I have a spearated abdomen, also called 'Diastasis Recti'

[honeydew]

After giving birth to my third child a year ago, I have a post partum condtion known as 'Diastasis Recti' which means my abdomen has separated due to pressure on it from my uterus. I have had large babies in quick sucession. I have had 1 vaginal birth and 2 sections (1 emergency) I have to have major surgery next year as my body will not heal anymore by itself. My abdomnen needs stitching back together, my umbilical hernia popped back in and I get a free tummy tuck thrown in! I still look 4 months pregnant, have to wear large flowing tops or maternity clothes and am often in pain.It's not easy when you have three children of four and under to care for! My surgeon says he sees cases like mine every other week. Is there anyone else who suffers from this debilitating problem and what have been your experiences?

Honeydew,

No they were pretty confident they could fix my stomach, but told me that l should not expect to look like Angelina Jolie. You know Honeydew, IF you can afford it and the NHS does not work out, just get it done private but it is expensive. I don't know maybe god was looking down on me that day. I really do understand how you feel. Hey apart from the hernia, even if it is for cosmetic reasons, WHY NOT if it makes you feel better. I used to be against cosmetic surgery and could not understand why women want to change. Regardless of the size of the problem, it's how you feel. We women should treat ourselves, we carry for 9mths and get all our organs stretched to the limits, why not.

Let me know how it goes. They can't rush you like this??? I would put in a complaint to the GMC? The whole point of being in the medical profession is to make people feel better and that involves having essential people skills, to make people at ease and reassure them. This dr you saw seems to be lacking.

Hello everyone, I'd like to share with you my 'story'.

I have had 4 big babies naturally (8-10lbs), I am a size 8 and weigh around 8st pre pregnancy (and now, youngest is 3).

Had DR and also 2 slipped discs so unable to hold my 3rd for a few wks when ds was 8mths old. DR can make back problems worse as have weak 'core' so usual pilate type exercises don't work as you cannot put any strain on recti muscles if you have a weak back.

I had a hernia repair done on the NHS because of the DR leaving a vertical scar. But it was no 'tummy tuck' and left the bulky tummy still. After 18 mths found the lumps caused by scar tissue getting inflamed badly every time I did any lifting and bending.

Found websites on post hernia repair problems which I had not known about before. I have just had to have another operation as the scar tissue from my hernia op was caused by nylon thread which did not dissolve and caused agony months later!

So having had 2 corrective ops on the NHS I would advise this:

1. Don't have surgery if you haven't read and understood the cons thoroughly. Surgery will not work like magic.

1. Don't confuse fat on your tum with DR if you are slim, you can still have fat on your tum and be a size 8 (and only have moderate DR). I believed I had huge DR (because of the 5 mth pg look) but now I'm not sure I did. Because I could not do normal DR exercises because of a weak back I found these activities very helpful:

a. Tighten stomach muscles as if drawing them back inside before you get out of bed and try and keep them pulled back for the rest of the day and in particular when getting up/down/lifting/bending/walking/holding etc.

b. Keep your shoulders back and your head held high, basically work on your posture to aid the stomach pulling in.

c. Take up running/jogging/brisk walking/swimming because they are excellent exercises which shift tummy fat and do not hurt a weakened back.

d. Cut out or minimise all bloating foods, for me this was wheat products.

I could not believe the difference to my tummy after trying these out and so I would say, please don't go down the surgical route unless you have tried these ideas for at least 6 months.

As for the weak back. I do the yogic 'child pose' every morning to stretch my spine, basically kneel down with legs apart and stretch forward touching nose on floor. Have not had any back problems since.

Good luck and please don't give up hope xx

I've been doing some research and what I don;t understand is why I haven't been offered the hernia surgery larproscopically?

The NHS has never told me I could get the op done by key hole but yesterday I saw that you can but that some NHS trusts won't pay for it.

It is a safer procedudre with less risk of the hernia coming back. I am in talks with the NHS today nad it is being made very clear to me that they are only repairing the hernia and perhaps may cut off some of the loose flab.

I am going to investigate this and it looks like I need two operations - private key hole umbelical surgery and then an abdominoplasty paid for privately. I would be happy to use my same surgeon but I'm coming to the conclusion that the NHS cannot offer me the operation that I need. Which is really dreadful considering how disfigured i am and how much discomfort I always feel.

