# Does babywearing give you "mummy tummy" (diastasis)?



## chinaKat (Aug 6, 2005)

I'm reading a book right now called "Lose Your Mummy Tummy" (I know, stupid name... but it came highly recommended).

Anyway, the author makes the assertation that wearing a baby in a sling or front carrier will increase a diastasis. She says that you should wear a supportive wrap or splint around your stomach if you are baby wearing, to prevent this happening.

Anybody have any anecdotal experience either way with this?


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## readytobedone (Apr 6, 2007)

what is diastasis?


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## chinaKat (Aug 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *readytobedone* 
what is diastasis?

Whoops, sorry. It's the separation of abdominal muscles that occurs during pregnancy. The more pregnancies you have, generally the more separation that occurs... it's what causes the tummy pooch that's so hard to get rid of after having a baby. (The book I refer to has excercises that help you decrease the separation.)

Supposedly babywearing can exacerbate the muscle separation.


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## pixiepunk (Mar 11, 2003)

diastasis is a severe separation of the rectus abdominus - usually a good guide is if you can put 3 or more fingers in between the muscles.

babywearing doesn't 'cause' diastasis. however, if you already have a diastasis, it can be exacerbated by babywearing. then again, so can getting up from the couch, kicking up to seated from laying down, picking up heavy objects...

the key to healing a diastasis, while babywearing or otherwise, is to keep yourself from pushing *out* with your belly. when you push out, you can force further separation between the abdominus recti. ideally, you want to be always gently drawing your belly in by engaging the transverse abdominals (the ones that wrap around horizontally from your sides, like a girdle). if you can not help but push your belly out while babywearing, then you should wear something to hold it for you until you regain the abdominal strength to do it yourself. but like i said, it's not just about babywearing - it's all the time. you can do an unbelievable amount of damage by kicking up with one leg and sitting up (from lying down) because your push out with your abdominals to do it (or most people do, i should say).

i teach a lot of yoga to pregnant and new moms (as well as having been one myself a couple of times) and that is my advice to them. we do basic work in drawing in the transverse abdominals, either contracting and holding, or 'pulsing' like you would when you cough. keeping those strong is the key to avoiding a diastasis in the first place, and the only way to really work on healing one once you've got it.

from what i've heard about that mummy tummy book, the abdominal exercises she teaches are all versions of what i mentioned above. certainly useful, though i don't necessarily think you need a book as they are fairly easy to figure out on your own







:


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## mama in the forest (Apr 17, 2006)

I have a pretty large separation and I will say this: it is incredibly painful to wear my big girl in a front carry now, but it doesn't hurt a bit when I've got her on my back.

Pixiepunk, I'd be interested in hearing about your exercises. Right now I'm focusing on doing this one:

http://www.fitnessvancouver.ca/anato...se%20plank.htm

It feels pretty good.

I take it crunches are out?


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## pixiepunk (Mar 11, 2003)

yeah, avoid crunches, they will only make things worse.

plank is a great one. practicing yoga in general, with a focus on keeping your low belly still and engaging your pelvic floor muscles (uddiyana bandha and mula bandha, respectively, in yoga speak







) works wonders.

specifically for the rectus abdominus, though, you can sit with legs crossed and back against the wall. as you exhale, draw in the transverse abdominals (imagine pulling your belly button back towards your spine). hold them, while continuing to breathe (counting out loud helps to make sure you're not holding your breath). try starting with holding to a count of 100, and try to do it at least two or three times with a break in between. then, remaining in the same seated position, you do the same basic motion of drawing the transverse abdominals in, but you do it in pulses - like you might when you cough. sometimes it's helpful to make a noise like 'ha' when you draw in the belly. again, start with 100 pulses, at least two times.

and just try to keep the transverse abdominals gently engaged throughout the day. be mindful of them all the time. try to come in and out of a lying position by coming onto your side rather than laying straight back or kicking up. when nursing, bring the baby to the breast instead of the breast to the baby - it's really easy to push the belly out to make a 'shelf' to support a nursing baby, so it's helpful to use a pillow or a sling to bring the baby up, allowing you to keep your back straight and draw your belly in. if you're slouching, you can't be drawing in your transverse abs.

just being aware of them and gently engaging the transverse abs throughout the day is extremely helpful, especially as a first step.


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## lilylove (Apr 10, 2003)

How would wearing your baby be different then holding your baby (in regards to diastasis and which muscles are used)? Or is it recommended that you not hold your baby while up and about much either?


