using Ab Rehab in pregnancy.

Remember when I went through the Ab Rehab program for healing my diastasis recti?  I had successfully shrunk the two-fingers-wide gap between my abs down to about a quarter-of-a-finger wide.  And then I got pregnant again.

(I only lost two pounds of body weight between the 'before' and 'after photos, so the difference you're seeing is almost purely the result of the exercises.  You can tell even my posture improved through increased core strength by the end.  You can also tell that I started tanning that summer... yikes, was I pale in the 'before.'  Sorry about that.)


Recently, I used the pregnancy guidelines for Ab Rehab to start up my exercises again.  I was wanting to keep my core strong for the rest of the pregnancy, help prevent pregnancy back pain, and set myself up for success during delivery and recovery.  So, for the last couple of months, I've been back on the Ab Rehab wagon, and it's been helping already!

Kelley (the gal who developed the program) says that, to do these exercises while pregnant, you'll need to lay at an incline against an exercise ball, to avoid laying flat on your back.  But since I don't have an exercise ball, I just pile a bunch of pillows into a kind of ramp on the floor and use that.  This is likely not the sanctioned way to go about this, but it's been working for me.  She also says to only go through exercises 1-3 while pregnant (there are five total on the DVD).  I've only completed exercises one and two so far (only doing one exercise at a time for about two weeks before moving on), and just started the last exercise.

When I started at about 28 weeks pregnant, my gap was about three fingers wide.  It is now about 2.5 wide, which doesn't seem like much of an improvement.  But considering a couple months have passed, and my belly itself has only continued to grow, and the baby it's supporting has only continued to grow, any decrease in the gap is a huge improvement.  I don't expect that it will get much smaller than this while I'm still pregnant, but I'm hoping that keeping those muscles strong will help me completely recover the gap once I'm sufficiently postpartum.

I also have noticed that, while I definitely have that 'big pregnant' feeling, I don't feel like my stomach is actually spreading all over my torso like it has in some of my more recent past pregnancies - the 'baby' fullness is staying right in front, and considering I'm about 36 weeks pregnant and I'm only now beginning to feel like I'm 'hauling' my belly around, I'd say that's a win!

I'll be continuing exercise three through the rest of pregnancy, then once I'm about 12 weeks postpartum, I'll begin at the beginning of the DVD again.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes!


For more info on the whole process of diagnosing my diastasis recti, and then using Ab Rehab to heal and recover, here is the whole series of posts:

Post One: the battle of the [belly] bulge... my diastasis recti.

Post Two: healing my diastasis recti: a progress report.

Post Three: diastasis recti: Q & A with someone who knows more than I do.

Post Four: my diastasis recti: the final verdict on Ab Rehab
Post Five: Ab Rehab: using it in pregnancy.

my diastasis recti: the final verdict on Ab Rehab.

Well, I've not only completed my ten-week Ab Rehab course to recover from my diastasis recti, but I finally have the ability to upload photos to the blog again!  Yay!  So it's time to issue the final verdict on whether Ab Rehab actually helped or not.

If you remember from the previous series of posts on this topic, I had started out with a gap between my abs that was about the width of two fingers.  After having carried and delivered five babies over the course of the last few years, my stomach was bulging, and I had no core strength.  Even standing up straight required more conscious strength than I was able to muster most days.  So I got in touch with Kelley Suggs of Lithe Wellness Solutions in Buffalo, MN, who regularly helps clients recover from ab separations like mine, and got my hands on a copy of her Ab Rehab DVD.

Basically, it's ten weeks of exercises that help re-train those muscles back into proper, healthy position.

So... did it work?

(For reference, there is only a two-pound body weight difference between the first photo and the last.  I am not sucking in or slouching in any of these photos.)

Girlfrannnn, it DID work!  If I'm being totally transparent, I was pretty darn skeptical that the exercises would make much of an actual difference.  From the way things sounded when I'd read up on diastasis recti online, it seemed like once you were struck by it, you were doomed to a lumpy existence for the rest of your sad, slouchy life.  So it was out of desperation that I had started the program, but I didn't have a ton of optimism that it would do much good.

Ugh, how pallid was I when I first started this?!  Thank the good Lord for UVBs.

But here's the thing:  my gap is now only half a finger wide.  I repeat, it is only HALF A FINGER WIDE.  That's 75% improvement in just ten weeks.  That's huge!

And here's what else: I asked Kelley how closed the gap has to get before it's considered fully healed, and she said, "CLOSED is closed."  If my gap wasn't fully closed yet (which, obviously, it isn't quite), I should go back to the beginning of the DVD and do exercises one and two again.  So I'm back in exercise one, and I'm seeing continued improvement.  I really do have full confidence that in the next month or so, my diastasis recti will be no more.

Guys, I really can't recommend this enough.  I am feeling strong again.  I am looking more normal to myself.  I still have a little ways to go still, but I am feeling hopeful that at some point, I won't be carting around any extra softness in my belly region... at least, softness that wasn't put there by nachos.  (If anyone has a DVD program for healing Nacho Addiction, I'll be all over it.  I'll do a blog series on it.)

