Mammaträning
JOIN TODAY

ARTICLE > ABDOMINAL MUSCLES AFTER PREGNANCY

Diastasis Recti After Pregnancy

Abdominal muscle separation, or diastasis recti, is a natural part of pregnancy - but one that many new mothers worry about. Find out what happens to your abdominal muscles after pregnancy and what you can do to strengthen your core safely and effectively.

⚡️ Article in brief 

mammatraning-pregnant-postpartum-app

What Happens to Your Core After Pregnancy?

During pregnancy, the abdominal muscles move further apart, and the connective tissue between them stretches - all to make room for the baby. After delivery, the healing of all structures begins. 

The greatest recovery occurs within 6 weeks to 6 months. After that, the process continues, but at a significantly slower pace, primarily during the first year postpartum. The extent to which connective tissue contracts after childbirth varies from person to person and is genetically determined.

No exercises can "close the gap"

Feeling weak or unsteady in your core after your pregnancy is completely normal, but your diastasis recti isn’t something you need to “heal” or “fix” after pregnancy.

This happens naturally during the first year, with time and your genes playing the leading roles. We only refer to a separation as persistent after about a year, and some people have a persistent separation for the rest of their lives - but it doesn't have to be a big deal!

Diastasis recti is not dangerous, and there are no exercises that can “close” or “widen” your separation! What exercise can do is improve muscle function and build strength. THAT is what we want to achieve through exercise, and that’s what matters.

How Do You Know if You Have Diastasis Recti?

In a lecture in the app Mammaträning, physiotherapist Carolina Jozic shows you, among other things, how you can examine your stomach yourself, and what you should keep in mind.

💖 Watch the lecture for free!

    1. Start a subscription to activate your free trial.

    2. Download Mammaträning in App Store or Google Play.

    3. Go to Articles → Lectures →“Diastasis recti, assessment and training”

C-section and Abdominal Muscles - How Does it Work?

Contrary to what many believe, your abdominal muscles does not get cut during a caesarean section. Instead, the connective tissue between the abdominal muscles is pulled apart! Those who have had a caesarean section are no more likely to have remaining muscle separations than those who have given birth vaginally.

After a caesarean section, we need to take into account the healing process that takes place (after what is a major abdominal surgery) and the restrictions that are in place for the first 8 weeks. 

Research shows that abdominal muscle strength itself may be slightly lower initially (6 months postpartum) after a caesarean section, but after a year there is no difference compared to vaginal delivery. However, it is common for everyone to be weaker in the abdomen one year after pregnancy than before - regardless of how you gave birth.

How to Exercise Your Core After Pregnancy?

Many people feel uncertain about how they can, and should, exercise their core after pregnancy. To clear up all the uncertainties, the physiotherapists at Mammaträning have created Core programs in different steps - so that you can safely recover and get stronger.

Article written by

Carolina Jozic

Physiotherapist

 Download Mammaträning

  • Exercise programs created by physiotherapists for the different levels of the pregnancy and postpartum journey
  • 2000+ workouts at your level, with the equipment you have at home
  • 120 articles about the body, exercise and running during and after pregnancy
JOIN TODAY
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,