Answer: Most, but not all, women can have recovery of their diastasis without surgery!

Most women will experience a diastasis (separation of the tummy muscles) during pregnancy and afterwards too! Peta Titter RN and Dr Rhea Psereckis have some great info about exercising when you have a diastasis.

Diastasis of the rectus abdominus muscles (DRAM) is the separation of the ‘six-pack muscles’ (rectus abdominus). It is particularly prevalent during and after pregnancy and can also occur after abdominal surgery. Some men and postmenopausal women can also develop DRAM for reasons outside of pregnancy.

The deep gap running down the centre of a ‘toned’ stomach may or may not indicate a toned, healthy tummy, and instead may be various forms of diastasis. Intra-abdominal pressure applied to this midline muscle – called the linea alba – causes the widening space between the rectus muscles, or the abs, as the linea alba itself thins and widens. This also causes a protrusion of this muscle.

For those of you who have not heard of a DRAM (diastasis recti of the abdominal muscles), it’s a separation of the ‘six pack muscles’ (rectus abdominus). It has been reported the incidence of diastasis in pregnancy to be as high as 66-100% in the third trimester, with a diastasis persisting in up to 53% of women after delivery! (Benjamin, van de Water & Peiris 2014)

If you flip open a magazine ad you will see that many of the ‘fit mummies’ and even women who have never had a baby feature a prominent DRAM. This weakness puts them at risk of back pain and pelvic instability. How sad is it that the bodies our culture holds up for us to admire and aspire to are too often damaged and compromised!