Thanks Jammybodgr for your story, I can see now that I have been slightly led up the garden path by the NHS. They tell me it's because of the trust funds and that it's a poscode lottery as to what you get offered.

I thought I was going to be offred the same surgery as Hugetum but clearly not.

It looks like I am going to have to cancel the op and go private. I do need the hernia surgery first so I need to investigate having it done by keyhole. It is safer, far less chance of the hernia returning and a much quicker recovery time.

Iam really shocked that plastic surgery is not available to those who really need it. My complaint is not one of vanity, you see my herniated, bulging stomach! My whole quality of life is being affected by this postpartum problem and is a major complication which i do believe the NHS should provide.

The Dr I saw yesterday, said that if they couldn't repair the hernia I would be left like this forever or may face more complex hernia repair surgery. I know this is the worst case senario but I've got a family to raise here! I don't need the NHS giving me misinformation and then telling me that they can't offer any cosmetic surgery, except a small nip and tuck perhaps and open hernia surgery.

They will only repair the hernia on the NHS, not even stitch your muscles together because that is an abdominoplasty !

This is why yourself an Dorindabrown didn't get the desired result you wanted. Did they tell you they would repair your muscles as as well? It sound like hugetum was a very severe case and with a wealthier trust, was offered the full operation.

I will find out more details today and post back so everyone can see my experiences which may help others.

Honey, I had high hopes after the hernia repair and so to see the still bulging bulge plus the long vertical scar was very disheartening.

I would say definitely do NOT go down the keyhole route, I had a choice but I chose the conventional route for the following reason: the surgeon has to cut through the bowel to get the mesh in place and you could get adhesions in the bowel wall which would be hideously painful and impossible to correct.

The surgeon had warned me of this risk but I had also read up about it but funnily enough my GP recommended keyhole surgery after seeing my long ugly scar. I am still glad I didn't have keyhole though.

No one knows how your skin/tissue is going to react to being incised and messed about with. I am very fit and otherwise very healthy so I was shocked to get painful adhesions 12 month later after the surgery. Reading about how others sail through surgery with no hiccups is one thing, ask them a year later and you may have a different story. It is far more common than you think.

Please try my suggestions, I wished someone had said that to me before I went ahead.

I've been talking to the NHS today and decided that I'm not going to go ahead with the operation this Monday for the following reasons:

1. The operation is very debilitating from all accounts.An open hernia repair will still leave me with a bulge and possible complications like infections.And I am unlikely to get any real cosmetic surgery as such and get a better, flatter abdomen. I don't really want to go through the trauma of of surgery to end up looking almost the same as I do now with a 40% chance of the hernia returning.

2.I feel that I would prefer two separate operations and want to straddle the surgery. One being medical ( the hernia) and 2 ( the cosmetic- abdominoplasty at a later date). I think I'd rather tackle one problem at a time. The NHS will not perform an abdominoplasty and I need one! So I'm happy to use the same NHS surgeon,as he's excellent but pay privately for the proper op. This will give me the tightened abdominal muscles and overall be better result perhaps.

So they are referring m back to general surgery and to a hernia consultant to see if I can have the surgery done by key hole. I may not be able to but it's worth a shot IMO for more effective, safer procedure. It is available on the NHS. I do hear what you've said about key hole but I've done some research and there appears to be more complications with open surgery overall.

I have not heard of an umbelical hernia mesh being inserted through the bowel before as my hernia is right behind my belly button- but I am happy to believe you! I have only read that key hole surgery is good for hernia repair and better than open. My father had it done with no long term ill effects, although his hernia was ingroinal.

Sorry, I am confused by what you're saying! You say that you went down the open hernia surgery route but you still ended up with adhesions a year later? Yet you don't recommend key hole due to the same possible complications|? Apologies if I seem rude but your experience is unclear here.

many thanks for the good advice though. I will give up wheat as it does bloat me out! And follow the exercises for the next few months. I need to try everything first. If I have to have open surgery for the hernia but I wantto look at all oprtions nd assess the pros and cons.

