Category: diastasis

July 29, 2010

ALL NEW BEFORE AND AFTER PICS & STORY – Diastasis Recti

I am a mid 30’s mother of an almost 2 and just turned 3 year old. Both kids were over 9 pounds, and I gained over 60 pounds, (depsite walking 5 miles a day) with each of them. I developed an umbilical hernia after child no. 1, but thought it was just a cosmetic consequence of pregnancy. My ob/gyn had ok’d me to do crunches during pregnancy no. 1 for as long as I could physically do them. Birth resulted in a c-section, and I lost all of the weight in the first 6 months post-birth and did many many crunches in this time period. I then became pregnant with child no. 2.
I changed ob/gyn for child no. 2 and asked about the diastasis recti at my first pregnancy appointment. She did not catch the hernia, but said that the diastatis recti could only be fixed with surgery. I inquired about stitching it during the second planned c-section, to which she informed me that I then could not hold my baby for several weeks while I healed. I opted against further pursuit of surgery and did not look into a fix until baby no. 2 was 18 months old. I acheived prepregnancy weight rather quickly with both children, but still looked 4-5 months pregnant.
I went to an osteopath who specializes in natural remedies, and he too confirmed that I could only repair my abdominals with surgery, with no mention of the hernia.

A family member of mine saw my belly button when my 2nd child was 18 months old and informed me that I had a hernia and should seek medical attention. I returned to my ob/gyn who confirmed the hernia and suggested I see a general surgeon.


At this point I found Bonnie and the Tupler technique and had already made the decision to try and close the diastasis without surgery. I saw a general surgeon only to confirm that the hernia was not dangerous and there was no immediate need for hernia surgery. The surgeon informed me that the diastasis was only 2 fingers wide, and I really did not even need the surgery. He was shocked that I even knew what a diastasis was. He also said that he could repair the diastatis as well, but that the recovery time would be long. He could repair the hernia, but that there was no immediate need for it as it was not particularly dangerous. I informed him that I was going to attempt to fix it with exercise, to which he responded he had never heard of such a thing. This particular surgeon is not a “cutter” and was supportive of my alternative choice. Further, he said he’d love to see the results, and to come back in six months.

I saw Bonnie just before memorial day, and took before pictures. The surgeon had measured me wrong and the diastasis was MUCH larger than the surgeon had measured.

(After two weeks of Tupler Technique with Bonnie’s instruction (and a bit of a tan):

I’m finding that my biggest problem now is how to get my skin to contract as quickly as my stomach has!

(MY NOTES:  This client was a 5 in the middle, 4 on the bottom, and 3 on the top.  She is now totally closed – in about 6 weeks!   You can see her support in her midsection is much firmer – as the muscles are now holding in the organs very nicely.  You will also notice a big change in the belly button area – its much  more inconspicuous and has gone flat.  From the side views especially, you notice a much more defined waistline, and you will also notice how her waist went in about 3 inches – possibly more since I didn’t measure her during the first session.  GREAT WORK!)

July 12, 2010

YET ANOTHER round of closing the diastasis recti- results from this last week!

Yes I know!  Not to bombard the cyber world with JUST this – but I always LOVE telling some great results that I just can’t help myself.  And NO PICS this round – I AM working on it.  Some of my clients do not want to even see themselves in the “BEFORE” pics,  but this next client told me she would take a “mid process” pic .  So pics to come 🙂

CLIENT F:  This cute client is in her mid to upper 20s.  She has 4 young kids below the age of 5.  So without bringing the recti together through SEATED TUPLERS DURING and BETWEEN pregnancies, it left her with a very large diastasis of:
8 on top
7 in the middle
7 on the bottom
Again, these measurements indicated how many fingerwidths between the two halves of the recti.  So when I measure someone with these measurements, I can usually feel the intestines pulsing because there is literally NOTHING holding these women in!  Its just skin and connective tissue holding their organs and innards in!

