As sad as it sounds, most of us moms have succumbed to this term after having children. Even those of us who have lost all of our baby weight and may be in better overall “shape”, we still aren’t pleased with our pooch, otherwise known as the mummy tummy. Now let’s be clear, I’m not talking about muffin top, that’s a whole other pleasant term that we have all at one time suffered from. No, I’m talking about the little belly that tends to stick out right around or below the belly button. You know…the spot that always tends to stick out even more after a meal??

Well guess what? You certainly are not alone. Most women, especially after having a baby develop a condition called Diastasis Recti, or in layman’s terms, separation of the rectus abdominis. Yep, your abdominal muscles actually separate! Cool eh? Well let me explain.

You have 3 levels of abdominal muscle. First you have the transverse abdominis. This is the deepest abdominal muscle that wraps around you like a corset wrapping around you from your back to your front. You use this muscle all the time when you breathe, laugh, cough etc. In the middle you have the obliques that cross over from side to side. This muscle is used to twist, play tennis, golf etc. On top of that you have the rectus abdominis, otherwise known as your six pack. This muscle is used for flexion and extension of your spine, but is also used to support your organs. The left and right side of your rectus is held together by a connective tissue called the linea alba.

During pregnancy the growing uterus puts pressure on the connective tissue, causing it to stretch and separate the two sides of the rectus muscle.  Once this tissue is stretched, it becomes very weak like a piece of saran wrap. And because the rectus’s main function is support, this weakness can cause back pain as well as limited support of your organs. But what women don’t know is that once the baby is delivered, for most, the muscles don’t go back together. Hence the mummy tummy is born.

But don’t be fooled, this condition is not only limited to pregnant women. The cause of Diastasis Recti is any forceful forward pressure on these muscles. So what could these be? Well think about it. What other movements or pressures could strain the rectus to go forward? How about a beer belly? 100’s of crunches or  pilates. Or maybe when you have a bout of coughing or straining during a bowel movement? Yep, as unbelievable as it sounds, anyone, man or woman, can get a diastasis. But….it can be fixed and without surgery!

So be sure to check in again in two weeks for what to look for and how to check. Get connected to your abdominals so you know what can be done.