Wrong diagnosis of Diastasis recti

I have been motivated to write yet another blog on this subject after the poor testing by a midwife on my client.

I’m not sure how many post natal women are aware of diastasis recti- abdominal separation.

Diastasis recti is a condition where the two right and left sides of the rectus abdominis (your "six-pack" muscle) spreads apart at the body's mid-line (the linea alba). Separation occurs in response to your uterus pushing against the abdominal wall and pregnancy hormones soften connective tissue. Separation can occur at any time in the last half of pregnancy but is most problematic after pregnancy when the abdominal wall is weak, when there is no longer a baby inside to aid support.

As separation occurs during late pregnancy women who give birth prematurely before 33 weeks may have minimal separation were as women who carry up to 40 weeks, carry a multi and are not aware of posture or the benefits of exercise can increase the separation during their pregnancy.
Many women aren’t aware of the separation occurring as you feel no symptoms or pain during pregnancy it is only when baby is out that many women start to suffer from lower back and hip pain or notice many months late that they can’t get rid of their post baby tummy.

My client had a 2nd emergency C section and after being recommended by her specialist to wear a surgical belt for 2 weeks post her midwife tested her separation at 3 weeks post operation and said she was fine. I had my doubts but my client was very happy so I didn’t want to disappoint her just yet.

It was the following week at 4 weeks post baby that I tested her. She had a 6-7 cm vertical gap and a 3 cm horizontal gap. Her midwife had completely misdiagnosed her separation, fortunately for my client she has me as her trainer so has now been recommend to do the correct exercises to re-hab her correctly and she should have minimal if any gap in 6 weeks.

If my client was not under a post natal specialist after the diagnosis from her midwife she had the right to assume that she could go back to any form of exercise and possible do exercises that can increase the separation.

Education and the correct testing of this condition is the key. If you exercise correctly and have good post natal posture then you can decrease your diastasis recti completely. If you do the wrong exercises such as planks and crunches, continually hold poor post natal posture, push a buggy with poor form and technique then you are setting yourself up to have lower back pain and a tummy that won’t go away. Along with a gap in your tummy that could still be there 5 years later.

I am not suggesting that all midwives wrongly diagnose this condition what I am saying is that your midwife or LMC needs to correctly assess if testing you for diastasis recti. If in doubt get checked by a professional or contact me for further advice on testing for separation

12 week post natal exercise programs which include exercises to decrease diastasis recti and correct poor post natal posture available on my website http://pregnancyexercise.co.nz