Exercises suitable for Diastasis Recti aka Abdominal Separation

From our previous post on Diastasis Recti, also known as Abdominal Separation, we like to further look at the type of exercises that are suitable.

We heard a lot of examples that instead of having flatten their tummy after doing crunches and abdominal exercises, the stomach ballooned up. Yes, these are the exercises that are definitely not suitable for just delivered mothers and ladies who have diastasis recti.

Remember, to recap: Avoid exercises that exacerbate diastasis recti after the first trimester and immediately postpartum. This includes sit-ups, crunch movements, oblique twists, and plank-position exercises.

Focus on building the core muscles concentrating on pelvic tilts instead. 

Refer to our post - Do you have diastasis recti after child birth to understand what is diastasis recti.

Do you have diastasis recti after child birth?

Recently I saw this article on diastasis recti and set me wondering what is it and do I have it.

Have you experienced what we have? 

No matter what exercises I did, I still have a tummy that looks like 4-5 months pregnant. Hence, I set forth to seek some info on it after some chance upon this diastasis recti picture. And now I like to shed some light on this condition and let mothers know that finally, we have the answers to our preggy-lookalike tummy and with great effort we can get rid of it too.

I understand that it's depressing to know that we still look pregnant while others do not even have to go through any slimming regime.  We do not want to give up but it seems nothing can help unless we go for plastic surgery.

Different bodies need different treatment and hence, I am excited to start working on it, though I admitted that I was freak out and sad at the beginning to know that I had abdominal separation.

An extract from Wiki:

Diastasis recti (also known as ) defined as a separation of therectus abdominis muscle into right and left halves.

The distance between the right and left rectus abdominis muscles is created by the stretching of the linea alba which connects the two regions.

Diastasis of this muscle occurs principally in two populations: newborns and pregnant women. But anyone can has it too including men.

(However we like to focus on post delivery instead.) 

In pregnant or postpartum women, the condition is caused by the stretching of the rectus abdominis by the growing uterus. It is more common in multiparous women due to repeated episodes of stretching. 

When the defect occurs during pregnancy, the uterus can sometimes be seen bulging through the abdominal wall beneath the skin. Women are more susceptible to develop diastasis recti when over the age of 35, high birth weight of child, multiple birth pregnancy, and multiple pregnancies. Additional causes can be attributed to excessive abdominal exercises after the first trimester of pregnancy.

For a detailed read, click on link, http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diastasis_recti.

Before you even exit our page, I like to emphasised on a few pointers and just a little more info on it since it is not a simple issue and can lead to other conditions if left untreated.

How can I Reduce My Risk of Developing Diastasis Recti in Pregnancy or Repair it Afterwards?

1. Exercise regularly and appropriately! Several studies have shown that women with no or mild diastasis recti were more likely to be exercising regularly than women with moderate or severe diastasis. Do not do strenuous exercise while pregnant but moderately.

2. Avoid gaining excessive amounts of weight while pregnant.

3. Check your alignment. Alignment is a huge component in any pressure related body ailment, including diastasis recti. This is especially important when lifting heavy objects, such as older children or when strength training. A tilted pelvis will push your uterus against your abdominal wall, creating even more pressure.

4. The definite NO NOs! Avoid exercises that exacerbate diastasis recti after the first trimester and immediately postpartum. This includes sit-ups, crunch movements, oblique twists, and plank-position exercises.

5. Performing transverse abdominal (TVA) focused exercises while pregnant will reduce your risk of diastasis recti postpartum. Studies have shown a significant difference in diastasis recti incidence between pregnant women who are active in TVA engagement and pregnant women who are sedentary. TVA training postpartum will help to close or minimize a gap.

How do I Check for Diastasis Recti?

Click on this video to learn how to self check. In this video it also teaches pelvic tilts to help stitch back the gap of those abdominal muscles.
http://youtu.be/uzIrt82maws

How is Diastasis Recti Related to Pelvic Floor Muscles?

Your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles work together. What goes up must come down, what goes in must go out – so to speak. Diastasis recti affects the pelvic floor and vice-versa. In a study of women with diastasis recti, 66% also presented pelvic floor dysfunction symptom. This includes urinary incontinence, faecal incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse symptoms.

Can I Close my Diastasis Recti Gap Years After Childbirth?

Yes!  No matter you have just given birth or it has been 3 years, you can still start on it. You can close or significantly reduce your abdominal muscle gap through rehab exercise. Severe diastasis recti that does not improve with physical therapy may need to be surgically repaired.

My Gap Isn’t Closing and what can I do?

If you’ve been trying to close your abdominal muscle gap on your own and are having no success, see a women’s health physiotherapist for further treatment.