So, back to the results. This clients of COURSE got a splint to approximate the two halves of the recti, and the first week she did the 5 sets of seated tuplers fairly well, but the 2nd week she fell off the wagon and “didn’t do much and didn’t really wear the splint.”  She wanted one more week to get caught up before I saw her the 2nd time.  So really there were TWO weeks of actual work.  She measured  – again keep in mind this is JUST TWO WEEKS:
4 on top
5 in the middle
5 1/2 on the bottom
This is HUGE improvement.  She literally brought the top part of her diastasis to HALF of what it was in TWO WEEKS OF EFFORT!

DID I MENTION HER WAIST SIZE WENT FROM A SIZE 32 TO A 28 3/4 AS WELL!  YEP – the waist size SHOULD also come in quite a bit as well.  For this client, that was more than ONCE INCH PER WEEK!

I will put two more clients tomorrow in this same post – one postpartum and one pregnant – all FANTASTIC RESULTS!  🙂

July 9, 2010

Another round of latest results for Closing the Diastasis Recti AND Pelvic Floor – Pregnancy AND Postpartum

So, NO PICS THIS ROUND, as its a quick rundown.  HOWEVER, I do expect to get pics in the next couple of weeks 🙂

CLIENT A:  This client is in her early 30s and is now 34 WEEKS pregnant.  She had started out at 28 weeks with a diastasis of 5 fingerwidths in the middle, 4 three inches above the belly button, and 3 1/2 three inches below the belly button.  She had since brought things in to a VERY decent 3 in three middle, 2 3/4 on top and 2 three inches below the belly button.  THEN – and this is what ALWAYS seems to get my clients – she MOVED.  All the lifting boxes…and making sure to bring the transverse in BEFORE lifting the boxes, and also NOT lifting the boxes that you can’t keep your transverse in….which means the box is TOO heavy for the current strength of the tranverse.  At this point there is a couple choices (before moving) – strengthen your transverse BIG TIME so you CAN help to move the invariably heavy boxes, or leave the heavier boxes to someone else.  Well, my cute client told me the day before I was to come for our session that she CRAMMED – (did I mention she did tons of school, being a neurologist) meaning she did several sets of  100 SEATED  TUPLERS.

Well since I have never seen anyone MOVE unscathed, at least those in the PROCESS of closing their diastasis, let alone a PREGNANT women 34 weeks along (increasingly more forward pressure of the uterus) – I was VERY PLEASANTLY surprised to find she had actually DECREASED her diastasis.  She was a 1 3/4 in the middle, 1 1/2 on the top, and 1 on the bottom.  This is considered CLINICALLY closed, at this point.  With Diastasis rehab, we know its not too much more work to bring that ALL the way closed, and strengtouhen your belly, your back, and bring your waistline in and make you cosmetically look SO much better!. ALL THIS while MOVING and having a RAPIDLY expanding belly. 

CLIENT E:  This client has not been introduced yet.  She is in her late 30s, and a mom to 4 kids.  She is a real go-getter. She is a 4 on top, 4 in the middle, and 6 on the bottom with her diastasis, as well as a hernia in the middle and bottom.  She has been using pelvic floor weights called “STEP FREE” and had always had the experience of the weights FALLING OUT.  You are supposed to be able to put them in and “forget about them.”  Well, since they always FELL out, she didn’t want to wear them.  So since doing SEATED TUPLERS sets of 100, which works the pubococcygeus muslce ( the “kegel” muscle, or the one that controls urine flow) she can now put in the STEP FREE WEIGHTS   
and the step free will FINALLY STAY PUT.  So while that was an unexpected perk for HER, it IS one of the benefits of doing 5 + sets of Seated Tuplers Daily.