Hugetum- it's clear that the NHS can't offer me the same op as you due to funding ( so they tell me) so I 'll tackle the hernia first.I'll get that done in about 3 months time. Once healed, I'll then try to strengthen some of my abdominal muscles through gentle exercise like swimming and then look at tummy tuck by my surgeon privately because he won't do an abdominoplasty on the NHS! They generally will not tighten the rectus muscles as they do for a tummy tuck, but as you were such an extreme case they gave you the full op.

I don't fee I have much choice here. All i;m being offered is the open hernia repair and I would like to investigate keyhole. If I can't have it done, I'll just opt for the hernia repair with no possible plastic surgery at all -no nips or tucks. This will be a lesser operation and not such a long recovery. I'll focus on the cosmetics after that.

I just can't face such a hue op right now and as the Dr said I've no that they bulge will be less than now if I go the plastic surgery route. The secretary told me that have severely cut back funding so a tummy tuck is not an option.

If they are not going to fully repair the rectus muscles and give me that internal corset I need, I may as well do one step at a timeBy having he hernia repaired first,I can heal and have a proper abdominoplasty in ayear or two.H

Hope that makes sense! The NHS have said the only I NEED is the hernia- my disfigurement from the damaged rectus muscles ( Diastasis Recti) is NOT does not pose a health risk. Therefore, the only way I can have my muscles sown together ifs if I pay for it and a private abdominolpasty costing 5,000 pounds is my only way. They have basically said I could be disfigure like I am now with the op they are offering me, minus the hernia. So I may as well concentrate on repairing the hernia through keyhole first as a less invasive procedure , then pay to stitch my abdomen back together and a proper tummy tuck. The abdominoplasty would be safer to as it would not involve a hernia repair as well, just a cut and past job!

Apologies for all my typo errors- hope you can both make sense of my mistakes.

Well, the bottom line is that the NHS do not repair Daistasis Recti as they do not see it as a medical necessity, but the hernia is. This is why dorindabrown and others were unhappy with their result as you think that they would stitch your muscles back together to flatten your belly. Oh no they don't! Well at least in my part of London they don't!

Why have the NHS kept me in the dark until yesterday when I questioned the Dr at length? The only way to get eh rectus muscles repaired is to have a full abdominoplasty paid for privately. I can't believe it really! I honestly thought they would do it if you were left disfigured from pregnancy. So they will correct what they see as medically necessary ( the hernia) but not another problem ( the diastasis ) even if it leaves you with your mummy tummy, your bulge and most of the flab! Perhaps hugetum the muscle repair was absolutely essential in your case, I'm not sure.

If I'm wrong about all this someone correct me! I think so many women are being let down by the NNS not considering severe diastasis recti a problem. Long term it is a real problem but they're opinion sems to be - 'oh well, you've had some babies- a bit of flab, and abdominal separation won't kill you' , so if you want to look normal again, you'll have to pay for it.

Well I'm shocked. (shock)

Sorry I was being vague, the experience your father and most men have ie hernia repair via keyhole is generally v. successful as the repairs are much much smaller than a 7.5cm long DR/epigastic hernia repair. I wasn't referring to men's hernias, just post pregnancy DR induced hernias which mine was.

All surgery is debilitating and I had an Au Pair to cover for when my parents and dh were not able to help. I would seriously advise against any form of surgery until you have your back up in place. Believe me, you will need it.

Hi Honeydew,

I feel so bad now. Yes l had an almost 8 finger gap, l just wish l could show you how hideous my stomach looked before the op. Even on the surgeons face..l could just see it. They probably thought to themselves how the f.... did you get yourself in this state!!!!. It was not just big but hanging down!!!. How can l contact you personally Honeydew??

I have this and have jus had an op for a hernia and was told by he consultant hat they would not repair the gap in my stomach muscles cos "it's just one of them things"!!!!!!!

Great yeah it's not you that has to walk around with people constantly asking when you are due

has anyone had physio for this and has it worked?

Plus it's not just disfiguring imo it effects your self esteem and it gives you a bloody bad back!!!

Nearly didn't read this thread cos I thought everyone else would be getting theirs repaired and quite honestly when I look in the mirror I want to cry

also after I have recovered from my hernia repair what should I day when I go to the docs about physio and seperation

They know defo that they are not right as the scan for the hernia revealed it, but no one offered any treatment

well it's such good news to know the NHS won't help women with this condition or 'diverification'- they will only repair the hernia.