More info:

Type of exercises suitable for closing the gap on Diastasis Recti aka Abdominal Separation or 'Mummy Tummy'

Does your child grind her teeth during sleeping?

Recently, we realised that our 5 year old child grinds her teeth while sleeping. Initially we though it is a common thing and we overlooked it. Until then, we started to worry and do some research on it.

Hence, we like to share with you what teeth grinding actually is. Why it happens and how can we help in the situation?

After reading, we realised much that our child might be unhappy about the fact that she needs to give in to her younger sister often. And the fact that she is growing her self-confidence; and yet she is also feeling that we as parents are always scolding her, well nagging actually. Well, at their age, it might be hard for them to differentiate this two. Hence, this set us rethink how we can turn around the situation, by using another method of parenting. Remember, all kids has a different personalities and not one standard parenting method always works. We need to remind ourselves sometimes and reflect if we are doing it wrong.

For more acticles on parenting, please check out the links.
Parenting a Strong-willed Child
Teaching your child what is Empathy and why it is important

Ok, let's start on knowing what is Teeth Grinding.

What is teeth grinding and why children grinds their teeth?

Many experts don't know for sure what causes teeth grinding but many point fingers at tension or anxiety, pain (from earaches or teething, ), and malocclusion (a dental term for when the teeth don't line up just right.) Dentist refer this condition as bruxism. Some studies also suggest that breathing problems – from a stuffy nose or allergies – may play a part in this teeth grinding role.

Teeth grinding isn't uncommon among babies who are getting their first teeth, beginning at around 5 or 6 months of age. It's also common among children who are starting to get their permanent teeth, at around 6 years of age.

About 38-40% of children grind their teeth. The average age for starting this habit is around 3 and a half years old, and the average age for stopping is 6 years old, of course, people of all ages grind their teeth.

Your child is a bit more likely to grind her teeth if you do. She's also more likely to grind her teeth if she drools or talks in her sleep. Almost all teeth grinding happens at night, though some kids do it during the day, too.


Is teeth grinding bad for my child?

In most cases, teeth grinding sounds worse than it is. It's very likely that your child isn't doing any damage to his teeth and he'll soon outgrow the habit. However prolong teeth grinding might wear off the enamel, causing sensitivities.


Helping Kids With Bruxism

Although the sound can be disconcerting, you'll probably just have to wait for your child to grow out of the habit. Whether the cause is physical or psychological, kids might be able to control bruxism by relaxing before bedtime — for example, by taking a warm bath or shower, listening to a few minutes of soothing music, or reading a book, and giving her a good relaxing massage.

For bruxism that's caused by stress, ask about what's upsetting your child and find a way to help.

If you think the grinding is due to your child is teething or has an ear infection, see a doctor.

If there's a problem with the way your child's teeth are lining up, the dentist may be able to polish them to fit together better. Older children who grind regularly are sometimes fitted with a night guard – a plastic device fitted to the mouth to prevent clenching and grinding of the teeth during sleep. But your child's dentist probably won't consider this until your child has at least some permanent teeth, around age 5 or so.

Parenting a strong-willed child

If you are having a strong-willed child, it does not means a bad thing after all? Strong willed children can be a challenge to parent when they’re young, but if sensitively parented, they become terrific teens and young adults. Self-motivated and inner-directed, they go after what they want and are almost impervious to peer pressure. As long as parents resist the impulse to "break their will," strong-willed kids often become leaders.

What exactly is a strong-willed, or spirited child?

Many define them as "difficult" and/or “stubborn,” but on the bright side, it also means strong-willed kids as people of integrity who aren’t easily swayed from their own viewpoints. Strong-willed kids want to learn things for themselves rather than accepting what others accept, so they test the limits over and over; simply do not give up that easily. They want desperately to be "in charge" of themselves, and will sometimes put their desire to "be right" above everything else. When their heart is set on something, their brains seem to have a hard time switching gears. Strong-willed kids have big, passionate feelings and live at full throttle.

Many a times, strong-willed kids are always in power-struggles with their parents. However, it takes two to have a power struggle. Remember, as parents, you don't have to attend to every argument to which you are invited to! If you can take a deep breath when your anger buttons get pushed, and remind yourself that you can let your child save face and still get what you want, you can learn to sidestep those power struggles.

Research shows that parents who pay attention can avoid power struggles, even with strong-willed kids, by empathizing as they set limits, giving choices, and clearly offering respect. Always look for win/win solutions rather than just laying down the law keeps strong-willed children from becoming explosive and teaches them essential skills of negotiation and compromise.