The only exception?  While PREGNANT you RELAX THE PELVIC FLOOR while doing the Seated Tuplers, so that when PUSHING OUT A BABY, you will bring your transverse BACK to the 5th floor and open the pelvic floor.  The mind body connection will be established of “transverse back, pelvic floor relaxed” throughout the entire pregnancy, and practiced during a bowel movement.  Then when its time to push, its AUTOMATIC.  This is called PERFECT PUSHING.

June 14, 2010

The latest results on closing the diastasis recti!!

So the bad news is I don’t have any pics this round, just stats.    The good news is the stats are pretty darn great!  However I am posting my own “after” for the first time.   Scroll down to see!

CLIENT A:  I have a pregnant client in her 30s right now that at 28 weeks first pregnancy measured 5 fingerwidths in the middle, 4 1/2 on the top, and 3 on the bottom.  You can imagine what that would have been POSTPARTUM as her bellly continued to expand, especially if that was combined with jacknifing in and out of bed, and incorrect abs.  Lucky for her, she started rehabbing her diastasis mid pregnancy.

TWO AND A HALF WEEKS LATER:  At 30 1/2 weeks (her belly growing), she measured 3 in the middle, 2 3/4 at the top and 2 fingerwidths at the bottom.  For an expanding belly, these are EXCELLENT results!  They would be fantastic WITHOUT the belly expanding in the equation!  What did she do?  Seated Tuplers while relaxing the pelvic floor, elevators, pelvic tilts primarily.

CLIENT B:  I have a client with 3 young kids, she is in her late 20s/early 30s.  She has a excellent fitness background – runs 15 miles a day no problem, does yoga, and is a very healthy eater.  However, she noticed her midsection still did not look right.  She was right – she was 7 1/4 fingerwidths in the middle of her diastasis, 7 at the top, and 4 at the bottom.  A surgeon would have looked at this case and recommended surgery right away.

FOUR WEEKS LATER:  This client returned with fantastic results.  Her diastasis decreased to 2 3/4 Shallow (meaning the the bottom was together but opened slightly at the top. ) She measured just a 3 at the top and a 2 at the bottom.  This is FANTASTIC progress.  Usually when I have someone wider than a 6, they have trouble getting the mind-body connection of the muscle at first.  So these results averaged faster than 1 fingerwidth per week per two of the areas.  Unfortunately I didn’t suggest she do before and after pics.  I really wish I would have!!  Her waist went from a 28 to a 27 inches.  So there is still left to close, but it is nearly “clinically closed” – meaning 2 fingerwidths or smaller all the way down.  But it is easy just to close it the rest of the way.  I am guessing her waist will go down another inch to 2 inches when she is finished in a few weeks.

WHAT DID SHE DO?  She wore a splint everyday, all day.  She did 5 sets of 100 seated tuplers per day at least, did headlifts, and stopped doing the abs in her yoga video that would compromise her results.

CLIENT C:  I have another client who is in her late 20s. She is a mom of 2 very young kids.  She herself is actually VERY slender, very skinny person.  She got everything super trim, except for her darn midsection.  After reading about diastasis, she thought this is what she might have.  She had been so diligent with crunches and typical gym rat obliques.  The results for the diligent crunches?  She was a 7 on the bottom, 7 in the middle, and a 5 at the top.  So that DEFINITELY was what was causing her funky midsection.  Any surgeon would have wanted to whisk her away to surgically and artifically fix this problem.

2 WEEKS LATER:  She measured a 4 in the middle, a 5 on the bottom, and a 3 1/2 on the top.  So she went in about 1 fingerwidth per section of her diastasis per week.  FANTASTIC start!!  She wore her splint and did the seated tupler “consistently the first week” and “not as consistently the 2nd week.”  So imagine how much further she might have progressed had she been diligent the 2nd week.  But still great results to begin.

WHAT DID SHE DO?  Wore the splint consistently night and day.  She also STOPPED her crunches and gym rat obliques.  She did 5 + sets of 100 seated tuplers (the first week) and did 2-3 sets of 100 seated tuplers the 2nd week.

