Diastasis after childbirth - what is it

Almost all women after a recent birth are making a lot of effort to put their figure in order and regain its former slenderness. But some still fail to get rid of a round tummy. They do not even suspect that the cause of this is diastasis. However, do not despair, it is quite possible to cope with it.

What is diastasis

This phenomenon affects the rectus muscles of the peritoneum. In the immediate vicinity of the lower layers of the skin, there is a white line of muscle tissue. Due to diastasis, the rectus muscles of the peritoneum diverge along this white line.

Basically, this pathological change is observed in women who have recently given birth. However, in some cases, diastasis can be found in childhood and in males, so it cannot be argued that this is a rare occurrence. Diastasis is inevitably introduced to women whose childbirth carried out by cesarean section.

Muscle tissues with diastasis are weak and unable to perform their functions. The load from them is redistributed to the rest of the muscles, which makes the internal organs descend or shift, an umbilical hernia often occurs, the process of food digestion is disrupted, and painful sensations appear in the spine.

How to identify diastasis

The divergence of the abdominal muscles is impossible not to notice. Even its weakest manifestation is visible to the naked eye. The very first symptom of this condition is a widened white streak and a slight discharge in the lower abdomen. With a strong diastasis, in the future, you can notice a strong health disorder:

• The abdominal muscles lose their ability to contract.
• Over time, the muscle tissue on the abdomen completely atrophies.
• The abdominal press weakens.
• There is a gradual thinning of the tendon tissue.

It is important not only to notice the presence of signs of diastasis, but also to identify at what stage of development it is. The easiest way to do this is by measuring the width of the whitish strip located between the navel and the xiphoid process:

• If the width of the whitish strip does not exceed 7 cm, then the diastasis is in the first degree.
• Exceeding the width of the white stripe of 7 cm indicates diastasis of the 2nd degree.
• With the third degree of diastasis, a sagging belly can be seen.

Diastasis is easy to identify on your own. To do this, you need to lie on your back, pressing your feet strongly to the floor surface and bending your knees. Now place one of the hands behind your head, and place the other on your stomach, placing your fingers on the white line. Press down on the abdomen with your hand, lifting your upper body. Use your hand to set the boundaries of the muscles and determine the width of the muscle tissue.

Why does diastasis appear after childbirth?

In the postpartum period, diastasis appears due to a postpartum pregnancy. Moreover, the more often a woman gives birth, the more likely she will have diastasis. This is due to the constant pressure of the child growing inside the mother's womb, which strongly stretches the muscles.

Another factor provoking the appearance of diastasis is a feature of the physiology of a woman during the period pregnancy... At this time, a special hormone, relaxin, is produced in the woman's body. Its action is aimed at softening the abdominal muscles and improving their elasticity.

In most women, after the birth of a baby, after a while, the stomach returns to its physiological norm. In some exceptional cases, the muscle tissue is deformed so much that it is no longer able to return to its previous shape without assistance.

According to experts, not all women are at risk of getting diastasis. For example, with constant physical exertion and regular sports, diastasis appears very rarely. There are other groups of pregnant women in whom diastasis occurs very often:

• With a lot of weight gained during pregnancy.
• Cellulite available.
• Severely enlarged breasts.
• Pregnancy with 2 or more babies.
• Second pregnancy shortly after the first, when the muscles do not have time to regain their shape.

Diastasis exercises

To eliminate diastasis, it is important to adhere to the system of proper nutrition, eat in small portions. It helps to speed up the metabolism and get rid of those extra centimeters around the waist. Exercise can also help you get back in shape. However, classic exercises for the press with diastasis cannot be done. They only increase the pressure in the abdominal cavity and increase the degree of separation of the white line.

• Lie on the floor and suck in your stomach, imagining that your navel is approaching your spine. Do not hold your breath while doing this. Exhaling, slowly touch one foot to the floor, and inhaling, return to the starting position.

• From the same starting position with knees bent, slowly straighten your leg while sliding across the floor. Then return your leg to its original position and repeat with the other leg.

• In the same starting position, put elastic tape on your legs and spread your knees to shoulder width. Press your upper body firmly to the floor. Exhaling, slowly spread your knees, and inhaling, return to the starting position.

• From the same position, place an inflatable ball between your knees. As you exhale, squeeze the ball with your knees, and release the tension as you inhale.

Any of the exercises of the complex must be performed 10 times.