Diastasis Recti

cheerydino

Full Member
Anyone has an experience of this postpartum problem?

I found out a few days ago that I have it and my doctor is referring to hospital as I might need surgery to repair the damage! :(

I know you have seen a recent photo of slimmer me but I have been so self-conscious of my bulging stomach that just didn't go away while dieting. I look like 5 months pregnant!! I am not joking! I am really upset about this - I had looked forward to wearing fitted tops!

All this time I thought it was just fat but no, it was my muscle tone. I had no idea that I had it until I lost all the weight!!! I might have made my diastasis worse during the past two years.

I'd like to hear your experiences and if you had surgery for it, what was it like? Looks like I won't need tummy tuck if I would desire it - It is my transverse muscles that need repairing/strengthening!!

I'd rather have loose skin than THIS because it affects the way I dress and feel.

Sad Donna :cry:
 
"For some women, pregnancy can cause abdominal separation (also called diastasis recti), a condition where the two right and left sides of the Rectus Abdominis—the “six-pack” muscle—spreads apart at the body’s midline, the linea alba. Separation occurs in response the force of the uterus pushing against the abdominal wall, and pregnancy hormones that soften connective tissue. Separation can occur anytime in the last half of pregnancy but is most problematic after pregnancy when the abdominal wall is weak.
Abdominal separation/diastasis recti reduces the integrity and functional strength of the abdominal wall and can aggravate lower back pain and pelvic instability. Separation in a previous pregnancy significantly increases the probability, and severity, of the condition in subsequent pregnancies. Women expecting more than one baby, very petite women, those with a pronounced sway back, or with poor abdominal muscle tone are at increased risk. Genetics also plays a big role. For some women, it simply how their bodies respond to pregnancy."

Diastasis20recti.gif
 
Well, I guess I should have known that I am alone here with this problem.
 
Gosh - I wonder if I've got this to some degree. Whenever I try to do a stomach crunch / sit-up type of thing, or sit up in bed etc my tummy goes into a very wierd shape ... it bulges up into a sort of loaf shape in the middle length ways (hard to describe).

I've got a huge stomach but that's more to do with my insulin resistance and being fat! The odd shape when I tense my muscles has always had me puzzled though. Hmmmm - it's got me wondering now!
 
Gosh - I wonder if I've got this to some degree. Whenever I try to do a stomach crunch / sit-up type of thing, or sit up in bed etc my tummy goes into a very wierd shape ... it bulges up into a sort of loaf shape in the middle length ways (hard to describe).

I've got a huge stomach but that's more to do with my insulin resistance and being fat! The odd shape when I tense my muscles has always had me puzzled though. Hmmmm - it's got me wondering now!

Oh my gosh, I am so glad you replied!

You definitely have diastasis recti. The "loaf shape" or ridge as it is called is one of the signs of this condition! My GP looked for this while doing tests on my stomach. Once he saw the ridge in the middle lengthways - he confirmed that I have DR - that I have weak stomach muscles.

I have found out since then that stomach crunches/sit-up is the #1 worst exercise for those suffering with DR as it can make diastasis worse!! :eek: :(

Even the way you get off bed affects your diastasis. The more I read about it, the more depressed I feel but at the same time, I am hopeful. It can be repaired either through the right exercises or surgery. I am hoping that I can avoid surgery by exercise. Transverse abdominal muscles are the one to focus on more than anything else as it helps to reduce the diastasis. But it depends on the severity of your condition. My GP thinks I might need surgery to repair it but we will find out what the surgeon has to say. Can't wait!
 
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goodness
maybe i have it too, i have a strange long lump in my middle too
cant do sit ups either i have what feels like a lump there when i try
hmmmm
thanks for posting this cheery
you might not be as alone as u think !!!
 
I wonder if it's even worth me mentioning it to a doctor as I had my youngest 11 years ago. I've been pregnant to full-term 5 times: I'm short at 5' 1" and one of my offspring was 9lb 14oz - maybe I'm too wrecked to do anything about it?

Maybe this could be one of the reasons that, even when I lose weight, I have the most horrendously out of proportion stomach despite doing all the 'recommended' stomach exercises. I ALWAYS look 9 months pregnant with triplets!!

Oh dear! :(
 
my sister had it too and it was repaired during a tummy tuck...or maybe im slightly confused. will have to ask her and report back :) i have wondered whether i will have this but my tummy is way to big to know really. I have carried 3 babies and have been huge during pregnancies. was always asked if i was having twins with first one lol. plus im only 5ft and until this year, i'd never done an exercise in my life.
 
I wonder if it's even worth me mentioning it to a doctor as I had my youngest 11 years ago. I've been pregnant to full-term 5 times: I'm short at 5' 1" and one of my offspring was 9lb 14oz - maybe I'm too wrecked to do anything about it?

Maybe this could be one of the reasons that, even when I lose weight, I have the most horrendously out of proportion stomach despite doing all the 'recommended' stomach exercises. I ALWAYS look 9 months pregnant with triplets!!

Oh dear! :(

I am glad I am not alone here!

No, I don't think it is too late to mention it to your doctor. I have just bought the book "Lose Your Mummy Tummy" which is written for Moms of any age no matter when you had a baby (so reassuring!) and I read that the widening of the outer abdominal muscles leaves an open door for your internal organs to pop out!!! Not a pleasant thought, is it? I can't wait to hear from hospital, I even considered going private!

