After my pregnancies, I knew very little about how to transition back into activity. I knew I should take it slow, but I knew nothing about what symptoms to look for and. And then came the low back pain. And the knee pain. And the LEAKING!!!
So I started to investigate. None of this happened before I’d had a baby. My body had changed.
A common misconception is that you are 100% good to start back to regular exercises after you are cleared by the MD at your appointment. But, spending time with a PT who has a good understanding of postpartum care will decrease your risk of: Urinary incontinence, Prolapse
So though indirectly, the two are related.
Addressing these issues can save you a ton of trouble later. SO much chronic back pain and pelvic organ prolapse is attributed to things that started at childbirth.
The good news is, you can work to improve your diastasis recti anytime postpartum- weeks or years. It’s never too late. There are lots of internet guides that are great, but I do recommend meeting up with a PT who is skilled in DR assessment (depth and width). It’s easy to perform these exercises wrong in the beginning which can make things worse. SO having someone checking you during the activities can be very important.
Feel free to ask me more questions about this!
Rachel Atufunwa, PT, DPT