Diastasis Rectus Abdominus (DRA), or abdominal separation, is very common during pregnancy. In fact, a study found that diastasis rectus abdominus “may affect up to 100% of pregnant women and it may persist in the immediate postpartum period in 35-60% of women.”
So why should you be concerned about this as someone who is pregnant?
Most women who have DRA also report low back pain, problems with incontinence, pelvic pain, instability, and poor posture.
When the core becomes weakened from separation, there is minimal support to the lower back and the inner core piston becomes disrupted. With the added weight of a growing uterus, fluids, and baby, this lack of core stability can become seriously painful for the mom-to-be.
By being aware of the existence of abdominal separation, which needs to occur to some degree to make room for the baby, you can start to prepare your core for birth and postpartum during pregnancy to reduce the effects of abdominal separation after birth.
So how do you know if you have DRA while pregnant?
Well, DRA is kind of difficult to detect with a baby in your belly. Most women don’t know they have it until after birth. The traditional detection method is lying down and doing a mini crunch to look for doming of the abdomen. But again, as the belly has a big uterus and baby in it you may not notice this. You may have DRA in pregnancy if there is a little ridge, or bump up vertically along your belly when you do any of these activities: lean back, plank, crunch. For additional ways to check for DRA in pregnancy (though you may not be able to do all of the movements) and postpartum Check out this video to see how I suggest testing for DRA.
What can you do to minimize the effects of DRA?
You can work on strengthening your transverse abdominals, or your “corset” muscle, as well as hip and glut strengthening while pregnant. Keeping all of these muscles strong will help support your pelvic floor and provide a great base for strength to prepare for postpartum.
You can find some great pregnancy-safe exercises in my free guide the Top 5 Exercises for Pregnancy and Postpartum. You can also try this Gentle Yoga Session for the pelvic floor.
I also highly recommend seeking out the guidance of a Pelvic Health Physical Therapist. We can design a targeted program specifically for you to keep you strong and fit during your pregnancy. We can also help you with delivery techniques and exercises you can do immediately postpartum like Piston Breathing.
Abdominal Separation After Birth
You don’t want to skip out on rehabbing your pelvic floor and core after birth. Even with minimal diastasis rectus abdominus, these muscles have been stretched and weakened during pregnancy and birth and could use some TLC in the postpartum period.
Again, working with a pelvic health therapist is a fantastic resource for the postpartum phase.
I also offer a masterclass on healing your core postpartum and closing your abdominal gap. It’s called CORE+ DRA Masterclass. It is an extended, more advanced version of my CORE+ program that I offer for free. You can access the free 30-day program here!
CORE+ DRA Masterclass is a 12-week program comprehensively designed to heal abdominal separation while also helping you to
Heal the root cause of your DRA symptoms
Feel strong and confident to lift your kids and do the workouts you want to
Be the best version of mom you can be without pain, leaking or pooching
Decrease that nagging back pain
If you’re pregnant, bookmark this link for later. If you’re in the postpartum phase and you’re tired of that pregnancy pooch or that back pain, click here to learn more about CORE+DRA Masterclass.
Feel free to reach out to me at Becky@budandbloomptaustin.com