I hope you have recovered from the op. When dorindabrown first stated that she woke up and her bump was still there I was very confused but I see clearly why that happened and I hope she has contacted her GP to complain.

I think perhaps it helps to live in an area where they will repair the muscles as well. I really don;t understand why they won't. It is truly awful having this condition, the back pain, the posture, the unsightly pregnant belly.

I am going to complain to my surgeon that I don't just need a hernia repair, I NEED a full tummy tuck to be less disfigured but I'll probably get nowhere.

This is not for vanity, not a day goes by when someone doesn't ask me if I'm pregnant. I just want to look normal again.

I will get a referal from my surgeon in the next fortnight to the hernia man and take it from there.

I'll put my contact details up on my profile later today if that helps anyone.

It is disgraceful that the NHS will not fund abdominoplasty's where there is a clear case of need. If I was Any other muscular problem appears to be operable but because it's through pregnancy which is your choice, they don;t wantt to know.

My figure is severely compromised for the rest of my life and if I don't pay for a tummy tuck will only get worse.

Perhaps the hernia op will make better then with exercise my tummy will look firmer I'm not sure. I need to find out!

I was hoping that at least the top part of my tummy would look better, but two weeks on I can't really say that it does, hopefully like you say with a bit of physio it may sort itself out

My concern is also that I have a fairly physical job which involves a fair bit of lifting but surely because of my stomach my back is compromised!

After I've finished my sick leave for the hernia I will go back about the physio and keep going back until I get somewhere, the only person who had even mentioned anything about it to me was the midwife at ds2's 8 week check and she said that if it did not get better in a few weeks I would need to go for physio

infact one doctor told me that my stomach muscles were fine at my postnatal, I then went back and another told me that they were seperated and that I probably had a hernia but if I did some situps it would go away!!!

we ll as I understand it now, the NHS will not offer you muscle separation treatment. I'm not 100% sure but I would go and see your GP and discuss this when you are fully recovered.

The only answer to muscle tightening is an abdominoplasty which the NHS will not do. I think hugetum is an exception or her area does pay for it. They told me this morning I can apply to my PCT for key hole surgery.

I will check this out with my surgeon as I am writing to him for a full explanation of what the NHS were originally offering me and why they do not repair rectus abdominal muscle. As it is not a medical necessity, then it seems they will not do it. It all comes down to money, even though you only get rid of the hernia, not your bulging tummy or only a slight difference. I personally do not understand this logic. Perhaps it is like dentistry- making you pay for it profits the surgeon and keeps NHS funds tightly intact ( unlike my stomach!).

After the hernia repair, say a year or so , I will have no choice but to have a full tummy tuck as I need those muscles stitched together to give me back strength if nothing else.

I could not find examples of where the NHS repair the hernia and do a full tummy tuck. I would check with you GP though- different areas will pay for different surgeries.

So, another 3-4 months of maternity clothes awaits! (grin)

So I've got find 5,000 pounds from somewhere!

But hopefully, I won;t have to pay for the hernia. I wonder if BBeau got her operation done and if it was successful?

I know they will gauze the muscles and attach the herniated area but they won't bring the muscles fully together to flatten out your stomach which is probably why you still look big, although I can't make a proper judgment of course. Only the tummy tuck will do this. But find out from your GP or consultant first to get that confirmed. It's all so confusing but I will get to the bottom of it all so that other women can see this thread and get support.

Have a look on 'you tube' to see how they bring the widened rectal muscles back together.
Very different from what they told me they would do yesterday. They did offer me some plastic surgery I think but only as an after thought to the hernia. The Dr said they would cut off some loose skin but that was all. I would rather do the straightforward hernia op first , get it over with and recover, then pay for the proper private abdominoplasty so that I can have a flatter stomach and a less risky operation. (no hernia repair needed).

I hope this helps.

I did pray last night hugetum for God's guidence and that this morning I would now what to do. So I feel I'm doing what he told me and what is right for me at this time. Had I not seen that Dr yesterday, I would have had the op and possibly come out unhappy with the result. So I'm pleased to do it this way and have two separate operations over a couple of years. I still may have to have an open hernia repair, but I will not do any plastic surgery at the same time and leave it until my hernia is healed and I am stronger. Hope your flu is better today.

honeydew have only read your OP.

