Stomach muscle separation?

I know it exists as my mother had it bad after my brother was born and still does.

Seems the muscles at the top of my stomach (under my ribcage) have seperated, not badly but noticable if I sit up from reclining position. She didnt seem to worried but I know that it can be hard to get them to get back together after bub is born.

Anyone had this happen and did you just wear a support belt or the tight granny undies (you know the ones that suck in everything :lol: )? I know crunches will help but I have a feeling in those first few weeks with 3 under 2.5 Im not going to be in the mood for situps :doh:

hi, i ended up with split muscles with my baby. the physio advised me that NO big excersise for 6 weeks just little stretches and stuff and i was to wear a special pressure belt for that long too. mine still havent healed from the damage and will split again next baby. my muscles split vertically down near my belly button though, i didnt know about near your rib cage... are you talking about horizontally or vertically???

If they do seem quite split after he is born, get a referral to a physio. Mine are only a finger width apart non pg but we will see after she is born.

Vertically at the very top of my stomach above my belly button, not badly according to my midwife but still that could change between now and when he's born.

Mine are reaaaaaaaaaally bad - physio said the separation was a fist full :doh:........like you i simply didnt have time to do situps either....but just sitting on the lounge watching your fav tv show means you can also do exercises. Pulling your stomach inwards, towards your spine, wearing like a girdle for a few hrs a day.

They generally recommend not to do crunches, any type of exercise until after 6-8 wks anyway......after this time though, i found just doing 20 situps a day did help. It also helped with my back, as i found i was using my back muscles when i should have been using my stomach......

See how it goes.....im a public patient in a public hossi, and i had 2 x free consultations with a physio - both at the hossi and one in her office....

Thanks for your thoughts MBear, seems Im lucky mine are very minor. I will definately wear the girdle and do situps once Im allowed.

We have private insurance so seeing a physio is not a problem, might not hurt to do so after bub is born. Certainly explains why my back and stomach ache.

Anna T, you may also want to look into a specialist pilates studio after your bub is born - pilates will help stregthen the core muscles and draw them back to support your spine. Even a physio with expertise in pilates based rehabilitation would be ideal.

Apparently I have some separation, not sure how bad it is... was bad enough that the midwife referred me to the physio. I was told to do some gentle exercises... they are lay on your side with knees bent toward you and pull your tummy muscles in - like suck them in and then pull pelvic muscles up. Hold then release. Do that same one on all fours. Laying on side (knees same as before) pull (suck) tummy muscles in and then lift your top leg up then back down... only like to level with hip. I also have this belt/band thing which is like those compression socks/stockings!! OMG it hurts so I went to the baby shop and they had a belly support band which isn't as tight and the material and shape so much better so it doesn't dig in like the other one. I then cut the other one in half as it is firmer and just use half of it over the other one if I'm walking or standing a lot. The physio said that's the only time I had to wear it but now I've got the more comfy one I'm just wearing it all the time during the day as I don't want to deal with BAD separation if I can help it. The reason for the belt/band is to support and help to pull and hold things back a bit more to take the pressure off those muscles. HTH.

After having Julian the psyhio came and checked my tummy muscles and I had a 4 and a half centimetre separation, so she gave me a piece of tight strechy material (sorry don't know it's name), I had to wear it every second I was awake for the first 6 weeks, then I had to go and get some of those knickers that go up higher and are tight, I got them from Big W, for a little while. My muscles are still separated some but I talked to my GP and he said that it can take anywhere up to 2yrs for them to go back.

Also my separation was from under my ribcage to my belly button too.

hugs xoxo

Anna, mine separated during my second pg but luckily it wasn't major. Like mbear said, no crunches allowed for the first few weeks, but your pelvic floor exercises are still very important and when you do them, also tighten your lower tummy muscles - or TAs - if you have done Pilates you will know what I mean, and if not a physio can help you.

mine still are not healed correctly either and it has created a hernia in my belly button so they will be split until after my next baby...

It's called a diastisis (diastisis recti to be precise) and DO NOT DO CRUNCHES OR SIT UPS. They won't help and in fact tend to pull the muscles apart even further. I have one, it was 2 fingers when Jazz was 6 weeks old and is now only half a finger (so was about 3cm and is now only 1cm max.). Do CORE MUSCLE exercises which will help strengthen the muscles, and like MR said pelvic floor exercises as well. And when you're getting out of bed lay on your side, legs over the bed, push up with your arms and sit up like that. If you sit upright it can pull the muscles to the side.

Defiantely do a physio class, maybe now and also once bub is born. My hospital had one running so it was free (YAY! Free! :lol:), but a lot of private physio's will know how to help treat it as well.