If you're wanting to go back to the beginning and read through my journey, or if you want to learn more about diastasis recti and how to check if you have it, check out the rest of the posts in this series:

Post One: the battle of the [belly] bulge... my diastasis recti.

Post Two: healing my diastasis recti: a progress report.

Post Three: diastasis recti: Q & A with someone who knows more than I do.

Post Four: my diastasis recti: the final verdict on Ab Rehab

*I was not financially compensated for this post.  I received the DVD for review purposes.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

diastasis recti: Q&A with someone who knows more than i do.

Over the last few weeks since I first posted about my diastasis recti, a lot of questions have come up about this DR/Ab Rehab stuff.  But I am far from an expert in any of this (other than how to cause and then rock a flabby core), so I emailed Kelley Suggs from Lithe Wellness Solutions, and she was kind enough to answer our questions!

Q:  I know it's important to start protecting your core during pregnancy to prevent a diastasis recti from showing up in the first place.  How do you do the exercises while pregnant?

A: You can do all of the exercises through the 2nd trimester, when you shouldn't lay on your back anymore. Then you modify by putting a ball behind your back and laying at an incline, taking breaks when necessary and paying close attention to your body. Pregnancy is not a time to push your fitness level by any means, just maintain, and the same is true with the abdominal wall. In the third trimester, there isn't much need to go past exercise number 3.

Q:  Besides doing the exercises, is there anything to keep in mind to protect your core during day-to-day activity, both during pregnancy and after?

A: Getting out of bed the right way is very important during pregnancy. Do not jack knife up to a sitting position, but raise your knees and then let them drop to the side, rolling you over if you are on your back. Then drop your feet off of the bed and use your arms to push yourself up. That can really, really help with round ligament pain. Squatting to pick things up instead of bending over. Consciously using your core muscles instead of just bending over. Sitting with good posture and keeping your core engaged keeps it strong and healthy. Core strength is use it or lose it. That is the biggest thing people should know (as in all strength!).


Q:  As for the exercises themselves, are there any common mistakes people make when doing them on their own?

A:  The biggest mistake people make is RUSHING. Slow and controlled are so important in these simple exercises. Muscle memory is a big part of the program and you create that with slow, controlled movements.

Q: What level of improvement do you typically see in women doing these exercises? What is realistic to hope for, obviously taking into consideration that everyone is different? A: Taking into consideration that everyone is different, including dedication levels, most women with single pregnancies (one at a time, not multiples) with out any tearing or hernias should see a complete and full recovery of their separation. Moms of multiples may have a smaller likelihood of complete recovery and older moms, such as those who have gone through menopause have a smaller chance of complete recovery. Q: Once you're through the exercises, if the DR is improved or fully healed, should you keep doing them daily? Should you still take the same precautions with exercise/daily activities? A: Once the DR is healed/recovered, you CAN continue to do the program daily, but you are free to move on to whatever you would like to do. If you notice a small separation starting, go back to the beginning and work on the foundation exercises, 1 and 2 slowly and with control. No precautions necessary, besides good self care.

Q: What should moms know about DR if they don't have it themselves? Any risk factors or ways to prevent it? Should they be doing the exercises through pregnancy? A: Risk factors-the older you are during pregnancy, the greater your likelihood of developing it. I would encourage everyone to do and modify the exercises during pregnancy because it makes successive (2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc) pregnancies SO much more comfortable. The strain on your back is so much less when the front of your core can support the growing weight that is pulling you forward. So much great info from her! If you have any other questions about diastasis recti in general, or the Ab Rehab program specifically, let me know and I can address them in an upcoming post!
Check out all the posts in this series!

Post One: the battle of the [belly] bulge... my diastasis recti.

Post Two: healing my diastasis recti: a progress report.

Post Three: diastasis recti: Q & A with someone who knows more than I do.

Post Four: my diastasis recti: the final verdict on Ab Rehab

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received the DVD for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*

healing my diastasis recti: a progress report.

Well, I'm about halfway through my Ab Rehab exercises, and I thought I'd give you an update on how everything is going in my efforts to heal my diastasis recti.

If you've read the previous blog post (and if you haven't, you should), you know that I've been dealing with an ab separation for quite a while now.  The gap between my abdominals was about two fingers wide, and it was hindering me from being able to do simple things that rely on core strength, like sit and stand up straight.   Not to mention, I'd been looking particularly spare-tire-y, even though I'd lost most of the baby weight.  So I got in touch with Kelley Suggs from Lithe Wellness Solutions, and started going through the Ab Rehab program, which is about ten weeks of exercises that increasingly re-train those ab muscles back together.

Anyway, blah blah blah, enough talking.  I know why you're here: you want to see if it's working.  I'm with you, friend.  So without further ado...

