My Diastasis Recti Journey

If you are wondering how to check for diastasis recti, how to fix your diastasis recti years later, or just curious what the heck diastasis recti is… keep reading! This blog post is all about my journey with diastasis recti. Something I didn’t even know existed until I was well into my postpartum recovery.

I am currently 15.5 months postpartum after having an emergency c-section. While I was showing some workouts on my Instagram stories, I had a few followers reach out and inform me that it looked like my stomach was coning or doming which was a sign of diastasis recti. I had NO clue what they were talking about and kind of brushed it off because my OBGYN never mentioned such a thing to me.

That was my first mistake… trusting my OB to tell me about this condition because *newsflash* they RARELY do.

I later brought it up to my primary care physician and he went on to tell me I would need surgery to repair my diastasis recti. He said they would insert mesh into my abdomen and sew it shut. Umm.. WHAT!?

Surgery for diastasis recti?

Surgery is an option if you have diastasis recti, but it is considered a “cosmetic surgery” which means it is NOT cheap. That’s certainly putting it lightly because diastasis recti surgery is anywhere from $6,000-10,000.

WHY? Because you essentially have to get a “tummy tuck”. And if you are like me, you don’t need a tummy tuck. What you NEED is for your core to function properly and keep your organs intact.

I was not OK with this information so there I went down a rabbit hole of youtube videos and google searches to see what was going on with my abdomen. I even joined a Facebook group all about women with this condition to see if it was truly hopeless.

There were so many women in this group that I figured if it is THIS common, there has to be a better option than surgery. Right?

This is when I came across tons of youtube videos for pelvic floor exercises, TVA exercises, and pelvic floor physical therapy.

Pelvic floor physical therapy is a must!

I had been YouTubing TVA exercises but was worried I was making my condition worse by not doing the exercises properly. I decided to find a pelvic floor physical therapist in Atlanta and get over the cost… because just like pretty much anything related to women’s health and postpartum care, it is not covered by insurance. (At least not my insurance… you might have better luck!)

I had an emergency c-section and pretty severe diastasis recti, but the fact the hospital just sent me on my merry way with no information, resources, or outpatient care is absolutely absurd.

ANYWAYS…

What we did in pelvic floor pt for my severe diastasis recti

For reference, I had a 4 finger separation before starting physical therapy. However, it’s really not about the length of separation as much as it is about the DEPTH. My diastasis recti was very deep. It was the deepest above and at my belly button, but I still had it below my belly button as well.

Diastasis recti is very common in women with c-sections. Makes sense if you think about it… you are cutting through SEVEN layers after all.

Session one and two: proper core engagement

At my first session, she assessed my core. She checked for the depth and width of my DR, but also did a pelvic floor exam, checked pelvic, hip, and spine alignment, and we discussed a list of other common symptoms of DR.

How to tell if you have diastasis recti and how to check for diastasis recti:

Signs that you have diastasis recti include doming or coning along your linea alba. How to check for DR: Lay flat on your back, bring your knees up with feet laying flat on the floor, and do a slight sit-up. If you see coning or doming, this is a sign of diastasis recti.

You can insert your fingers into your stomach to feel the separation. If you have diastasis recti, you will feel a gap between the muscles that is an inch wide (~ 2 fingers) or greater.

We worked on connecting to my deep core and getting my TVA (transverse abdominis) to fire. She sent me home with a few exercises to practice engaging my deep core.

My second session was similar to the first with a bigger focus on working my deep core. She advanced my exercises as I was showing progress fairly quickly.

Session three: c-section scar cupping

At my second session, we did something super fun… cupping on my c-section scar!

Why would you need to do cupping on your c-section scar? Scar mobilization is crucial in recovering from a c-section. Cupping the scar tissue can prevent it from adhering to deeper tissue layers. This helps restore normal tissue mobility and can improve your ability to engage your deep core.

Session four: dry needling with e-stim

Session four was my favorite because we did dry needling with electronic stimulation. This is basically where they place needles (similar to acupuncture needles) into the muscles they want to fire and can manually fire them using electronic stimulation.

E-stim is extremely helpful because it allows you to feel what a true core contraction feels like. This helps you feel exactly what muscles you should be focusing on while performing the exercises.

We lose so much connection with our core that it can be hard to know if we are doing the exercises properly. E-stim is a great way to “wake up” the muscles and help you regain that core connection.

Diastasis Recti Before and After

I have been going to physical therapy for less than 2 months and have already seen an incredible transformation in my core strength and function.

I was unable to do single leg lift/toe taps (for reference: this is a beginner exercise) without coning or doming when we first started, and now I can hold a plank and extend both legs for a leg lift without any coning or doming.

How to fix diastasis recti years later

I began working on my diastasis recti 13 months postpartum and had been doing exercises to make it worse along the way. Even still, I was able to heal my diastasis recti tremendously in just a couple of months.

I talked with my pelvic floor PT and she said it is never too late to fix your diastasis recti. It may take longer to feel the connection to your deep core, but there are methods OTHER THAN SURGERY (!!) to get you there.

Dealing with my hernia and diastasis recti

I was very concerned my umbilical hernia would hinder my ability to improve my diastasis recti, but so far it has not! I’ve been very pleased with my recovery and feel as though my hernia is even less noticeable since improving my DR.

I hope this post was helpful and encouragement to be an advocate for yourself in your postpartum healing journey!

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