I was 28 when I fell pregnant with my first boy 👶
By this point, I’d been working as a physiotherapist for 6 years.
I’d already worked with countless pregnent women.
And I was terrified of developing abdominal separation (and prolapse- but I’ll save that for another post 😉)
This was 12 years ago and I didn’t know then what I know now.
💭What I discovered was that:
1. I would develop a diastasis.
2. I wasn’t alone – the truth is 100% of women will develop a recuts diastasis by their third trimester.
3. It wasn’t the end of the world.
It’s exactly what our abdominal wall is supposed to do!
✅In fact our bodies are designed specifically for it – we have this nifty thing called a linea alba – which is a line of connective tissue that runs down the midline of our abdominal wall between our rectus abdominis muscles.
🤰As our belly grows, the linea alba stretches to make room for ALL of the things. It doesn’t rip or tear apart in a standard rectus diastasis, instead it thins out – I like to think of it like pastry being rolled out thinner in some sections that others 🧑🍳
💮 This also means that, although our abodminal wall and core system does need some extra focus after pregnancy, it doesn’t need to be ‘healed’ (I’ll save this for another post too 😉)
So together let’s share accurate information, not fear about abdominal separation!
If you would like some help with your post-pregnancy abdomen, book an appointment with me (link in bio). This stuff is kind of my thing.
PS I want to acknowledge not all abdominal separations are created equal! There is a wide range of severity when it comes to the width and quality of a diastasis which may impact on symptoms & management.