Diastasis recti is a separation of the rectus abdominis muscles that sit along the linea alba - so in plain English; the tummy gap. It is always a growing concern amongst pregnant women and can create unnecessary anxiety and depression before the baby is born. Diastasis recti is a normal side effect of pregnancy, and every woman will get it to some degree between weeks 36-39. It occurs as the linea alba thins and the uterus grows, adding pressure onto your abdominals and pushing them apart to accommodate the baby.
Pregnant women should not be overly concerned about it but they should be aware of it. Creating the right awareness around diastasis recti can help women choose the right exercises when they are pregnant, those that don’t put unnecessary pressure on the abdominals. When you are pregnant it's important to keep checking in with your body and especially your midline. You need to look down for any doming or protruding of the abdominal wall, if you see this at any stage then you should regress or stop the exercise. Doming is a sign that there is too much pressure placed on the core. This will only make your tummy gap larger in the pre and postnatal phase.
However, it's important for women not to fear abdominal exercises when they are pregnant because our core unit, including the pelvic floor, is an essential building block to our body. During pregnancy, we are not aiming to build more muscle in our body, rather we are using exercise to feel good, to relieve aches and pains, and as maintenance, to support us through the changes. It supports us through everything, especially labor. There are specific diastasis recti-safe exercises that an expectant mother can do during pregnancy. You can also find these in our online prenatal course.
Exercises to avoid in your final trimester and sometimes even your second are full planks, full push-ups, traditional sit-ups, crunches, twists, and heavy or front loading exercises. Everyone reacts differently though, which is why we want to make sure the information is shared and accessible to all mothers. The more education on diastasis recti, the more empowered mothers can be and they can own their pregnancy fitness journey.
If you get diastasis recti during pregnancy remember you are not alone, do not obsess over it and you can keep exercising in a healthy and safe way. There are plenty of diastasis recti exercises that you can do during pregnancy. Focus on connecting your breath to your pelvic floor and deep core, working your core as a fully integrated system. Your breath will help you fully connect with your body and each movement. Leave your ego at the door and let go of your traditional abdominal exercises and any "go hard or go home" mentality.
