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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Have I left it too late for diastasis recti (separated stomach muscles) to close?

31 replies

Dayandnight90 · 04/08/2021 11:06

I gave birth 6 years ago and I still have diastasis recti, it is not a huge separation but I would like it to close over hopefully as they were before giving birth. However I was once told you need to the the exercises close to the time after giving birth otherwise they never close.

Does anyone have any experience of this after giving birth? Can they still close years after given birth or have I missed that window?

Thank you all in advance.

OP posts:
Pegasusmail · 04/08/2021 11:08

.
I will return later as just going out but I bought a waist trainer (yet to try)

PigeonPink · 04/08/2021 11:16

They never close completely. The best solution is surgery.

MsSquishy · 04/08/2021 11:20

Hi OP, good luck with this- I would try to see a women’s health physio as they will be able help/advise Flowers

Zaragirl84 · 04/08/2021 11:34

I had what I think was a small but noticeable gap since having my eldest, now 13. Haven't really done any exercise and had another baby.

This year I started doing some exercise and I feel that there is definitely a big improvement.

Bodyfit by Amy on YouTube has some very gentle core exercises for this.

It can't hurt to do some gentle exercises, I've read that traditional core workouts can make it worse though.

BFrazzled · 04/08/2021 11:37

They cannot close because the ligament connecting them is stretched.

Surgery is the only solution.

HumunaHey · 04/08/2021 11:40

@PigeonPink

They never close completely. The best solution is surgery.
Pretty sure that's not true.

OP, from what I've been told, it's not too late but you might need to work a little harder and results take a little longer. There might be local groups you can join that work specifically on healing abdominal muscles. Failing that, there's lots of videos on YouTube.

AudacityBaby · 04/08/2021 11:48

I have this from a football-sized uterine fibroid, and I'm so self-conscious. I was told by a GP that the only option was surgery (which isn't always successful). I might look into exercises - I'm sick of looking like this. Blush

Watching this thread for interest...

cinnabarmoth · 04/08/2021 12:11

I signed up to Moms into Fitness, which is an American programme you can access online, and the foundation of is about strengthening your core and there is lots about healing diastasis recti - they mention specifically that it is never too late, though I think for some people it will be improved rather than completely fixed. I can't comment much on the programme as have only done the starting exercises so far, but I believe it's highly regarded.

BFrazzled · 04/08/2021 12:12

So, just to explain why diastasis recti can not close on it's own. It is just a human anatomy fact - your abdominal muscles are connected by a strong sheet of connective tissue. In most people this sheet is short enough to hold muscles together (but not always, so for example babies often have diastasis that usually goes away on it's own - because babies bodies grow and change unlike adult's). When you are pregnant this sheet stretches to accommodate the baby. In some people it stretches more than in others. Once it is stretched it cannot go back, regardless of any exercise you do, because it isn't muscle. Think of it as a stretched sheet of material. During the operation the surgeon replaces this sheet with artificial material if you will.
Exercise are good to improve the tone of your muscles so your belly will look better but diastasis won't go away. People telling you it will are basically lying to sell you their product (exercise videos are a product).

SeptemberSongs · 04/08/2021 12:22

Hi OP, I had a six cm diastasis recti which I have got down to 3cm using MUTU, and am still working in it - worth looking into?

houseofstark · 04/08/2021 12:25

Caitlin Moran had a piece on this recently in the Times. She’d suffered back pain for years, basically because her core muscles weren’t supporting her back. No matter how much she exercised, she couldn’t improve it without surgery.

Original poster
Dayandnight90 · 04/08/2021 12:41

Thank you for your replies. It is one finger space and when I tense it seems to close over at least half way. I hoping I should get some improvement via exercise.

Thank you for all the suggestions. I have taken note and will be putting into YouTube later today.

Hi @SeptemberSongs what is MUTU?

OP posts:
SeptemberSongs · 04/08/2021 13:10

MUTU is an exercise course online for postnatal women. I’ve found it really helpful but I appreciate what the other guys have said about needing surgery to really rectify it. That isn’t something I was aware of but I have really found doing the exercises useful. I think you can also be referred for physio on the NHS.

