The Top 15 Questions About Ab Separation (Episode #18)

What actually IS diastasis recti?

We talk about it a lot in our industry, but many pregnant or postpartum moms might be new to the idea of diastasis recti – abdominal separation that happens in pregnancy and postpartum.

Did you know? One hundred percent of people who are pregnant get diastasis recti.

So it’s not like something went wrong with your body! It’s a totally normal byproduct of pregnancy. The difference is how your body recovers from it and the degree of diastasis that you have.

In today’s episode, we want to clear up a few questions – including how to measure your own diastasis, and most importantly, how to DEAL with it, so you can feel strong and connected in your recovery.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• What diastasis recti actually IS, how to know if you have it, plus the 15 most asked questions about it

• Testing yourself for diastasis recti, when to do it, and how to measure its severity

• How to minimize your chances of getting diastasis recti, including practicing positions that minimize outward pressure and the RIGHT kind of core work

• What makes diastasis WORSE, and distinguishing between belly fat and the mom pooch as it relates to diastasis

• Focusing on RECONNECTION and reintegration, and how this can help you create NEW energy – plus, the truth about belly bands

• How to know if your diastasis is healing and how long it might take

Notable Quotes from Kendra & Nicole

“It's so important that you know how to test your own diastasis, because how often are you going to see your doctor? How often are you going to see your pelvic PT? You don't want to rely on that as a guide to your recovery. If you know the numbers of your measurement and you know exactly where your diastasis is, you have tools on the end of your hand to check every single time you do an exercise. If you're curious – if something is right or not right for you, put your fingers on your core at the widest and deepest part of your diathesis. Immediately, you can tell.”

“Diastasis recti is abdominal separation – the separation of the main muscles in the front of your core. 100 percent of people who are pregnant get it, so it's not like something that went wrong with your body. If you have diastasis, it is a totally natural byproduct of pregnancy. The difference is how your body recovers from it and the degree of dialysis that you have.”

“You do not need to lose weight to recover in postpartum. That is not the first step. The first step is reconnection, reintegration, and getting things back online. It's motivating once you start feeling your core muscles. The function is the first step. It's going to snowball, and you're going to feel more connected, and then your workouts are actually going to be more efficient.”

Resources & Links

Looking for more support to start your postpartum recovery? Here are some options to get you started on a great path forward:

1) Take the Pelvic Floor & Core Strength Quiz. After taking the quiz, you'll get a score and based on your results, guidance on what steps to take to move you forward in your recovery.

2) Check out our podcast listening guides: Download the Pregnancy Listening Guide or Postpartum Listening Guide.

3) If you’re postpartum and ready to get moving, need to heal your body but you don’t know where to start…join us for Postpartum Repair & Restore LIVE, a science-backed and fun-stacked, Diastasis and Pelvic Floor Strength program. Start healing your diastasis and eliminating leaking in 8 weeks or less with our guidance.

5) Do you prefer working one-on-one, or have a high risk pregnancy, a severe diastasis or leaking that won’t quit? You might be a candidate to work with us privately. To find out, take this quick self assessment! If you qualify, you'll be invited to schedule a complementary Postpartum Strategy Session with us where we'll take a good look at what's not working in your repair process, and come up with a great plan just for you.