Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP at 14:22 again.

To address your second question about why no one speaks about this, there is a lot of ignorance about what a woman's body is capable of doing after pregnancy. A lot of people believe that you either have the genes to look good postpartum or you don't. The correct information is out there, but you often have to wade through a lot of nonsense. When I realized I had a wide diastasis, I found out what to do via google. My midwife advised sit ups, which would have screwed me over, but I ignored her because I felt intuitively that it could not be as simple as doing sit ups. I knew plenty of moms who were sit up queens and still had wide, stretched out bellies. Sure enough, I learned that sit ups are the worst exercise - worse than doing nothing.

Also, those who are in the know often hesitant to share what they know for fear of catching a backlash. Unless a mother asks me directly and specifically, I don't share what I did to get my waist is small and toned. A lot of mothers will project sanctimony or arrogance onto you and resent you because they are mad and frustrated about their bodies.

Np and different question. Did you do any working out? I feel like I need to exercise for my mental health...

PP here. Walking is my exercise of choice. Even in the dead of winter, I routinely walked 3-4 miles outside with my son in his stroller. It is how I de-stress, but it burns fewer calories than exist in most chocolate chip cookies. Diet is why most people who see me with my son think I can't possibly be his mother. Walking is why I don't wig out on everyone at my high stress job.

Anonymous wrote:PP at 14:22 again.

To address your second question about why no one speaks about this, there is a lot of ignorance about what a woman's body is capable of doing after pregnancy. A lot of people believe that you either have the genes to look good postpartum or you don't. The correct information is out there, but you often have to wade through a lot of nonsense. When I realized I had a wide diastasis, I found out what to do via google. My midwife advised sit ups, which would have screwed me over, but I ignored her because I felt intuitively that it could not be as simple as doing sit ups. I knew plenty of moms who were sit up queens and still had wide, stretched out bellies. Sure enough, I learned that sit ups are the worst exercise - worse than doing nothing.

Also, those who are in the know often hesitant to share what they know for fear of catching a backlash. Unless a mother asks me directly and specifically, I don't share what I did to get my waist is small and toned. A lot of mothers will project sanctimony or arrogance onto you and resent you because they are mad and frustrated about their bodies.

Np and different question. Did you do any working out? I feel like I need to exercise for my mental health...

PP at 14:22 again.

To address your second question about why no one speaks about this, there is a lot of ignorance about what a woman's body is capable of doing after pregnancy. A lot of people believe that you either have the genes to look good postpartum or you don't. The correct information is out there, but you often have to wade through a lot of nonsense. When I realized I had a wide diastasis, I found out what to do via google. My midwife advised sit ups, which would have screwed me over, but I ignored her because I felt intuitively that it could not be as simple as doing sit ups. I knew plenty of moms who were sit up queens and still had wide, stretched out bellies. Sure enough, I learned that sit ups are the worst exercise - worse than doing nothing.

Also, those who are in the know often hesitant to share what they know for fear of catching a backlash. Unless a mother asks me directly and specifically, I don't share what I did to get my waist is small and toned. A lot of mothers will project sanctimony or arrogance onto you and resent you because they are mad and frustrated about their bodies.

Anonymous wrote:Wait- so sit-ups are a no-no, but planks are a good idea starting at 6 months? Is there consensus on this? Why doesn't anyone speak about this?

PP at 14:22 here.

Yes, there is consensus. You will see that every system such as the Tupler that has been specifically adopted to addressing diastasis rectii avoids sit ups. If you want to test it out for yourself, do a sit up right now and pay attention to the outward pressure that the motion places on your abs. Now, roll over and do a plank - you see how you have to suck your abs IN to hold the position? That inward pressure is what closes the gap by strengthening your abs in that inward direction. But first and foremost, before you start doing planks, you need to rest those abs and give them a break from the constant pressure that your pregnancy has been exerting on them.

Wait- so sit-ups are a no-no, but planks are a good idea starting at 6 months? Is there consensus on this? Why doesn't anyone speak about this?

I closed a 4+ gap to 1 finger using this book.


http://www.amazon.com/Exercise-After-Pregnancy-Look-Feel/dp/0977091716

And yoga, lots of planks. Once my abs were ready.

Look into the Tupler Technique.

Anonymous wrote:Do NOT do sit ups. Biggest mistake post partum women make is doing sit up too soon. You have to wait, usually MONTHS for as much of it to close as on its on. The sit up motion actually pushes it apart. I worked with a trainer pre and post partum and we only did planks and all kinds of variations of planks.

This!!

I had a 2" gap after birth. A year later, zero gap. Confirmed by an abdominal ultrasound (for something else, but I asked the doctor to look for abdominal separation while he was at it).

1. First things first, do nothing. Let those abs rest. Avoid all ab exercises. Use a belly binder such as this one to hold your abs together and put pressure on your uterus for maximum shrinkage and flattening of the belly:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004PKXSNM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1440785557&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=bellefit&dpPl=1&dpID=41oG2T1jBLL&ref=plSrch

I wore this for a month (3-4 hours a day) after giving birth. Some women wear it 24 hours a day for longer. I saw dramatic results in the first month and it also help stabilize my core and spine when I was having that strange floating feeling from weak ab muscles and organs out of place. A regular old corset with boning will do also, but those are pricey.

2. After six months, start planking if you must do any ab exercises. A year postpartum, I still have not done any ab exercises. If your goal is aesthetics, then nothing beats watching what you eat to reduce that fat over your abs. Ab exercises will make your stomach muscles stronger, but if you have a layer of fat over them ,or you do ab exercises too soon, or you do the wrong exercises, your waist can actually look wider and bulge outward. I have a flat, toned four pack and I got it by watching my diet, not by doing a single exercise.

Currently, the gap in my abs has closed and I have a 27" waist that is truly flat. My girlfriend who went crazy with all kinds of ab exercises and stroller fit classes after birth still has a stomach that bulges outward and her diastasis has not closed. It will require surgery because the window during which it was likely to close spontaneously has passed.

Do NOT do sit ups. Biggest mistake post partum women make is doing sit up too soon. You have to wait, usually MONTHS for as much of it to close as on its on. The sit up motion actually pushes it apart. I worked with a trainer pre and post partum and we only did planks and all kinds of variations of planks.

I'm in the fourth week of the mutu system. I'm not sure if it's really bringing stuff back together, but I feel like it is making my abs stronger.

I had an ambilical hernia as well as diastisis and weight loss as well as Pilates has really helped. My stomach isn't as flat but I really believe that continuing with Pilates and eating right will get me back where I need to be. I did have surgery for the hernia but no tummy tuck.

Well I"m not getting surgery so any recommendations to help feel stronger and look better would be welcome!

Only surgery will put your abs back together. Dont believe what you read online. The abs are connected by tissue. When the tissue rip apart, they dont magically rejoin by doing exercise.

Does anyone have recommendations for a safe postpartum workout that can help me heal a slight diastisis? I am mostly back in shape and have lost the baby weight, but there is still a slight bump in the lower belly and some abdominal separation. Anyone have luck with online programs?