Preventing damage to stomach muscles

[Mybellyisaneasteregg]

Is there any thing you can do to prevent damage to stomach muscles?

I'm not sure what it's called but know some mothers who's stomach muscles have never recovered fully and gone back together after pregnancy.

Is there anything you can do to prevent this at all?

No. But if they do seperate you can access physio to help afterwards.

Nothing at all then? I was wondering if there were exercises to do or movements to avoid etc.

It didn't happen with my first pregnancy so hopefully I'll be able to avoid it again.

Try pregnancy and post natal yoga. Although, my body was pretty much the same after recovering from giving birth.

I had this with my second pregnancy. I can't remember what the physio said about preventing it but all the physio exercises I had to do afterwards were the same as the Pilates exercises is been doing in classes throughout the pregnancy. So Pilates helps you recover but it certainly didn't prevent it for me. Saying that, I guess it's possible that doing Pilates may have minimised the extent of the separation.

I think it's a bit of luck! I have a friend who carried an 11lb giant child with little exercise when pregnant (she was ill all through) and now she has a stomach like a washboard lucky mare whereas others get it quite badly.
She also swore by pilates and yoga (and the gym) afterwards so I wonder if that is the secret!

You can't prevent diastasis. It is down to genetics. I had a 2cm separation after DD, it knitted back together fine with Pilates. If you see a separation coming ('tenting' of the bump e.g. when sitting up in the bath), you should try not to use rectus abdominus to pull yourself to sitting. Avoid sit ups even after delivery for around 6mo as this will pull on the diastasis.

I know a bit about conditioning exercise and checked out Helen Byrne's methods and credentials when helping a friend with her diastasis. I rated her. befitmom.com - she has a book and DVD.

They generally say not to do sit-up/stomach crunch type exercises in pregnancy, which I believe is to do with helping to prevent this issue.

Google tupler technique for pregnancy exercises, I have tried it myself but came across when I was looking for a way to repair my diastasis.

Mine have just lost all tone after two csections, and ovarian cyst removal surgery.
What was rock hard is now dough.

Corpore when should I look for tenting and what does it look like? The front of my bump is still quite muscular (or feels it) but softer (although not without tone) each side. I don't have baths (prefer showers) so not sure what to look for. I tend to roll onto my side to get up anyway.

I get it each time. To make sure it doesn't get any worse than it has to I have to wear a support band, avoid lifting (anything atm as it hurts), avoid sitting up straight - I have to roll onto my side to get out of bed/off the midwifes couch thing. I'm also keeping my sugar levels down so I don't put one more weight than I need to. I suppose avoiding/doing the same things may help you to avoid it, or at least make sure that it is not as bad if you do get it.

With previous pregnancies it has all come good again afterwards, I had a really good physio and have to do a bit of Pilates each day.

Re tenting: If you are lying on your back and you sit up using your stomach muscles you will see your stomach go up in a tent like shape. To avoid this, roll to the side when you get up.
I also make sure that when I'm sat on the sofa and need to get up/lean forward I use my arms to push me up, not my torso.

Pilates helped me a huge amount. I didn't do in my first pregnancy but started after having DC1. I'm now pregnant with DC4 and things are much better and I haven't had any SPD so far this time and had far far less with DC2 and DC3 than with DC1.

Thanks Saranga - I've only noticed this when (for some reason) I bent backwards (!!) as I think I roll and get up anyway (years of lower back pain). Will make sure I'm strict about it now!