is a great program for healing your body after baby. I am currently using it myself.
Loved this post! I am currently pregnant with our fourth baby and have had a diastasis since our 2nd baby. They’ve all been super close together but I think this is going to be my last pregnancy so I will definitely be focusing on healing after this baby is born. Great info!
Love all your info! I have a quick question, what do you think of Les Mills classes pre pregnancy and during? I have been doing body pump since November and am trying for baby #2. One of the instructors told me over-heating my body is a concern. How do I know when and if I am over-heating? Thanks!
Hi Shelby, This is the one class type I have yet to take or try. From what I know it is lifting set to music at timed intervals? If that is not correct please let me know. I would think they should be fine, especially if you were doing them before your were pregnant. Of course talk with your OB and modify where and when you need. Overheating is when the body can’t cool itself down. So if you are working to the point that you are just dripping sweat and suddenly you would stop sweating or you would become lightheaded or dizzy you would want to stop. Also if after you finish your workout you notice it takes a long time to cool off you it would be a good idea to back off the intensity. Hope that helps. Thanks for reading!