CLIENT D:  This client will be posting pics later and is very excited.  She is a mom in her early 30s and has 2 very young kids -both under 3.  She spent hours and hours researching what was going on on the internet with her belly.  She knew she had a little hernia, and felt that she possibly had a diastasis after all her research.  Her last C section was 18 months ago.  She measured a 5 in the middle, 4 on the bottom, and 3 on the top. 

TWO WEEKS LATER:  This client brought in her measurements fantastically.  She brought the middle in by 2 fingerwidths to measure now at a 3.  Her top measures 2 shallow, and her bottom measures 1 1/2 shallow. Her pants are fitting looser and she can tell a huge difference.  Still room to go, but its fun to look to see what is possible by doing these exercises.

WHAT DID SHE DO?  She did her 5+ sets of 100 seated tuplers per day, pelvic tilts and wore her Splint  night and day “except when she went swimming.” 

So to come?  PICTURES – SOON!  I am exciting to encourage more of my clients to take pictures because they can be so powerful!

Here is my OWN “after” taken just the other night.  Just know I was a 32 inch waist after my 3rd baby, and I did 10 sets a day of seated tuplers until I became a 25 inch waist again.  I also closed a 3 fingerwidths diastasis in all three places.

May 20, 2010

What Abs Should I do When I’m Pregnant? Can I do Any? Maternal Fitness..

So this area of fitness has always been shrouded in uncertainty.  Some people have been told “not to do ANY abs” and some people do abs regardless and keep their workouts very similar to before they were pregnant.

So what is the answer?

Lets talk about what is NOT the answer first.  DO. NOT. DO. CRUNCHES. OR. SIT. UPS!!

As the uterus protrudes, it creates a forward forceful pressure that splits the recti in UP TO 98% of women creating a diastasis recti.  If there are any movements which THEN create a forward forceful motion – like crunches, it is TOO MUCH for the muscles and they most likely will split.

So what else not to do while pregnant?  Pilates 100, Teaser, V sit, Rolling like a ball, Jacknifing up or down, side to side obliques, twisting motions (they SHEAR the diastasis).

AND  I think its VERY helpful to get Maternal Fitness: Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy, an Easier Labor, and a Quick Recovery

because it will go over ALL the exercises you SHOULD do.  Among them
SEATED TUPLERS and HEADIFTS.

in terms of abdominals.

These help immensely with BACK PAIN during pregnancy.  Because the RECTI’S (outermost abdominal muscles) function is back support, when they are split, the back support is compromised.  When I am pregnant – I always have to do a set before bed so I can sleep without back pain.  There are also other abdominals – CORRECT OBLIQUES and ELEVATORS that the book talks about that are fantastic.

There are also scores of other exercises there that are fantastic.

Also a newer video which is great is Maternal Fitness Prenatal Pilates.

This one actually tells you the safe pilates to do while pregnant, but especially to keep those recti together.  There are so many pitfalls with pilates for pregnant women because quite a few of the exercises have forceful forward movement of the abdominals  – so BE CAREFUL!!

On a personal note, when I am teaching classes and training women, they get ANGRY that no one told them what to do and what NOT to do while pregnant.  They are mad that they had to needlessly deal with a diastasis, that can be closed even in the NINTH month of pregnancy.  OH YES!!!!  One of my clients was a three fingerwidth diastasis at 7 1/2 months pregnant – took my class, and totally closed it by her 9th Month.

SO WHAT GOOD DOES THAT DO?  Well, perfect recti for PUSHING!  Closed Recti are very importnant for effective pushing , as well as a strong transverse.

NO HERNIA!!!  The connectie tissue between the recti won’t get a hole or tear with closed recti, which is a hernia (the organs pushing through the connective tissue).

PREPREGNANCY MIDSECTION BACK QUICKER!  Those women with a diastasis usually feel like they look 3 to 5 months pregnant, EVEN IF they are very in shape, and skinny.  It is literally the LAST PUZZLE PIECE for a restored pre pregnancy midsection.