I am learning quite a bit about Diastasis Recti from the book. I want to try those exercises shown in the book but I am aware that it might work for those with mild to moderate diastasis recti. I am not sure of the severity of my diastasis but I could try doing the exercises and if it does not work for me, then surgery is my only option.

After how much we have lost on VLCD, it is very discouraging to see our stomachs like that! I look GOOD apart from this bulging stomach! :(
 
my sister had it too and it was repaired during a tummy tuck...or maybe im slightly confused. will have to ask her and report back :) i have wondered whether i will have this but my tummy is way to big to know really. I have carried 3 babies and have been huge during pregnancies. was always asked if i was having twins with first one lol. plus im only 5ft and until this year, i'd never done an exercise in my life.

Thanks for your reply :) I look forward to your report on your sister's surgery! I'd love to hear how she feel after her TT!
 
just spoke to my sister on the fone and she said that is what she had and when she had her TT, they knitted the muscles back together really tight. she was never overweight but after she had her daughter she had a funny bump a little to the side on her tum and it made her really down about herself. she now has everything back to where it should be and a completely flat tum. hope this helps. xxx

p.s....does anyone have £10k to spare so i can get a TT, boob and face lift? :eek:
 
just spoke to my sister on the fone and she said that is what she had and when she had her TT, they knitted the muscles back together really tight. she was never overweight but after she had her daughter she had a funny bump a little to the side on her tum and it made her really down about herself. she now has everything back to where it should be and a completely flat tum. hope this helps. xxx

p.s....does anyone have £10k to spare so i can get a TT, boob and face lift? :eek:

Wow, thanks a lot Karen for the report! Sorry for my late reply!

It is very encouraging to hear the operation was a great success for your sister. What was the recovery like? I know it is different for everyone but I am just curious! Did she have more children after this?

I would like to try for another baby next year but I am concerned about timing! I don't know how long it will be before I would be on the operating table. I am not getting any younger either....!!
 
Yey Im not alone!!!

Hi everyone,
Im 17 weeks pregnant with my second baby and I have diastasis recti. I have a 4.5 inch gap running down the whole of my front and when i laugh or cough things seems to pop through my abdominal wall.
During my first pregnancy I put on over 5 stone and was massive from very early on, my son was nearly 9lbs when he was born. It took a year but I mannaged to loose the weight but was left with about a thousand stretch marks and loads of saggy skin. I tried physio for months and mannaged to make it a little better, but no one seemed to notice my stomach muscles hadnt knitted back together so now Im left with this problem. Ive done lots of research on it in the last few days mostly on American sites and they all say that although exersise can help really surgery is the only way to fix it properly so it doesnt come back in future pregnancys. I mentioned this to my doctor and he said it was true, but that the NHS would probably refuse to do it due to the money. Im so angry now and wondering what I pay my National Insurance Contributions for? Im also worried as everyone says this baby is probably going to be bigger than my last one and I already look 8 months pregnant! Did anyone else mannage to get surgery on the NHS or am I fighting a loosing battle?
 
Babybutterfly - I'm booked for surgery on NHS this Dec for this condition however I have got a hernia above my belly button which they are also fixing. Not sure if they would have done the abdominals if they weren't already repairing the hernia tho.
 
Hi there,
I too have seperated abdominal muscles - I had 2 babies within a year and my muscles never had time to go back. I went to my GP & was referred to my ante natal clinic, there I was told that no amount of exercise would ever get my muscles back to where they should be and so surgery was the only option. I'm booked in for 27th November and PETRIFIED. I had a C-section with my second baby (she was breech) but have never had any other surgery.!!
 
Wow tinkerbell115, a kindred spirit. We must keep in touch and compare notes. I'll request you as a friend and then we can message each other. I'm not sure if it'll work as you may have to post 50 times before some privilages... if not keep posting here and I will too. Try not to be petrified - they know what they're doing. How old are your little ones and how will you manage the recovery. I believe you can't lift anything afterwards. Good luck!
 
Hi again, I'm now in the 4th day after my surgery, the pain is immense! I have a vertical scar running from my ribs to my pelvis and a new inny belly button (mine was so stretched and herniated that they had to remove it!) I have clips instead of stiches and they have to be removed this time next week. I can see the difference already in the shape of my tummy & the lovely surgeon even got rid of my loose skin at the same time. When they examined me before the surgery they found that my main artery was exposed between the muscles as well as my small intestines, leaving them vulnerable! Despite the pain I'm so glad I've had it done. My babies are 5, 2 and 1 year old. I'm really lucky that I have loads of help at home from my husband, mum & dad, sisters and my in-laws. I only stayed in hospital for 2 nights and have never been so happy to be back in my own bed! The nursing staff was fabulous, a real credit to their profession, despite the bad press the NHS gets the hospital was spotlessly clean and I'm forever grateful.
 
Hi Tinkerbell115, sorry to hear the pain was bad. Hope you are feeling better now. I've not logged in for a couple of weeks as the family have been poorly. My op has been delayed until next year - possibly january. Keep posting and let me know how you are getting on - Have you lost a dress size?! How long until you could lift anything?
 
Hi there,
I'm now 9 weeks out of surgery and feeling much better, my tummy is still a little swollen but I cane lift my babies again and even ran up the stairs the other day!! I'm at least a dress size down and my back pain has almost dissappeared, my scar is huge, vertical, all the way from under my ribs to my c-section scar, but it was worth it. My tummy has shape again and all the pain is a distant memory!:)
 
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