Top 6 Myths About Diastasis Recti After Pregnancy

I've heard quite a few incorrect / misinformed / downright silly things about diastasis recti after pregnancy lately, so let's set the record straight...

Let's take a look at some of the biggest WHOPPERS I've heard lately...

Diastasis Recti Myth #1: you need a "diagnosis" by a medical professional

How do you know if you have Diastasis Recti after pregnancy? You do not need a formal "diagnosis" by a doctor or any other healthcare professional. They DON'T get taught how to check for this, so if they happen to know how, it's not from their medical training, but from their own interest and research. (Indeed, during my pregnancy at one of my checkups, I taught all the nurses at the prenatal clinic how to check for diastasis recti, just because one of them was interested.)

Diastasis recti has no centralized, official test or treatment, so it's the wild west out there! It's not taught well on most training courses, so professionals have to do a lot of research and go down tons of rabbit holes (and get tons of experience!) to figure this stuff out.

(But it's also not particularly difficult and it's massively overcomplicated on the internet IMO! You firstly need to get an idea of the gap: the width and the tension in the linea alba, and then you need to get an idea of the strength of your abdominal muscles - check out my Super Simple Diastasis Assessment)

.Women's health physios and trainers specializing in postnatal fitness are professionals that can help you with conservative methods. (And they will/should tell you if you should speak to a surgeon)

How To Fix Diastasis Recti Myth #2: You should always see a surgeon You do NOT need a surgeon to diagnose diastasis recti. And a surgeon is NOT the best person to give you exercises. (Their training does not include rehabilitating physical conditions with exercises).

Surgeons are trained to perform SURGERY - they have an amazing set of skills and SOMETIMES diastasis recti will require surgery, or the woman will choose surgery for aesthetic reasons... but there is the potential for a surgeon to be a hammer looking for a nail. At the end of the day, it's your body, so it's up to you, but I would HIGHLY recommend exploring the conservative route before going under the knife.

(Check out @lisa.marie.ryan on Instagram for a really inspiring DR surgery story from someone who explored EVERY possible avenue).

If you want to work on your diastasis, jump on my 10-day postpartum challenge by filling out the form below.

In this 10-day challenge, I take you step by step through 3 core workouts that are suitable for diastasis recti - but it isn't just random exercises thrown together, the workouts build on one another and I show you exactly how to know if an exercise is right for you, or if it's too hard, and you need to take a step back, or if it's too easy and you need to find a more difficult version.

There are also 3 strength workouts and 3 mobility workouts to give you a really balanced workout programme.

And if you want information specifically about diastasis recti, sig