8 finger separation of stomach muscles

[jane2011]

Had my 3rd CS 4 weeks ago & have over 8 fingers separation of my stomach muscles.
Is it possible that exercises alone can close it so I look normal. I had a 4 finger separation last time & reduced it to 2 fingers through tupler technique. This time I feel & look much worse. I have no core strength at all & still find getting out of bed a struggle. I still need daily painkillers for the constant ache. Feel as if my insides could just fall out.

All my babies were over 9lbs & I am petite usually. At the minute I look about 6 mths pregnant & carrying 2 stone excess !!

What I really want to know is there any hope to look normal (without surgery).

I know how you feel. Give it some more time - I've had very bad seperations with 3 pregnancies and so far they have all eventually righted themselves to about 2cm. Currently 39.5 weeks with DC 4 and not looking forward to the 'insides falling out' sensation you describe in a week or so :( Do you have a support girdle/elastic tubigrip from your physio to wear? I found it helped a lot with the ache, and also helped me breathe as I felt short of breath for a couple months after giving birth to DC3.

Thanks Astrophe, I have the shortness of breath too! Didn't realise they could be connected. Haven't seen physio yet & they didn't check separation in hospital as they said it was too soon.

I have a support belt I was given for SPD but this is prob not the same kind of support belt you need for separated stomach muscles.

I feel as if my body has worn out now! After a tough pregnancy & birth yet another thing to contend with. I really hoped to get back to normal sooner. The 'vain' me is so disappointed that I still look so pregnant. I have been reading alot about this in the last few days (as well as another thread on here) & really don't want to have surgery as the recovery seems to take so long & I have noone to help with childcare. Know I am probably jumping the gun a bit but just want someone to say- been there, done that(exercise only worked) & I look & feel normal!

I feel your pain too. I'm only on DC 2 but have been told my abs are now somewhere parallel to my hips :( because a previous diastasis with DS was missed and has gotten so much worse. I'm wearing tubigrip at the moment, which is helping me remember to hold my insides together, and I'm wondering what on earth sort of a state I'll be in come November.

Oh I was petite too, and DS was a very tall 9lber. Don't know anyone whose had this as seriously as me in RL, v worrying.

jane - do get some tubigrip from somewhere. A physio will have it. It will give you some support, and also help you feel a bit thinnner (I know how depressing it is to still look pregnant a month on :( ) Its not like an SPD belt (I have that too!), but like a hige elastic bandage you wear from low hips to under your bust. I wear one from about 20 weeks pg, until some months after the birth (you can get different sizes). Really helpful. Buy some if you can't see a physio for a while - I bet you can get it online? Get it twice the length of your groin to under-bust, and then double it over.

Google 'tummy tribe'. There's now a tupler technique trainer in the Uk. I haven't used them but I bet they'll be able to help you, especially if the tupler technique worked for you before.

You're only 4 weeks on, thats still very soon after surgery. I've only had one dc, by emergency CS but he was 10lb AND I had excess amniotic fluid so was enormous. 4 weeks after my boy was born I was a bridesmaid at my sisters wedding and looked about 8 months pregnant. he's now 10 months old I've started to lose the weight and finally look normal again. It just takes time.

Yes. Exercise will do it. I had 8 finger separation after DC1 (9lbs 4-polyhydraminous sp?). It was bad and unfortunately it was not until 6 months after birth where I finally saw a physio and it was diagnosed (GP missed it and said my tummy felt nice and soft-while he was grappling with my intestines).

Exercise got me back to 1 finger. So it can be done. It's less than ideal to have this to worry about with newborn but stick with it.

I am sitting here BFing DC2 who is two weeks old. And whilst I didn't have extra fluid on board this time he was 9lbs 8oz and I just know I have split badly again. Too early to tell how badly but I am not looking forward to finding out!

I will start my old physio exercises again once I have been back to see hi
In 5'weeks time. HTH

Also had two CS to add to the fun.

Thanks for all the advice. I really appreciate it. Just want to feel normal sometime soon. Know it will take alot of work but just glad there is help out there & it can be done. Will contact physio at maternity hospital on Monday. Could really do with support belt & some advice on the exercises that will help. I am so proud of growing my big babies but less so about the havoc they have played with my body!