Pregnancy: Modifying Everyday Movements to Minimize Diastasis Recti
If you're pregnant, perhaps you've noticed that your core is changing shape when you move about your day. In particular, what we're talking about today is the coning or doming that happens at the midline of your core. This is where abdominal separation, or diastasis recti, happens, and you want to make sure you’re not making it worse during your day without even realizing it.
You may not even be working out when you see this coning happen. Maybe you're just moving about your day doing your normal things and all of a sudden you see this doming shape in the midline of your core.
This coning is a sign that the pressure in your core is more than your abdominals can handle, and it can actually make your diastasis worse.
So in this video, we're going to touch on a few places in your everyday life where this is likely to happen. You can modify these movements and keep your core safe.
When should you start making these modifications?
Once your belly starts to show, that’s a good time to start shifting the way you move. You really want to watch out for the doming through the end of your pregnancy and even postpartum.
Even in postpartum, after you have your baby, you still have the separation in your core, and you want to be extra vigilant and loving and attentive to the midline separation to make sure it doesn't make your diastasis worse.
What are you looking for?
The main thing you want to look out for are movements that cause you to “jack-knife” your body. Watch the video, where I demonstrate what this looks like.
This jack-knife move pushes pressure out through the space in your abdominals, making the separation worse. Which is what you don’t want!
Watch the video to see how you can modify these common movements to protect your core:
Laying Down in Bed
Sitting Up in Bed
Standing up from sitting in a comfy sofa
Laying Down on a Yoga/Exercise Mat
Sitting Up on a Yoga/Exercise Mat
Being on your back for Core Work during pregnancy
Let us know in the comments below if you were aware of this and how you like these modifications.
Are there other times in your day that you are noticing the doming in your core? Let us know!
Resources & Links
Looking for support to stay active during your pregnancy or start your postpartum recovery? Here are some options to get you started on a great path forward:
1) Take the Pelvic Floor & Core Strength Quiz. After taking the quiz, you'll get a score and based on your results, guidance on what steps to take to move you forward in your recovery.
2) Check out our podcast listening guides: Download the Pregnancy Listening Guide or Postpartum Listening Guide.
3) If you're pregnant, want to be way more active than you have been, AND want connection with other mothers, but don't know where to start…join the Expecting to Flourish™ Membership - a mom-driven and expert-guided virtual space empowering moms with a new approach to prenatal fitness and birth prep that actually prepares you for the physical and emotional hurdles of motherhood.
If you’re postpartum and ready to get moving, need to heal your body but you don’t know where to start…join us for Postpartum Repair & Restore LIVE, a science-backed and fun-stacked, Diastasis and Pelvic Floor Strength program. Start healing your diastasis and eliminating leaking in 8 weeks or less with our guidance.
4) Do you prefer working one-on-one, or have a high risk pregnancy, a severe diastasis or leaking that won’t quit? You might be a candidate to work with us privately. To find out, take this quick self assessment! If you qualify, you'll be invited to schedule a complementary Postpartum Strategy Session with us where we'll take a good look at what's not working in your repair process, and come up with a great plan just for you.
