What's the deal with diastasis?

Mum tum, mommy pooch, baby weight, no matter what you call it, a lot of moms are dealing with the same issue: diastasis recti. It is extremely common, yet not many doctors or OBGYNs will recognize or help treat it. So what is it, and how can you fix it?

Diastasis Recti refers to the separation of the abdominal walls, most often occurring as a result of pregnancy. The result can be a bulge in the belly either above, at, or below the navel, or completely open. This can cause back pain, pelvic floor issues, umbilical hernia, and more if left untreated.

There are several parts that make up your core: the rectus abdominus (your "6 pack" muscle), your pelvic girdle, multifidi (inner back muscles), your obliques, and your transverse abdominus. The transverse abdomens, or TVA, is like the corset of your body. It keeps your organs in and helps to stabilize your trunk and posture. In between your abdominal walls is a connective tissue called the linea alba. What happens during pregnancy is the linea alba gets stretched over time, and while some have a great amount of elasticity in their connective tissue, some do not, and the linea alba stays stretched even after pregnancy. Think of it like a hair tie: if you use it too often, it eventually loses its stretch overtime. It can still hold your hair together but it takes more effort to keep it in place, and does not return to its original shape.

Depth is more crucial than width. To measure your gap, lie on the floor with knees up and feet down. Lift your head slightly off the floor and place your fingers in the center line down your stomach. you should be able to measure width by seein