Strong-willed kids aren't just being difficult. Try understanding that they feel their integrity is compromised if they're forced to submit to another person's will. I believe if a parent was once a strong willed child, they can comprehend this thinking better. If you do not like being controlled by your parents when young, the more you should not do it to your own children. If children are allowed to choose, they love to cooperate. If this bothers you because you think obedience is an important quality, I'd ask you to reconsider. Of course you want to raise a responsible, considerate, cooperative child who does the right thing, even when it's hard. But that doesn't imply obedience. Morality is doing what's right, no matter what you're told. Obedience is doing what you're told, no matter what's right. Parents must get it right and know the great difference between morality and obedience.

Of course you want your child to do what you say. But not because he's obedient, meaning that he always does what someone bigger tells him to do. No, you want him to do what you say because he trusts YOU, because you are the parent and have his best interests at heart. You want to raise a child who has self-discipline, takes responsibility, and is considerate -- and most important, has the discernment to figure out when to trust and be influenced by someone else.

Breaking a child's will leaves him open to the influence of others who often will not serve him. What's more, it's a betrayal of the spiritual contract we make as parents to nurture our child's unique gifts.

That said, strong-willed kids can be a handful -- high energy, challenging, persistent. How do we protect those fabulous qualities and encourage their cooperation?

Here's 10 Tips for Positive Parenting Your Strong-Willed Child

1. Avoid power struggles by using routines and rules. That way, you aren't bossing them around. For example, The lights-out is at 9pm. If you hurry, we’ll have time for two books or a small game.

2. Your strong-willed child wants mastery more than anything. Let him/her take charge of as many of her own activities as possible. Don’t nag at her to brush her teeth; ask instead “What else do you need to do before we leave?” If she looks blank, tick off the short list: “Every morning we eat, brush teeth, use the toilet, and pack the bags. I saw you pack, that's terrific! Now, what do you still need to do before we leave?” Kids who feel more independent and in charge of themselves will have less need to be oppositional. Not to mention, they take responsibility early.

3. Give your strong-willed child choices. If you give orders, he will almost certainly bristle. If you offer a choice, he feels like the master of his own destiny. Of course, only offer choices you can live with and don’t let yourself get resentful by handing away your power.

4. Give her authority over her own body. For example, when she knows she is cold, she will want a jacket on. Don't force a jacket on her.

5. Don't push him into opposing you. Force always creates "push-back" -- with humans of all ages. If you take a hard and fast position, you can easily push your child into defying you, just to prove a point. You'll know when it's a power struggle and you're invested in winning. Just stop, take a breath, and remind yourself that winning a battle with your child always sets you up to lose what’s most important: the relationship. When in doubt say "Ok, you can decide this for yourself." If he can't, then say what part of it he can decide, or find another way for him to meet his need for autonomy without compromising his health or safety.

6. Side-step power struggles by letting your child save face. You don’t have to prove you’re right. You can, and should, set reasonable expectations and enforce them. But under no circumstances should you try to break your child’s will or force him to acquiesce to your views. He has to do what you want, but he's allowed to have his own opinions and feelings about it.

7. Listen to her. You, as the adult, might reasonably presume you know best. But your strong-willed child has a strong will partly as a result of her integrity. She has a viewpoint that is making her hold fast to her position, and she is trying to protect something that seems important to her. Only by listening calmly to her and reflecting her words will you come to understand what’s making her oppose you. It may not seem like a good reason to you, but she has a reason. And you won’t find it out if you get into a clash and order her into something

8. See it from his point of view. For instance, he may be angry because you promised to wash his favorite t-shirt and then forgot. To you, he is being stubborn. To him, he is justifiably upset, and you are being hypocritical, because he is not allowed to break his promises to you, but you broke yours to him. How do you clear this up and move on? You apologize profusely for breaking your promise, you reassure him that you try very hard to keep your promises, and you go, together, to wash the t-shirt. You might even teach him how to wash his own clothes! Just consider how would you want to be treated, and treat him accordingly.

9. Discipline through the relationship, never through punishment. Kids don’t learn when they’re in the middle of a fight. Like all of us, that’s when adrenaline is pumping and learning shuts off. Kids behave because they want to please us. The more you fight with and punish your child, the more you undermine her desire to please you. If she's upset, help her express her hurt, fear or disappointment, so they evaporate. Then she'll be ready to listen to you when you remind her that in your house, everyone speaks kindly to each other.

10. Offer him respect and empathy.Read more about empathy and how to teach kids empathy in our last post. Most strong-willed children are fighting for respect. If you offer it to them, they don’t need to fight to protect their position. And, like the rest of us, it helps a lot if they feel understood.