My muscles have separated after DS3. Slightly you get an op to sort it out (and ime of a resuture you don't really get a tummy tuck) and wonder why it is debilitating tbh and how you went about getting the op.

mustsleep- I don;t look in the mirror. I wear pretty maternity tops and keep focused on keeping to a good with an my face/hair nice.

I ma going to fined out as much info as I can over the coming weeks and write to my PCT with a complaint about why abdominoplasty's are not offered to women who NEED them and are disfigured through pregnancy. It should be my right to look normal and over time if not corrected, my abdomen will get worse and pull down my posture with it.

I will have to find the money because I cannot live the rest of my life like this. I was nervous of the surgery but I would have gone ahead if i thought it was worth it. But after the Dr told me it the surgery might only repair my hernia, not my separation then I will look at alternatives to my hernia procedure itself.If I have no choice, then I'll go back to the general surgeon for the open hernia repair. But I won;t go back to plastics because if they can't offer the full tummy tuck, then I'll get it done privately as soon as I can afford it after the hernia op.

sorry I meant to say -keeping to a good, healthy weight and looking after my face and hair!

To Fabbakergirlisback- no I've NOT been offered the full op at all, just the hernia repair. If you read all the very long posts of mine, you can see what's happened!

I do hope this thread helps people and please post your experiences on here.

I haven't read it all, as I said, and missed the bit about you being in pain.

I am not in pain so I am wondering if there is something more but then I don't have a hernia (mine cleared up on its own) so is it the hernia that is painful?

It sounds a difficult thing to live with.

yes it can be some days, others not. It is horrible to live with but I manage. I will have it repaired in a few months hopeful by keyhole if I am a suitable candidate but I'll have to wait for a referal to the hospital and have an examination.

I will try some exercises and some other recommendations on this thread to help myself while I sort the hernia out. It is hard to cope with though but it looks like quite a long road before I get it all repaired.

I need 2 ops, the hernia and tummy tuck later. The NHS do offer open surgery on the hernia but no Diastasis ( separated muscle) repair or full cutting away of skin and loose flab like C- Section overhang. Why they will not stitch back together rectus muscle is quite beyond me. Just because I choose to have 3 children who one day will pay into the NHS?

Diastasis or diverification can cause long term posture problems, pain, hernias, weight gain, and huge loss of self esteem.

I am at a loss to understand why the NHS will not help women with this problem, whether mild or severe. Mild can become severe and severe can become disfiguring and result in further life long complications. It's absolutely disgraceful.

I am really struggling to lose weight but is it really because my muscles have separated?

I am also sruggling to loose weight before this I was 7.5stone now I'm 10 stone plus!!

I don;t eat any more than I used to and I can't exercise properly cos of the diastassis (sp?)

although (and I seriously hope that I'm not being premature) but only had the hernia done 2 weeks ago tomorrow and I have lost 5 pounds - may be related or just completely coincidental but I live in hope

Obv losing weight will make it look better bu no matter what weight I am I'll still look pregnant as it's the top part sticking out that I believe gives the pregnant look

I think if you tackle the weight issue first alongside the posture/dr exercises you will see a huge improvement.

I know it is easier said than done but in my case taking out food that left me bloated had a huge impact, as was getting the willpower to go for walks then slow jogs then a run for 20 mins as you build up stamina.

It's hardest to get the motivation when your self esteem is low and your side view shows a pregnant paunch when you are not pg. So it's a vicious circle. Please don't be too hard on yourself though as that alone can sap willpower .

yes I'm going to cut right down on wheat products - to a minimum and try to do light exercise. They do bloat you out. Even though I'm not fat, the Diastasis and hernia prevent me from exercising properly but I will go for lots of walks and jogs over the next couple of months before the hernia op.

What a nightmare!

Hi Honeydew - I've been following this thread for a while as I also have DR and a hernia and am just wondering why 2 operations are necessary? If they sew your muscles back together wouldn't that cure the hernia as your guts can't fall through the gap anymore so you wouldn't need a separate hernia repair? Sorry if this is a stupid question but my only research so far has been watching a video on You Tube