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## e.naomisandoval (Aug 30, 2005)

Have often wondered that myself. Have sent the question to Julie Tupler. Will let you know what she says.
Ellen

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lilylove* 
How would wearing your baby be different then holding your baby (in regards to diastasis and which muscles are used)? Or is it recommended that you not hold your baby while up and about much either?


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## mama in the forest (Apr 17, 2006)

Thanks so much pixiepunk. I will do those. I've been neglecting my yoga and wanted to get back into it.

lilylove ~ I know that when I'm holding my baby, I always hold her on my left hip. Even when she was newborn (though 13 pounds at birth







) I really kept her very far to my side. Holding her in the front hurt. Now that she's 11 months, I can keep her on my hip of course. It seems to be less painful when she's on my side.

I have a mei tai and I just love the feel of her when she's riding in front...it's just so nice to have her there, but it did hurt quite a bit. For months I just toughed it out..even though every step was very difficult, and then I recently read that it exacerbates the diastasis and it all made sense to me.

Now that I have her in back, it's so much better. I can't believe how much better it is!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Thanks for this thread! I am 27 weeks along and have pretty bad diastasis already (I have an issue with hyperly flexible ligaments in general). I also have an ab muscle injury (pulled/strained oblique) that I got at 22 weeks so my doctor does not want me going much excercise until that's all the way healed, which it's not doing!

I want to wear this one when she gets here, but the more I read about diastasis the more lost I am as to what to do about it. So, when I have her I'm not supposed to wear her? Do I need to try to keep the transverse muscle tight now (beginning my third trimester)? Or should I deal with it after I have her?

My OB just acts like it's unavoidable, but I'm not convinced...


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## bellymama (Apr 15, 2007)

how do you know if you have that? i have a big pooch that won't go away, i wonder if that is why....how can you find out?


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## readytobedone (Apr 6, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bellymama* 
how do you know if you have that? i have a big pooch that won't go away, i wonder if that is why....how can you find out?

wondering the same thing...i thought my pooch was just loose skin and loss of muscle tone from not exercising, and i thought ab work (like sit-ups) would help. i'm not supposed to do any ab stuff till 10 wks PP b/c of my c/s. but i don't want to start a regimen then that's going to make stuff worse!


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## pixiepunk (Mar 11, 2003)

it's pretty simple to check. lay on your back, bending your knees. lift your head off the floor like you're doing a crunch. with the first two fingers of one hand, starting underneath your breasts, press down and you should be able to feel your rectus abdominus, they will feel hard like a flexed muscle would. if you're a little fluffy, you'll have to push down harder to feel for the muscle. the muscles, if not separated, will be tight together and follow a straight line down (if you had/have a linea negra, that's where they would normally be). if they are perfect, they will be right next to each other. more likely you will feel at least a little bit of separation (like a dip or valley) between them. it might be very small and fit the tip of your finger or one finger (which is not really much to be concerned about) or it could be 2, 3, 4 fingers apart from one another - so if you don't feel it at first, feel for them further apart. it's very common to have them be fine up closer to the breast bone, and separate near the belly button, so you'll want to feel all the way down to know for sure.

if you're pregnant, you may notice a ridge that sticks up in between the separated muscles when you crunch up. oh, and the 'exercises' i mentioned above are great for pregnant mamas as well as post partum ones. it will help to keep separation at bay (or from getting worse) while pregnant, as well as helping to heal the separation post partum.


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## e.naomisandoval (Aug 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lilylove* 
How would wearing your baby be different then holding your baby (in regards to diastasis and which muscles are used)? Or is it recommended that you not hold your baby while up and about much either?










Okay, here is the response from Julie Tupler:

EIlen
The purpose of wearing a splint is to pull the two halves of the muscles together.
Women want to avoid forward forceful moves (jackknifes, etc) and also
placing weight of the baby right on the recti muscle so it pushes the muscles apart sideways. If you are wearing a baby carrie r (like the baby bjorn) the placement of the carrier is vertically on the recti muscle. This is the worst place to carry the baby. The baby carriers where the babies are lying on a diagonal are better. Not the same type of pressure. It is the same with holding the babies. Of course they will hold the transverse in when they pick the baby up and if they hold the baby on the shoulder or in the crook of their arm with the baby seated there is no pressure on the recti muscle. Having the baby placed vertically on the recti muscle either with a baby carrier or when holding the baby can put pressure on these muscles.

Hope this helps.

best
julie


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## lilylove (Apr 10, 2003)

Ahhhhh
Ok, I think I understand now. So it's more how the child is held, whether in a carrier or not. That makes a lot of sense.


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