PLUS NO BACK PAIN, as mentioned.

So, I realize I have left pregnant women out of the equation of this blog – and so I wanted to address that.  You have SO MUCH MORE advantage in doing the TUPLER TECHNIQUE while pregnant !!!!

May 12, 2010

PICTURES! FINALLY – SOME BEFORE AND AFTER – diastasis/TUPLER TECHNIQUE PICS!!

Many of you have asked me to post pictures of people – before and after – with diastasis rehab and the tupler technique.  I have been slow to acquiesce because I don’t feel comfortable meeting a client and asking them if I can take pictures of an area they are very sensative about.  So I generally post stats – and several stats I have posted are very impressive, if I do say so myself.  The women I work with have had OUTSTANDING results.

However, those of you that are thinking about surgery to correct your abdominals LIKE the fact that a surgeon can show you some warm fuzzy pictures of pre and post surgery – tens of thousands of dollars between pictures, not to mention hours and hours of pain, and potential infection in between the warm fuzzy – pre and post surgery pictures.

One of my clients mentioned to me after her 3rd visit – that she had taken pictures of herself, as well as some video footage.  I asked permission to post these, and she has kindly agreed.

Here is a brief history – which I will replace with her own words once she emails me with her story.  In a nutshell.  D.P. (we will call her)  comes from a dancing background.  She danced with various dance companies in her past.  After pregnancy, she was left with severely split recti.  She was told immediatly by her OB GYN after the birth that she would need surgery to correct it, but that it would be very painful.  She was also told that because of the nature of her split – the netting needed to basically  paste and sew to the muscles would have a high risk of getting infected.  She saw two SURGEONS who gave her the same scenarios.  The first pictures you can see the organs are protruding out the abdominal walls – there are no muscles holding them in, so client felt like her belly looked several months pregnant, when she was not.

I began to work with D.P. 8 weeks ago.  Her total background was unbeknownst to me until our 3rd session.  We went through the normal session – measuring her diastasis (5 fingerwidths on top, 6 in the middle, and 4 on the bottom), going over the exercises – seated tuplers, elevators, pelvic tilts, kegels, headlifts (our version of the crunch which does NOT bulge out the recti) and showed which exercises not to do (CRUNCHES, JACKNIVES, etc).  WAIST MEASURES 32 3/4 INCHES.

We met a 2nd time – 2 weeks later, going over the advanced variations and isolating different parts of the diastasis, along with obliques, and postural correction stretches and exercises.  Her diastasis was a 2 deep on top, 4 deep in the middle, and a 3 deep on the bottom.

We met a 3rd time – 4 weeks later (during the past 6 weeks, client does 5 sets of 100 seated tuplers daily, and other exercises as directed).  Client measured shallow 2 on top, 3 in the middle, and shallow 3 on the bottom.  It was at this time D.P. took these photos.  A couple days before our 3rd session, her OB looked at her and told her her abdominals “looked pretty good – maybe she DIDN’T need any surgery.”  She then told him she was seeing me – and that she was doing exercises to correct the diastasis.  Waist measured 30 INCHES.

HIS RESPONSE?  “I’VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT!”  (classic!)  

You will notice the belly button was an “outie”- and is now and “innie” and you will notice the organs protrude FAR LESS, and her belly looks supported.  The muscle tone is MUCH better, and the waist is noticably smaller.  This is all without any dietary changes – its JUST the exercises.

There is still room to go – approx 3 fingerwidths all the way down – but a MARKED improvement.  And her status has gone from IMMINENT SURGERY to NOT NEEDING SURGERY – in 6 weeks.

April 29, 2010

Is my diastisis recti genetic? Comparing moms and daughters…

I have been asked this recently so I thought I would highlight a couple of the moms and daughter duos I have taught recently.

