Diastasis Recti 32 weeks

[Peonyyyy]

Quite surprised today at my midwife appointment to be told I have muscle separation on my bump. It was a different midwife to the one I’ve seen for my whole pregnancy. She said she can tell because when I lie down/sit up my bump makes a tent/triangle shape.

this is my second pregnancy and it was never mentioned in my first pregnancy, but I definitely remember the tent thing with my first one too, I just thought that’s what happens as your womb grows and never thought anything of it.

after my first baby was born I did that test where you lie down and lift your head and I could only just about fit one finger in there so I didn’t think I had it.

just wondered if anyone else had it, is it common? She said I might have to have physio, what would that be exactly? Does it go back to normal?

it’s kind of freaked me out a bit thinking that it’s going to be really severe once baby is born and never go back.

I had to be really conscious about how I got up and laid down in the third trimester as my bump coned easily. I was terrified of diastasis recti but it was unfounded. I think the gap after birth was just 1cm but I can't remember if that was at my postnatal check or when I saw a physio to access the gym in hospital at 10 months pp.
I'm 4 years on now and no gap

As far as I'm aware this is really common your muscles have to separate to accommodate baby etc..

There are techniques to get up from lying down to help with the doming/cone shape but ultimately it's part of pregnancy and can be rectified with work after baby is born, there's lots of people on social media that provide exercises to help.

Hi - I have this - didn’t know anything about it until the physio I see weekly told me I had it and to stop the exercise I was doing. You should make sure you only roll on to your sides when getting up, and when laying down only lift one leg at a time. It will go back to normal over time naturally, or you can see a physio for some simple exercises to help it. Most women have it, it’s very very common. But main thing is to not do anything that makes you have the coning straight away. 😊
Don’t worry about it at all though! Won’t harm you or baby.

Be glad it's only kicked in at 32 weeks - mine was visible from 10 weeks with this second pregnancy 😂 it's really common, nothing to really worry about. Just take care to avoid movements that exacerbate it where possible. It should mostly sort itself out in the 6 months or so post birth but you could get a referral to physio down the line if it's still bothering you. Mine never fully knitted back together after my first pregnancy and as I said, has appeared quickly this time round, but it didn't cause me any bother.

Well, I think it has been visible my whole pregnancy but I didn’t realise it wasn’t just what happens to everyone, as midwife never mentioned it. I definitely had it right through my last pregnancy too.

hope it goes back to normal afterwards! I will be more careful now I know I have it xx