Okay, so, if you're anything like me, you're kind of squinting back and forth between the pictures, wondering if you're actually seeing much change, or if your eyes are playing tricks on you. I think, visually, it's most obvious if you look down toward where my shirt meets my pants, and then scan upward. What you can't see in these photos is that the actual gap itself has gone from two fingers wide to about 1.5 fingers wide. (Believe me, I checked on five - count them, five - separate days to make sure I wasn't imagining things.) That may not seem like much, but that's 25% smaller than it was just a few weeks ago, which I count as a major win. Another thing you're not able to see in the photos is how much stronger I feel when I'm sitting and standing, and the fact that I'm even capable at this point of holding my abs tight. (I couldn't even flex them or 'suck in' my stomach before, my abs were so weak.) I'm still not feeling 100% normal yet, but I'm definitely optimistic.

I will tell you that I do these exercises pretty much every single night, and I go sloooow with them. They're simple - while they push you, they're not difficult. However, they do take concentration and control, and I have to pay close attention to my form when I'm doing them. I have also tried to be extremely committed. I have only missed four days in the last six weeks, and I ended up doing Exercise 2 for an extra week before moving on, since we went on vacation and I forgot to take the DVD with me. Whoops. So I still have about five weeks to go, and I'm really excited to see how much improvement I continue to see. I'll be doing one more update post at the end.

Now, onto some bonus material!  Over the last few weeks, a lot of questions have come up about this diastasis recti/Ab Rehab stuff.  But I am far from an expert in any of this (other than how to cause and then rock a flabby core), so I thought I'd attempt to get some answers straight from the horse's mouth.  And by that, I mean I emailed Kelley and asked her.  I will be posting our questions and her answers tomorrow on the blog, so stay tuned!

Check out all the posts in this series!

Post One: the battle of the [belly] bulge... my diastasis recti.

Post Two: healing my diastasis recti: a progress report.

Post Three: diastasis recti: Q & A with someone who knows more than I do.

Post Four: my diastasis recti: the final verdict on Ab Rehab

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received the DVD for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*

the battle of the [belly] bulge... my diastasis recti.

(You're about to see some awfully personal photos.  Be gentle, y'all.)

I'mma shoot you folks straight: childbearing has done a number on my body.  To clarify, I haven't suffered any major baby-related physical trauma, and I'm so over-the-moon thankful that my body has been willing to produce my babies.  I'm not overlooking my blessings.  But, my body has also stretched and changed and essentially turned itself inside out five times now, and it shows.

One thing I've been struggling with since Finneas was born (and that has gotten progressively worse, especially after Rocco's 9.5+ pounds resided inside me) is a diastasis recti, which is just fancy-pants doctor-talk for a separation of my ab muscles.  The two columns of abdominal muscles that run down the front of your belly part ways for a while during pregnancy, and they're supposed to reunite when all is said and done.  But that doesn't always happen, especially after multiple kiddos.

via

After Finneas was born, I noticed my posture had gotten really bad.  It was like I couldn't hold myself upright.  I now kind of hunch over when I sit, and slouch when I stand.  This bugs me to NO. END, and I suspect it's because my core strength is pretty compromised by the diastasis recti.  (And my slouchiness then probably makes it worse.  Gah.)  Then, when I announced my pregnancy with Laurelai, a family member said he had already known for a while, since I had started showing a long time prior to telling him.  I was four weeks pregnant when we had this discussion.  Ouch.

At first, I wasn't sure what was causing it, other than just the umbrella phrase, "Mom Bod."  But I started hearing more people talk about diastasis recti, so I checked myself for it, and sure enough, I have a gap between my abs that is about two fingers wide.  (If you're curious about your own abdominals, but don't know how to check for a separation, there are lots of online tutorials.  Or, better yet, if you're in the Twin Cities area, you can get in touch with Kelley Suggs from Lithe Wellness Solutions and schedule a free ab check!)

You can see what I mean about my belly bulge in some of these photos Todd took recently when I wasn't thinking about sucking in my stomach:

I have been spending the last few months hoping that my belly roundness will diminish as I lose some of the baby weight.  But I'm currently within two pounds of my pre-Rocco weight, and within six pounds of my high school weight, and my shape is still radically round in the belly region.  (And the boob region and the hips region and the biceps region, but one complaint at a time.) Well, I've finally had enough - I'm tired of feeling weak and looking schlumpy.

So I got in touch with Kelley and got my hands on a copy of her Ab Rehab DVD.  It's a program of exercises that take about ten minutes a day for about ten weeks that gently and increasingly train the abdominal wall back into healthy shape.  You can do the program a few months postpartum (like me), or even years after having your last baby.  I'm starting today and will keep you posted as I go along.


(Here is a 'before' shot, and for reference, my stomach circumference at its roundest point, without sucking in or slouching, is 33.5 inches.  I'll be measuring as I go to see if it's changing.)

Wish me luck, y'all!


Check out all the posts in this series!

Post One: the battle of the [belly] bulge... my diastasis recti.

Post Two: healing my diastasis recti: a progress report.

Post Three: diastasis recti: Q & A with someone who knows more than I do.

Post Four: my diastasis recti: the final verdict on Ab Rehab

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received the DVD for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*