It does make sense that diastasis recti’s CAN run in families, if the daughter inherits the same size torso as their mom, and perhaps carries similarly.  Perhaps even the integrity of the muscle could have a genetic component.

Some daughters, of course, will carry babies differently than their moms.  Some women carry different child to child.  Some daughters will have inherited torso’s more along their dad’s genetic lines.

Obviously, the shorter the torso, the more likely a birth will result in a diastasis recti.  The longer the torso, the more room the baby has – generally, to spread out.  Since up to 98% of women get diastasis recti ( I personally have only measure THREE women out of probably 1000 + that have not gotten a diastasis postpartum) it can be theorized that those women with a longer torso will perhaps split less than the shorter counterparts.

The other question:  Given the same instruction and technique verification, would both mom and daughter tend to close their diastasis at the same pace?  Of course, there are many factors – strength, daily habits, how often they do the exercises, etc.  But it will be interesting none the less to observe:

Lets meet the first mom and daughter duo.
MOM AND DAUGHTER # 1: The daughter and mom were both around the same height – around 5 “6 and fairly thin women.  They each had 3 kids.  The daughter (30s) meausred THREE fingerwidths is all three places – at the belly button, three inches above, and three inches below the belly button.  The mom (60s) measured a  THREE fingerwidths at the belly button, three inches below, and was CLOSED at the top. 

After 7 weeks (8 classes) both mom and daughter TOTALLY CLOSED their diastasis and were rock solid.  Each lost an inch + in their waist.

So far:  mom and daughter 1 had VERY similar diastasis recti, and both closed their diastasis totally after 7 weeks, and both lost inches in their waist.

MOM AND DAUGHTER #2:  Both mom (60s) and daughter (30s) were similar in height – 5″4 and 5″5 respectively.  The daughter had 3 kids, the mom 3 kids also. The daughter measured FIVE fingerwidths at the middle, 2 fingerwidths at the top, and 3 fingerwidths at the bottom.  The mom measured FIVE fingerwidths at the middle, 3 fingerwidths at the top, and 2 1/2 fingerwidths at the bottom.  After 3 weeks (4 classes) the daughter was CLOSED at the top, Three in the middle, and CLOSED at the bottom.  The mom was CLOSED at the top, Three in the middle, and CLOSED at the bottom.

So VERY similar initial diastasis recti.  Just a slight variation.  The rate at CLOSING the diastasis is the same.  VERY marked progress in both.  BOTH WOMEN wear the SPLINT
and both did around 4 to 5 sets of 100 of the SEATED TUPLERS each day.

SUMMARY:  SO FAR it seems there is a definite genetic component both with the size of diastasis recti in mothers and daughters and both in the RATE of being able to close the diastasis.

THOUGHTS?  If you have a diastasis, mention it to your mom or daughter.  If they have one, they could be experiencing back aches because the function of the recti is both to hold in your organs AND give back support.  Also, of course is the cosmetic component – everything will fit better and look better and the waist will be smaller AFTER closing the diastasis recti.  Next time, I will have a look at SISTERS!!  If you have experienced a diastasis recti, your sister could as well – let her know!!

Do you have a mom, daughter or sister that has a similar diastasis as you do?  Measure and let us know!

April 16, 2010

I used to have an "innie" belly button before pregnancy. Now its an "outie" – what can I do?

I get this question here and there – a side effect from pregnancy, being an OUTIE belly button, when they were an INNIE.  And it IS a cosmetic in question, in part, but also a question of chaffing and inconvenience.  That belly button can rub against your clothing and get irritated.

Never Fear – The Tupler Technique is here.

But does it REALLY reverse my belly button woes?  YES…IF;

  • Your technique is correct
  • If you squeeze and hold the transverse muscle back adequately during the exercises.
  • If you wear a Splint  – especially while you work out, and during the day.  Even at night for those of you jacknifer’s-out-of-bed-when-baby-cries gals.
  • If a hernia is not the primary cause of the altered belly button

In the women I have measured and seen, usually its the women who have a larger diastasis – split in the recti muscles – that get an outie belly button.

