A photo posted by Miranda (@upnorthmama6) on Jun 14, 2016 at 8:10am PDT
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What Causes This?
Women who’ve popped out a baby are at highest risk, since pregnancy can do quite a number on your abdominal muscles. And some moms are more susceptible to getting diastasis recti than others, says Lauren F. Streicher, M.D., associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and author of Sex Rx: Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever. Women who are obese before and during pregnancy, give birth to a large baby, or deliver multiples are most vulnerable. While there’s no real way to prevent diastasis recti, watching weight gain and exercising during pregnancy doesn’t hurt, says Streicher. Pregnancy isn’t the only cause, though. Obesity, multiple abdominal surgeries, age-related matters, and genetics can all up your chances of developing it, says Walsh.
A photo posted by Erica Graft (@mrsgraft) on Jun 13, 2016 at 6:54am PDT
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Can It Be Reversed?
Most experts recommend you lose weight and exercise with the goal of strengthening your core muscles. With these measures, diastasis recti will often go away over time. But if it persists—and bothers you—there are other treatment options. For starters, Alyssa Dweck, M.D., assistant clinical professor of ob-gyn and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, advises working with a physical therapist who specializes in strengthening the abdominal walls. If that doesn’t work, the Tupler Technique, a non-surgical repair route to improve or correct diastasis recti, may be an option. This method uses an abdominal splint or binder meant to take pressure off the muscles and repair connective tissues for at least a few months. If everything else fails, surgical procedures are available. Getting an abdominoplasty (a.k.a. a tummy tuck) will bring the muscles back together and eliminate diastasis recti.