What The Tummy Team (and our clients) Want BIRTH Professionals to Know about Diastasis Recti

The Tummy Team specializes in diastasis recti which is incredibly common in prenatal and postpartum women. As a result, we have been partnering with birth professionals for over a decade including speaking at Midwifery conferences and medical Grand Rounds and apprenticing many birth practitioners.  We have designed several CEU courses specifically for birth professionals with the hope of filling in the gaps in knowledge related to diastasis recti, functional core weakness and functional pelvic floor weakness. 

There are a few things that we believe all birth professionals should know about diastasis recti.

Diastasis Recti can be improved during pregnancy

There is a misunderstanding in the birth community that diastasis recti is inevitable during pregnancy and therefore treatment is rarely recommended.  However, diastasis recti can be prevented or minimized during pregnancy and treating diastasis recti during pregnancy can improve fetal alignment, pushing effectiveness and birth recovery.  The Tummy Team offers extensive professional training for birth professionals to improve your confidence in assessing for diastasis and offering essential treatment options for your expecting clients.

Every mother should be checked for DR and offered education/treatment

Diastasis Recti is incredibly common in prenatal and postpartum mothers and left untreated can contribute to pregnancy complications, birth recovery pain and long term core and pelvic floor dysfunction. Every woman should be checked at every appointment for diastasis recti and be asked about their functional core or functional pelvic floor weakness symptoms.  Early intervention and proactive treatment can dramatically change the outcomes for these clients. Diastasis recti can be treated during pregnancy, immediately postpartum AND years after delivery.  Becoming confident and proficient with your diastasis check and questions will improve your holistic treatment of your clients.

Untreated Diastasis Recti can impact fetal alignment and complicate birth

Diastasis recti is not simply a cosmetic issue.  The abdominal wall helps support the uterus throughout pregnancy.  A weak and separated abdominal wall allows the uterus to fall forward negatively impacting the optimal fetal alignment required for a pain free pregnancy and for an uncomplicated birth.  Checking every expecting mother for diastasis recti and providing treatment options during pregnancy will dramatically impact their pregnancy and birth experience. Challenging conditions like, prodromal labor, pelvic instability, pubic symphysis and SI joint dysfunction and ineffective pushing stages are all related to functional core weakness and diastasis AND can be treated proactively with prenatal core training by a diastasis rehab specialist.

Untreated Diastasis Recti can complicate the pushing stage of labor.

Diastasis Recti in pregnancy indicates a bigger issue of functional core weakness.  There is a natural co-contraction between the internal core muscles and the pelvic floor as well as a less natural disassociation between the core and pelvic floor required for birth. When clients are struggling with a disconnected and weak core, they have difficulty with the coordination required between the core and pelvic floor for effective pushing during delivery.  Ineffective pushing prolongs delivery, fatigues mom, stresses the baby and increases the risk of tearing, prolapse and other pelvic floor injury. Assessing diastasis recti and offering prenatal core training for clients by a specialist transforms the pushing stage of labor. 

The Tummy Team provides this training for all birth professionals in our Prenatal Core Training CEU course and our Comprehensive Prenatal Advanced Course.

Let us help you fill in this knowledge gap and better treat our clients together. 

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