Inspiration
Much of my motivation and inspiration to bring this topic to light and further explore and research is the women that I have met or who have reached out to me over the last 4 years. Whether I respond to you or not, please note that I read all of your comments wherever you leave them, and they encourage me to keep sharing. Below are just a handful of emails from some brave women who emailed me. I’ve left out their names for privacy but I hope I have helped or answered some of your questions and provided a resource for you.
Dream Big
Steph
I just found your blog and I love it! I am a mom and a runner and I have enjoyed following your Instagram and your journey. It’s great to be able to see that everyone has a human journey and that it isn’t just six packs and racing briefs. It sure is inspiring to me as a middle of the pack runner momma.
Anyway,I thought I would give you my dr info for your research. I have four kids and have had dr since the first. It hasn’t gotten bigger/ worse (always about 3-4imches) and my youngest is now 2 years old. I have a long torso and grew big babies (8.1-8.9lbs). My abs were not in great shape before each pregnancy but I was a runner and did core work a couple of times a week. I did some abdominal conditioning during each pregnancy.
Our family is now complete and I am committed to strengthening my pelvic floor and core muscles. It’s been much harder than I thought. I think I am making progress though as I can now visit the trampoline park with my children with out an adult diaper in place ha ha ha :).
I’m going to try some of the ab work you posted. Thanks so much for putting your life out there for others to follow.
With admiration,
I found you online and would love to ask you how you were able to close your diastsis. I’ve been told not to do any push ups or sit ups and it appears you are able to do those?
Came across your blog and love how you speak about DR.
I discovered I had it after my second child. I had it repaired after my third. I had a total DR with complete ventral hernia. I’m now held together with fishing line and thank God for it every day. Before the operation I couldn’t stand straight by the time 5pm came around and when I woke in the morning my hips and feet were so sore I hobbled down the hall. Very tough with 3 girls in 3 years. Now I can run half marathons!Not sure how much information you are looking for but thought I’d briefly share my experience.Keep keeping it real!
The sheer exhaustion that comes with caring and pumping for quads. Not to mention how long I had been with not exercise. Some days- I get sad. I worked so hard to get in such great shape- and pregnancy took that from me. Don’t get me wrong- I absolutely feel incredibly grateful at the wonderful blessing I have— and I miss my body.
I work out weekly with other moms In a stroller group. They have their cute bodies. Their bob stroller. 1-2 kids. They have time to devote to exercise.
I don’t have a cute body. My stroller seats four, doesn’t off-road well, weighs over 80 pounds. And I struggle to find time to workout. And I long to be able to run and bike like I did as I try to modify the push ups, planks, and other exercises that the moms master.
Your blog brings me much hope and motivation. Thank you. Thank you for showing your belly and keeping it real. Thank you for setting the bar high and also letting us know when to fall. Thank you for being honest. Thank you for breastfeeding while you run. Thank you. Thank you.
I had three babies, with about 3 years between each of them. I was/am over weight currently 215lbs, but have been all the way up to 260 (with first pregnancy). I actually weighed less each one after, yay for that. I am 5′ 8″. I don’t have a short torso, but my 2nd baby liked sticking out like a torpedo (it was crazy!). Actually I remember with him I had this burning sensation right at the top of my baby bump and it hurt to laugh, he was stretching out new spaces and it didn’t feel good. I’ve never been big on exercising, it has always been a struggle to get motivated for me. I did however start working out with Beachbody workouts prior to my last baby and was doing well with weight loss. So in the question of having a weak core, that would be me.
I want to thank you for sharing your realness. I’ve thought “wow if I had just done this or that prior and during then this wouldn’t have happened”. Maybe it wouldn’t have, but seeing that it also happens for someone who is so fit makes me think that I should give myself a break and not beat myself up over it.
Either way it’s done and I have the beautiful babes. <3
I had my child 16 years ago, but no one addressed my concern. My abdomen was like a triangle that popped out. I could stick my hand inside. I was very afraid because I had never heard of anything like this before. Although I mentioned it to my now exhusband and my doctors, everyone ignored me. Years later, it has mostly closed. I still feel the ridge in my abdomen and a separation around my bellybutton. Prior to pregnancy, I was very fit and lean. I am also petite, 5ft 100lbs. I ran and also did a lot of yoga. I have since stopped running due to other medical issues. It is interesting to know why this occurs. Would love to continue the conversation.
I saw a post on my fb feed today (Today parenting?), and I just had to contact you, since I also have severe DR, having had 3 c-sections (my last one, 5 years ago). If you are considering a study or other workout advice, I’d be thrilled to be involved. I have tried PT to work on the transverse muscles, and to be honest, I’m not the greatest with exercise, but it’s frustrating to feel like no matter what I do, the gap can’t be closed. Also, when I would go work out (the YMCA), I never knew what exercises would be more harmful to my disastrous core. I’d try subbing side-planks, thinking regular planks were pretty bad for someone with DR, etc. I’m trying to stick with jogging, although my knees don’t love it
Anyway, just thought I’d send a message to say “thank you” for bringing awareness to this condition and for trying to help women going through it.
Finally I see a mom who has a stomach who looks like mine!!!!! Since I found out 3-4 years ago that I had DR, I’ve done some reading on it because as many women do, I want my pre-baby body back, and finding out I had DR and it wasn’t going to happen without surgery put that flame out fast. No more visible flat lower abs, just a lot of “zebra stripes” (as my cousin’s daughter once called them) and looking “saggy like an elephant’s butt” (as my daughter described).
I’ve thought and read about DR quite a bit, and enjoying research as I do I’ve gathered my own stats about DR. Most of the people have some common denominators. Many of the girls I know who have DR are naturally thinner, or smaller in stature, and quite a number of them had their children less than 18 months apart. I think that may be because the female body doesn’t truly return to “normal” until 9 months postpartum, so if they become pregnant shortly after birth they haven’t had a chance for their innards to go back from whence they came. I had my two 12 months and 29 days apart, and both my kids were larger than anticipated.
And just because I get a kick out of the 7 degrees of separation… My future sister-in-law got super excited when she saw me post about you because apparently one of her buddies from college (track or cross country, I’m not sure which) trains with you. Small, small world.
Hope you have a great weekend, and thanks for posting those pictures! It really helps moms like me who have the sag but are in shape to feel normal and begin to accept and flaunt our “battle scars” instead of feeling inadequate or imperfect seeing pictures of perfectly sculpted postpartum bodies. Best of luck in your training!
I have a three year old son and an 8 month old daughter. After delivering my daughter, I struggled with a lot of pelvic and abdominal pain. I tried to return to running and exercising but the pain was horrible. My OBGYN ran all kinds of tests and couldn’t find what was wrong with me. He sent me to a pain management specialist and they couldn’t find what was wrong with me either so they decided they should give me nerve block shots. The Dr said he didn’t know if they’d work but it was worth a try. I decline and he said that I may never find what was wrong with me and may never feel better. I thanked him and left. I went to see my family doctor and she (from conversing with me about my symptoms) told me that my muscles were probably torn and that I should probably take it easy on the exercising until my daughter turned 1. I immediately went home and did some research and found that individuals with diastasis recti were experiencing every single symptom I was experiencing. Sadly I’m still struggling with it. But today I found new hope after reading your blog. I have high hopes that maybe some day I will be able to run again without pain. Thank you.