All about the Post-partum Pooch, aka Mummy Tummy

You are close to your pre-pregnancy weight but find yourself stuck with a mum-pooch or looking pregnant with a belly bulge? You may just have diastasis recti. The good news is: it’s treatable.
 

What is Diastasis Recti?

Diastasis recti occur when the central ab muscles don’t regain their elasticity after being stretched and separated extensively during pregnancy. This occurrence is common and usually recovers on its own within 2 months after childbirth. However, 1 in 3 mothers can develop a persistent gap and a resultant pooch.

While certain core exercises can help to strengthen the muscles and abdominal bulge, doing the exercises incorrectly can worsen diastasis recti. Surgical correction, or a tummy tuck, is done for those who wish to have a more definitive correction of the abdominal separation and laxity, although this comes with it the risk of surgery, general anaesthesia and 2 to 4 weeks of recovery time.

Those with a mild to moderate degree of diastasis recti and who are not keen on surgery can consider non-invasive Functional Magnetic Stimulation (FMS) treatments to improve their condition.

FMS technology makes use of electromagnetic waves to induce supramaximal muscle contractions (think 50 000 crunches in 30 minutes!) that cannot be achieved under ordinary circumstances. The muscles then grow and strengthen, to tighten the abdomen.  More muscles also mean better metabolism, reducing abdominal fat.

In an investigational study, FMS treatments reduce the width of diastasis recti and abdominal fats, while increasing the thickness of abdominal muscles in women after pregnancy. This was after four 30-minute treatments (twice weekly for 2 weeks), with best results 3 months after the last treatment, and maintained at 6 months.¹
 

Signs and Symptoms

Most people don’t realise they have diastasis recti until months after childbirth when they seemingly regain their pre-pregnancy weight but are unable to shed that more obvious tummy bulge.

Look out for:

– A more visible bulge or “pooch” that arises just above or below the belly button
– A belly cone or dome when you do a crunch, lean back on a chair or as you get out of bed
– Low back pain
– Feeling weaker in the core muscles with difficulty lifting objects, walking or performing daily tasks
– Urinary leakage when sneezing, coughing or doing exercises

Diastasis recti is not painful, you won’t feel any pain from the separation of the ab muscles. However, when your core strength is weaker, you may get a low back ache or have difficulty doing once easy tasks, like lifting your baby.

Risk factors for developing Diastasis Recti

You may be more prone to getting diastasis recti in these cases:

– More than 35 years old
– Previous pregnancies, especially if they were close to each other, multiples (e.g., twins or more), big babies or vaginal delivery (pushing during childbirth increases abdominal pressure)
– Petite body size
 

How do I tell if I have Diastasis Recti?

This can be diagnosed on physical examination with a doctor.
 
You can also check yourself for this:

– Lie down on a firm surface on your back with your knees bent and keep your feet flat.
– Do a crunch, keeping one hand behind your head for support.
– Use the other hand to see if you can feel a gap (2 cm or more) between the ab muscles over the belly button.

How can I fix Diastasis Recti?

Diastasis recti can improve with consistent ab strengthening exercises. As the ab muscles regain strength, the gap will start to close.

Do work with your doctor or physiotherapist to ensure that any ab strengthening exercise done is safe and won’t aggravate the separation.

Consider combining these active exercises with Functional Magnetic Stimulation (FMS) treatments. An hour-long FMS treatment gives the equivalent of 50 000 contractions (like crunches, but done without increasing the intra-abdominal pressure) and strengthens the hard-to-reach deeper pelvic floor and lower back muscles.

Avoid these exercises that push your ab muscles outwards:

– Crunches or sit-ups
– Planks or push-ups
– Yoga moves like the downward dog or boat pose
– Pilate moves like double leg lifts and scissors
– Lifting anything heavier than your baby

Those with abdominal hernias or who wish for a more definite resolution of the diastasis recti may wish to speak with their surgeons on surgical options.

It’s never too late to address diastasis recti – even if it has been years since the last childbirth.

As we age, getting treatment earlier can reduce issues such as back pain and urinary incontinence.

Reference:

1. Jacob CI, Rank B. Abdominal Remodeling in Postpartum Women by Using a High-intensity Focused Electromagnetic (HIFEM) Procedure: An Investigational Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Pilot Study. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2020 Sep;13(9 Suppl 1):S16-S20