Healthy Parenting

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Curing Postnatal Abdominal Separation, the Easy Way

3 min read

There many adjustments that your body makes when you are pregnant to accommodate your fetus. Your pelvic area suffers and your abdominal muscles may separate. In every two women, one of them must experience abdominal separation during pregnancy. Some women notice the change after birth and sometimes repair may be needed. This separation is known as diastasis recti. Some of the symptoms of diastasis recti are abdominal weaknesses or back pain. Although the gap may fade away after some time, several exercises can assist to cure postnatal abdominal separation quickly. Check them out:

Check the Extent of the Separation

Before you go into any exercise, it is crucial you check how much the muscles have separated. Do this by lying on your back. Lift the shoulders and the head then assume the crunch position. You will then need to push your two fingers into your belly button. You will know you have the abdominal muscles separation if your fingers sink in. move them below and slightly above your button to feel the magnitude. Knowing the extent of separation will be important when you begin your exercise. You will be able to track your progress.

Breathing Exercises

This is one of the most effective exercises you will start with. However, you are advised to wait until 6 weeks after your delivery is over. When exercising:

  1. Lay on the back, bend your knees, and make sure your back is lying flat on the ground.
  2. Place one hand on your stomach and inhale. Try expanding the muscles so that your hand is pushed up.
  3. Exhale and ensure you remember to contract the muscles. Try pushing the belly button towards your spine.
  4. Repeat the process several times

Pelvic Tilts

After that, you can add pelvic tilts.

  1. Assume the same position as with the breathing exercise.
  2. Make sure your hips are close to the ribcage and don’t forget to engage the abs while doing this.
  3. Keep your lower back to the ground. It will help in working out both your abdominal and pelvic muscles.

As you advance with the exercise, you can add weight and other exercises.

The easiest option that you may have is going for therapy. You need to find the right specialist to help you if you are afraid the situation may be worse. Get yourself a specialist well-trained in physiotherapy and specifically pelvic floor therapy. You may also need a trainer with ample knowledge in exercise physiology and kinesiology. Whichever person you choose, ensure they have the know-how to help you.

Remember that not all exercises are effective for this problem. Some of them can lead to more problems. Therapists suggest that you must avoid workouts like planks and sit-ups. These exercises bulge the abdominal muscles and the effects can be worse. You can incorporate the exercises for general fitness once your diastasis heals. Before that, avoid any exercise that will bring pressure or bulge the abdominal muscles.

In Conclusion

You may be busy looking after your baby and wondering how you will exercise. The assurance you get is that these exercises are simple and take a short time. You can do them any time of the day. Make it soon to ensure your body heals quickly.