MrsLion · 04/08/2021 20:07

Never too late. It can be improved but not fixed and it will be a life-long maintenance to keep function in your core.
You will always have to ‘suck in’ your stomach to some extent.

Mine was terrible, but I’ve improved it hugely with good diet and commitment to exercise.
I’ve never tried mutu but people seem to get good results.

Original poster
Dayandnight90 · 04/08/2021 20:12

@MrsLion thank you. What exercise did you do? And how big was your gap?

OP posts:
HotPenguin · 04/08/2021 20:19

You need to do exercise under supervision of a physio, if you do overly strong exercises it won't work. They will feel your gap as you do different exercises and adjust your programme as you need. It isn't true that surgery is the only solution, many people can improve through exercise to the point that it doesn't affect them any more (that's not to say it's gone back to how it was prebirth but it can improve a lot).

wishiwasbytheseaside · 04/08/2021 20:25

I had post natal physio after 2nd child as I had 4cm gap after both kids. The physio helped a bit but the gap really improved when I started doing Pilates.
I did physio when 2nd was a few months old and eldest was 3.
I only started Pilates when eldest was 10 (3 years ago) and that's when I noticed improvements. I can't feel any gap now.

Ukholidaysaregreat · 04/08/2021 20:26

Ooo! I have this. I was told I had a full hand gap (nice) then have spent a lot of time being ignored by (male) GPs. Have just managed to get a referral to women's physio on the NHS so really hopeful I can see some sort of improvement. At the moment all my guts are just hanging in a bag of skin. So almost anything would be an improvement on that I suppose.

DelleLdn · 04/08/2021 20:35

I just saw a women's physio and she said that as my gap is less than two fingers width (I'm just under) it wouldn't technically be considered as a diastasis recti. I'm a year post-partum and she said it wouldn't close any further now but she is a big advocate of pilates to generally do wondrous things for core strength. Def more about doing the exercises right though rather than a lot of them she says. I would say if you can get an NHS women's physio referral I have found them to be more up to date/better than private physios personally. Good luck x

BettysGotMoxie · 04/08/2021 21:36

I have this. I also had an umbilical hernia and was waiting for a repair for the two issues which I was told would be done altogether. The hernia recently strangulated and I had an emergency surgery to fix it, and I was told then that while they wouldn’t be fixing the diastasis at that time due to the urgency of the hernia fix I needed, that I would still need further surgery in the future as it would never close by itself. I could exercise and improve my diet which would help things to minor degree, but to fix it fully I’d need another operation.

Indecisivelurcher · 04/08/2021 21:39

If you can find one i would recommend a good pilates class, ideally physio led, by someone who understands this issue. You'll learn how to recruit the right muscles and build up strength. It's really helped me.

BecauseMyRingBurnsSheila · 04/08/2021 21:45

My youngest is 6 and I had surgery when she was 5. However prior to the surgery I saw an NHS physio and diligently did the exercises for many months ahead of the surgery. This was with a view to avoiding mesh by narrowing the gap. I was also having hernia repair and the surgeon suggested if I kept up the exercises I could have avoided diastasis recti surgery. But I was being opened up anyway and whilst the recovery was harder than my c-sections I don't regret it.

So no you haven't left it too late. The right exercises over a sustained period of time and you can do it.

BecauseMyRingBurnsSheila · 04/08/2021 21:47

Mine was 5cm originally.

Bigtoejoe · 04/08/2021 22:16

A 1cm gap is tiny OP - does it really cause you issues? As a pp says, that isn't even classed as diastasis recti.

Sparechange · 04/08/2021 22:23

Physio-led Pilates completely closed mine, and also fixed the lower back pain I had
I did a mix of reformer and mat work/conditioning classes, plus did the suggested exercises at home in between the classes

It wasn’t cheap at around £25 per class but it was completely worth it as an investment in my health and has left me pain-free