Hello Ladies!
I am currently standing strong at 31 weeks and 3 days. That means D-Day is soon! This past week we had our hospital tour and got a little insight as far as labor and delivery goes. To be honest, it all scares the heck out of me!! Maybe it is the unknown that is scary but since people have been doing this for years, I'll just assume it can't be THAT bad.. Appointments with my OB are every 2 weeks right now (until I hit 36 I think, then it's every week). Last appointment, I asked my Dr. about a bulge that appeared in my abdomen when I do certain exercises that engage my core muscles . She responded by saying, that is diastasis recti. I knew exactly what it was at that moment and was slightly disappointed. However, she reassured me that almost everyone has this and it's extremely common. I asked her what exercises I could do postpartum to help this heal faster and she actually asked me to let HER know what exercises are best. I told her I would put myself through some postpartum core rehab and then report back (I'll do the same here). I figured today would be a good day to dive into this topic and explain what it is in more detail and how to deal with it! What is diastasis recti? As I mentioned earlier, it's a very common condition in pregnant women (and immediately postpartum) where the abdominal wall splits. If you think of a six pack of abs, there is a line that runs down the middle of them. This line is called the linea alba. It is actually a tendinous fiber which doesn't have much give (like muscles do). Further along in pregnancy, when the abs start to stretch out, the linea alba can only stretch so far. Therefore, the superficial muscles (the six pack you see), end up tearing from the linea alba. No biggie, because they can go back together postpartum. Since some separation is normal in almost every woman's pregnancy, I'll touch upon evaluating the extent of the gap and how to handle it. How to figure out if your abs split? Note: this test is not 100% accurate due to location of separation. - Lay on your back with knees bent. Place 2 fingers below the belly button and do a crunch then repeat with fingers above the belly button. If your fingers penetrate the location, chances are there is separation. Keep in mind, I did this on myself frequently while pregnant. My separation actually occurred at the very top of the abs (where I never checked) and slightly to the left. The abs can split between the "packs" as well.
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AuthorCristina Panagopoulos is the owner and founder of CW Physique, an in-home personal training and nutrition company. She has been in the fitness industry for over a decade and loves helping others transform their lives. She is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a personal trainer and metabolic coach along with American Fitness Professionals & Associates certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. Over the years, Cristina gained specialty certifications through the American Council of Exercise for Orthopedic Exercise and Pre and Post Natal Exercising. Cristina started this blog as a casual and personal journey through her experiences of pregnancy and later on motherhood. She wants to educate females on proper fitness and nutrition who are going through pregnancy and motherhood. For more information, please email Cristina directly at [email protected] Archives
October 2016
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