Connect and Restore your PELVIC FLOOR
How Do I Check My Mummy Tummy? It’s really easy to check if you have a diastasis (tummy gap). Lie on your back with your feet on the floor (so knees up), pop one hand behind your head and with your other find your sternum, just below the middle of your ribcage. Do a small stomach crunch and as you do this press on your tummy with your fingers, working your way down your abs top to bottom feeling slightly side to side. If you can feel a gap press it and see how hard and wide that gap is. The tension is very important and you want it hard (even if there is still a small gap left, if that gap is hard you’re effectively healed).
To check your pelvic floor (the vagina and anus), take note of any moments of weakness (leaks when moving, picking things up, laughing, on impact so running, jumping, pressure or urges to go to the toilet, unable to hold gas etc). Keep a log and read below for some tips but ultimately go to an experienced Pre & Postnatal Quali- fied Fitness Professional. If you feel any kind of pain or pressure in your vagina or anus book a check up with your Doctor or a Woman’s Health Physio.
How Can I Help Myself? Work on your pelvic floor and core throughout pregnancy! It’s very important and will help when it comes to birth and beyond, no matter what birth you end up having. After you give birth you can start pelvic floor exercises, even after a c-section. but be careful of your healing scar. Start with simple breathing…
Breathe - Take some lovely big inhales, making sure that it’s into the ribs and not into the belly. On your exhale make it purposeful and strong and feel tension pulling your core muscles in towards your spine and lift your pelvic floor (front and back) up and in. Keep lifting and squeezing right until the end of your breath. Avoid a hypotonic pelvic floor (where it’s too tight!) by relaxing everything before you go again!
Posture - Most people have sore and stiff shoulders from carrying and feeding so work on stretching those arms and shoulders out. Your lower back has been through a lot carrying a growing baby so stretching out those lower back muscles (and legs too!) will also feel lovely.
Rest - This always makes my clients giggle… ‘Rest? Me? A new mum… you’ve got to be joking!’ BUT it will massively help. It takes about a year for your body to start to settle after giving birth so just give yourself a break from the pressure of getting back into the skinny jeans! Cortisol (the stress hormone) is high in any mum and holds on to fat around the tummy so get in that bubble bath and relax!
Water - Your body needs this for skin repair and to heal itself and help any excess skin to shrink and bounce back. It is also needed to help repair the tummy gap so fill up on at least 3 litres a day.
Sugar - We all know sugar isn’t great for us for a number of reasons. As a sleep deprived parent this can be fairly annoying as it’s too easy to rely on sugary snacks to help get through a busy day. However, as a post natal woman it is really inflammatory to your system and can hamper healing. Instead opt for a high protein and good fats for breakfast (eggs, salmon, broccoli, avocado etc), snack on nuts, berries and natural yogurt. This will help keep your blood sugar levels even, boost energy, help fat burn all whilst making you look amazing!
What do I avoid if I have a Diastasis (Tummy Gap)? High impact exercise (running, jumping etc) can pound 3x your body weight through that pelvic floor.
It’s just not worth it at this point in your life! Take your time to
recover safely, then start pounding the pavement knowing you’ll have no leaks! Also avoid ab exercises that create inter-abdominal pressure (crunches, planks etc). If you have a diastasis try and avoid lots of oblique work as this could pull on the gap as the muscles at the side of the body get stronger.
What If I Think I’m OK? Hurray! These cases do exist, but remember give yourself AT LEAST 6 weeks to recover from a vaginal birth (get signed off and make sure your tummy is checked) and AT LEAST 12 weeks if you’ve had a c-section. Just because it looks healed, don’t assume there isn’t deeper tissue still healing. My best advice is to start slowly with maybe some swimming or walking. If you have weight to lose interval training is the key and that doesn’t always mean burpees! You can burn fat easily and safely (Search for Low Impact HIIT workout ideas on Youtube).
Finally - Be safe… This period in your life is short compared to your entire journey. Look after your core and pelvic floor now. You only get one shot, be proactive instead of reactive!
Author, Sarah Pearson, Holistic Core Restore Coach Tel. 07957 940330 Editor, Helen McClorry, Babies on board Magazine.
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