Postpartum Diastasis Recti & Waist Training

Let’s talk postpartum abs for a moment, shall we? Every body is different — some bellies pop right back in place, others take time, while others never quite go back in. And that’s ok too.

And yes, there’s a time to embrace our bodies and admire with awe what God has made our bodies to do. There are marks and scars and extra skin, but . . . it doesn’t have to end there! 

When I first saw myself in the mirror after giving birth to my daughter, I remember thinking, I still looked pregnant, a lot. 

After I came from the hospital, I started healing my C-section scars to make sure my body is fully recovered. However, more than a month later, I've noticed that my belly still looks quite bloated and it looked like my bladder was kinda sticking out. I lied down on my back, bended my knees, lifted my head up and touched my stomach around my belly button just to realize that I am able to stick almost two fingers inside. That's how I discovered I have a Diastasis recti. 

Action plan: Diastasis Recti exercises & waist training

I've started doing multiple diastasis recti exercises every day (or when I remember) and I've also incorporated waist training into my daily routine again, wearing it sun-up to sun-down for about four months. During those four months I was able to down size from size L all the way to size S, reducing my muscle separation from two fingers width to half a finger. 

If you ask me, the best strategy to minimise or get rid of diastasis is a combination of special exercises (planks etc. will only make it worse) and waist training, but you don't want to be slacking and wearing your waist cincher only for an hour per day because that's not going to help you, girl. 

I wear my waist trainer in a color Natural. As I write this blog, I only wear it while exercising (more about waist training while exercising here) or running errands, but I still continue this journey and pushing to finally close the muscle gap. And what about your journey?