EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DIASTASIS RECTI
It's a rare mother who hasn’t looked at her postpartum body without wondering “What happened to my belly?”.
It's not impossible to notice the loose abdominal skin and pooch after your baby’s birth. Even the most fit moms have this loose skin immediately after birth and often for months afterward.
Sometimes, though, that belly sticks around far longer than we even expected and we start to ask ourselves if there is another reason why our belly hasn't tightened up.
Diastasis Recti is one condition that can cause belly bulges, domes, or cones and make you look like you have excess weight in your waist area, even if you're fit.
Even we do want to focus on loving this incredible body that takes care of us and builds humans, it’s ok to want to get some inches off the waistline!
Determining if you have diastasis recti vs. belly fat can help you progress in your fitness programs, reduce aches and pains, fit back into your old clothes, and feel more in control of what is happening with your body.
The two conditions require different approaches for maximum effectiveness. Understanding which one you're dealing will reveal what the real problem is.
What is Diastasis Recti?
The term 'Diastasis Recti' is used to describe a split in the tissues connecting the two sides of the Rectus Abdominus muscles. Diastasis Recto is actually an abdominal separation or tear that is very common in pregnancy and can occur at any point along the midline of your belly.
These connective tissues are normally tight, helping to hold the abdominal organs in place. What this looks like is a smooth, but not necessarily flat, tummy. When tissues are weakened or torn due to pregnancy and childbirth, there will be a "mummy tummy" that bulges outward. You can’t fix only with diet.
Other problems associated with diastasis recti beyond the belly bulge are: pelvic floor dysfunction and pelvic prolapse, lower back pain, or abdominal pain.
A Quick Test For Diastasis Recti
How do you know if you have diastasis recti or belly fat? A simple test can give you some idea of what you're dealing with:
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Get down into a crunch position.
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Place your hand palm down against your belly bulge.
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Do a sit-up or crunch.
You should feel tension from the underlying muscles as they are activated. If you feel a physical gap or softness with muscles on either side, you may have diastasis recti. If you can feel the tensed muscles underneath your pooch, then you're probably just dealing with some belly fat. The good news is, most cases of diastasis recti are temporary (and belly fat can be temporary too!).
Minor diastasis recti cases, particularly those that occur due to pregnancy and childbirth, just need some time to heal. Your connective tissues can regain their strength over time.
Diastasis Recti is fundamentally a core problem. A weak core puts additional pressure on the abdominal wall and sometimes, when that pressure gets to be too much, the muscles tear.
Core exercises can help damaged muscles and tissues. It also prevent diastasis recti from getting worse or recurring.
Once you healed, you still might not have a perfectly flat tummy, but you will have stronger core muscles and less back pain.
So, what about belly fat?
What if you realize it's belly fat? First of all, give yourself a break. Remember, it took 9+ months to grow your baby and your belly grew along with the baby. You will probably need at least an equally long amount of time to get back to normal. OK, maybe 3 or 4 times as long!
Actually, when you stop fighting it and trying to diet, you will able to let your weight go. The best approach to combating belly fat is to eat a clean, consistent, healthy, nutritious diet and to be active.
Beside a healthy diet and sport, our Yamuna corsets are your biggest helper. Yamuna Latex Waist Trainer and Breastfeeding Shapewear Bra Top shapes your waist area and make you look slimmer with their tight and posture correcting structures. If you want to be fit again after birth, you can buy our products.