One women I am training right now – is doing AWESOME with this.  In two weeks, not only did she bring her recti in TWO fingerwidths (learn how to measure here) from her original measurment of 6 fingerwidths right at the belly button, and she also brought her waist in from a 33 1/2  to a 31 1/4 – that is TWO and 1/4 inches.  I know I have had a couple people request pics – I will start compiling a collection for my clients who are willing 🙂  AND she REVERSED  her belly button from an outie to an innie!!  And that just TWO weeks people!!!

As you might have guessed she wore a Splint 
and she did 6 sets a day of  Seated Tuplers.

Thats it!  Oh, and she made sure she didn’t jackknife out of bed, of course – and none of the prohibited movements- CRUNCHES, Pilated 100, Teaser, Side to Side Obliques, etc.

So take hope, my newly adquired OUTIE friends, you CAN get your innie back!

April 13, 2010

Is it too late ? I had kids 30 years ago….Can I fix my belly?

The answer is OF COURSE ITS NOT TOO LATE!!  The oldest person I have taught in my classes was 72 years old and she had – count them – THIRTEEN kids.  She was a great grandma.

This past week I had a class that was ending, and since I always look at before and after results, I was very impressed with “Gran” that was taking my class.  She is 62 years old, and 5 of her sisters also took the class too.

Her diastasis was 3 fingerwidths at the belly button, and 3 fingerwidths  3 inches above the belly button.  After the 8 week class we had – she TOTALLY CLOSED her diastasis.  She looked TOTALLY FANTASTIC if I do say so myself, and TRULY HAD

ROCK

SOLID

ABS

because she got those recti together, and toned and firmed everything up using her TRANSVERSE muscle to work everything else.

Case and point – there is NO statute of limitations.  It doesn’t matter if you had your baby or babies 3 days ago, 30 PLUS years ago, or if you are pregnant.  You CAN use that transverse abdominals to bring your recti muscles together and you can make your midsection look GREAT at ANY AGE!!!!

April 10, 2010

Can I measure my own diastasis? Is that what is causing my funky midsection?

Yes, YOU can measure your own diastasis.  You don’t need a doctor or a surgeon to measure it.  Many doctors don’t even know HOW to measure it, in my experience.  But you can take control and empower yourself with how to find out if its a DIASTASIS that is causing that “I-can’t-put-my-finger-on-it-but-my-midsection-does-not-look-normal” look.

HOW TO DO IT:

  • Lay on your back (getting down by laying on your side and walking your hands down).
  • Bend your knees
  • Place your straightened fingers perpendicular to your body RIGHT at your belly button.
  • Lift your head just a little

If you have a diastasis you will feel a valley or a gully.
THE MEASUREMENT:  How many fingers can you place in the gully when you FIRST start to feel the muscles engage around your fingers?  Is it 1 fingerwidth?  Is it 2 fingerwidths?  3?  4?  5?  6?  7?  8? more?

  • REPEAT if you don’t know what your measurement was the first time by putting your head BACK down and then lifting it up just a LITTLE with your hands in place until you feel the muscles engage around the fingers again
  • REPEAT 3 inches ABOVE the belly button
  • REPEAT 3 inches BELOW the belly button

That’s it – then you will know your  measurments of your diastasis!

TROUBLESHOOTING?
“I can’t feel the muscle engage around my fingers”
You may be putting your head up too high.  Or if your pregnant, you will fill a protruding ridge rather than a gully, depending on how far along your are.  Or if you are a larger measurement like a 6 or 7, you will need to measure with BOTH HANDS.

Many people think its gross when they feel it for the first time.   But knowing is half the battle, as my husband always says.

SO GO FOR IT!!  Find out if the diastasis is causing a bulge, or unsightly look in your abdominals!  What did you find out?