Checking For Diastasis
Diastasis is a separation of the two halves of your abdominal muscles in the middle of your belly. This condition commonly occurs during pregnancy.
Check your abdominal muscles weekly after 20 weeks gestation to see if your muscles have separated.
1. Lie on your back with head and shoulders propped up on pillow, with feet flat on the floor.
2. Place the fingertips of your pointer finger and index finger 1 to 2 inches below your belly button, with fingers pointing toward your feet.
3. Exhale and lift your head and shoulders. Feel for a ridge protruding from the midline of your abdomen.
Still not sure if you have it? Press gently on your midsection directly underneath your belly button. The area where your muscles are separated will be softer than the muscles on either side. |
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What If You Have The Separation?
A 1 to 2 finger width gap is considered normal. A gap of more than 2 finger widths requires modifications to most of your abdominal exercises to keep the two halves of your abdomen from further separating.
When performing abdominal exercises, wrap a sheet (folded to about 8 inches wide) around your waist and criss-cross it in front of you to splint the abdomen.
Hold onto the ends, and pull up and outward at a 45 degree angle as you contract your abdominal muscles, exhale and raise your head and shoulders up.
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