Recovery From Diastasis

Recovery time is very individualized. It depends on what kind of shape you were in before and during pregnancy, in addition to how much effort, time, and planning you are willing to now give to your body. If your abdominals were strong and you exercised them regularly before and throughout pregnancy, one to two months -- at the most, three months -- should see you back to normal.

On the other hand, if your abdominals were not strong and you didn't exercise them regularly, then it may take between 6 and 12 months of regular exercise to get them into good shape. (These time frames assume you perform abdominal exercises four to six days a week.)

What if you took up regular exercise for the first time in your life during pregnancy? This gives you something of a head start for this postpartum period. However, the advancing growth of the baby did not allow as adequate a workout of the abdominals as if you had also exercised before pregnancy. In this case, achieving strong, firm abdominals should take between three and six months (which is still much faster than for someone who did not exercise during pregnancy).

The time it takes to get back into shape depends on what shape you were in before your pregnancy.
©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
The time it takes to get back
 into shape depends partly
 on what kind of shape you were in
before your pregnancy.

If you never put into action your resolve to re-strengthen your abdominal wall, there is no telling how long the process will take. In fact, some women's abdominals never return to their original shape. The truth is it requires action on your part to improve your figure. But exercise affects more than your appearance. A slack set of abdominals probably means you will experience a lot of backaches and fatigue.

The abdominals do 40 percent of the work involved in supporting the trunk of your body as you move through your daily activities. If they do only 10 percent, the back muscles pick up the load -- or attempt to, anyway. The back muscles are responsible for 60 percent of the work of keeping the body upright and helping to lift, move, and bend. Increase that workload by 10 to 30 percent and the muscles respond by becoming fatigued faster and with the occurrence of painful spasms, especially in the lower back.

Sometimes the lower back muscles become so tight the angle of the normal pelvic tilt changes. These tight muscles squeeze or press on the nerves coming off the spine in the lower back area. These nerves, in turn, divide and branch out to each leg. You may feel pain in the lower back, one or both buttocks, and one or both legs (upper or full length). Don't allow this kind of problem to decrease the joy of those first beautiful months with your new baby.

Other factors to consider in estimating recovery time are how much weight you gained and how much your abdominal wall expanded (partially due to the size of the baby and how you carried the child). Additional factors include your diet, the amount of rest you get, and the types of activities you're involved in.

Diastasis after pregnancy is a fairly common occurrence. Though the complications can be severe, the treatment can be easy and fun. Following the advice in this article will help you get your abdominals back in prepregnancy shape in no time.

About the Authors

Alvin Eden, M.D. serves as a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Weil Medical College of Cornell University in New York, New York.  He is Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn.  Dr. Eden is also the author of a number of child care book, including Positive Parenting and  Growing Up Thin. 

Dr. Elizabeth Eden, M.D. is a practicing obstetrician with her own private practice in New York City.  She serves as an attending physician at the Tisch Hospital of the New York University Medical Center, as well as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the New York University School of Medicine.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.