Thursday, January 30, 2014

Diastasis Recti, and The Tummy Team - Part 1 of That Tummy Topic

A few months ago I somehow stumbled across the Fit2B website, and while browsing around I found the video about how to check for diastasis.   I'd already checked, and I didn't have a diastasis, or so I thought.    I figured I'd watch the video anyways, since it was nice and short (I loathe long internet videos...just get to the point, or write it in type so I can skim and get what I need and move on!  /rant).

Click here for a link to the page with the video

Well, it turns out, I'd been checking wrong.   I was crunching up too far, which pulls the rectus abdominus in, and gives you sort of a false negative.   I was following instructions I'd seen on a prenatal workout video, which was specifically talking about diastasis, and how to check for it, and how to protect yourself during pregnancy.   I thought I was all good.

I was not all good.   I have/had a rather significant deep diastasis.   I could fit at least 4 fingers in and push right down into my squishy insides.   I could even feel a nice pulse in there with no effort at all.

Oh dear.  

If you do go to the link that I posted above, you'll read a list of complications that you might be experiencing if you have a diastasis recti including    "...you constantly “throw your back out”..."
Well, I have in fact been constantly throwing my back out since Jude was a few months old.   The first really bad one was last year when we went to the cottage.  I spent most of the week not being able to move much.   After the long drive up, I must have hurt something, because I woke up the next morning and couldn't turn my head.    I've done it several times since Olive's birth.   Which is especially difficult since I've got 3 children to care for now, and the second one is very big, but still young, so needs a lot of lifting and carrying.   Jude was not walking yet when Olive was born, (they are just over 12 months apart).     One particularly bad session had me so twisted up that I couldn't stand straight.   My hips were tipped forward and twisted to the side, my back was curved forward and my neck was twisted sideways.   I was a pretzel for days.   And I had to try to carry a nearly 30 lb kid up and down the stairs several times a day and lift him in and out of a crib.  

I've thought that my back problems are in a big part because of my weak abs.   I have, after all, given birth to three children in under 3 years.    That's got to do something to a tummy.   I guess it really, really did.   


I read on the Fit2B website about the Tummy Team.   I wasn't too sure about it honestly.   It looked expensive, and I couldn't see much about what they offered.   I wasn't even totally sure that it was legit, because I'd just found both websites, and wasn't really sure about Fit2B yet either.    I got a trial membership with Fit2B and then there was a black Friday sale at the Tummy Team, so I squeezed the budget and got myself the Core Foundations course.     I'm rather amazed honestly.    I've got a lot to say, so I'll save it for my next tummy post, which is coming soon.   

Part 2 is here 

Part 5

2 comments:

Jennifer said...

Sounds like you are on your way to healing yourself! While your researching all of this check out www.katysays.com. She is the alignment guru. I think you'll like what she has to add.

Debbie said...

Thanks Jennifer! I'm checking out your link. The tummy team course has a lot about getting your body and core into proper alignment and then building up to stabilize. Looks like I can head right over to katysays to continue on :)