There is a lot of social media coverage on Diastasis Recti but what exactly is it?

During pregnancy the abdominal muscles stretch in order to allow the baby to grow.  The Linea Alba, which is a line of connective tissue that runs down the middle of the abdomen wall, also stretches.  This “stretching” of the Linea Alba is called a Diastasis Recti (DrA).  This is a natural occurrence for 99% of pregnant women by the time they enter their third trimester.  After having the baby, often the abdominal wall returns to normal within approximately 6 weeks.  However, for some this “stretch” may persist. 

Current Physiotherapy practice has shown that there may be many aspects that affect the closure or not of a Diastasis Recti.  These may range from abdominal muscle activation and breathing patterns, to posture and good old genetics!

This is why Women’s Health Physiotherapists assess each person as a whole and design DrA rehabilitation programs specifically to help each woman heal the way her body needs. 

This is fantastic for enabling mums to both thrive during pregnancy as well as get back to the sports and activities that they love afterwards.