Abdominal diastasis is a phenomenon feared by some pregnant women, but unfortunately quite common during pregnancy.
What is it? And above all, how to react when the abdominal muscles do not reposition themselves as they should after the delivery?
During pregnancy, the body of the pregnant woman is subject to many changes. Some of them are, it is true, much more pleasant than others! Among the phenomena that mothers-to-be could do without: abdominal diastasis.
What is abdominal diastasis?
Also called diastasis of the rectus stomach muscles, abdominal diastasis is a separation between the right and left sides of the abdominal muscles, the rectus stomach muscles. The word "diastasis" comes from the ancient Greek and means "to separate".
Pregnant women and young mothers are the most affected by this phenomenon because, during pregnancy, the uterus starts to exert pressure on the abdominal muscles, which then stretch to make room for the baby, and sometimes even to the point of separating. Pregnancy hormones may also be involved, as they also relax the abdominal muscles.
Who can be affected by diastasis of the rectus stomach muscles?
Generally speaking, the women most affected by abdominal diastasis are those who have had a multiple pregnancy, or several pregnancies. But also considered "at risk" are those who gained a lot of weight during pregnancy, those who had a caesarean section, those who had very limited physical activity during their pregnancy, or those who gave birth to a large or fat baby.
Finally, the age of the pregnant woman (from 35 years old) and hereditary predisposition can also play a role.
It should be noted that newborns, and especially prematurely born babies, can also have abdominal diastasis. In some cases, the rectus stomach muscles is not developed enough to be fused. This can also be the case for men or women who have gained a lot of weight.
What are the symptoms of abdominal diastasis?
In the mother-to-be, diastasis can sometimes be seen in the conical shape of her belly, but this is not always the case. It is most often noticed after pregnancy. Especially when the young mother makes a muscular effort, by the appearance of a small bulge in the shape of a line, vertically in the middle of the belly. When she relaxes the abdominal muscles, it disappears and the belly takes on a distended appearance. Abdominal diastasis can only be definitively diagnosed after an X-ray.
Is diastasis of the rectus stomach muscles serious?
In the vast majority of cases, diastasis does not have any adverse health consequences. The abdominal muscles return to their original position naturally, and little by little. Overall, the main discomfort of pregnant women suffering from abdominal diastasis is aesthetic.
However, it is not impossible that some people feel pelvic or lumbar pain when they make physical efforts: climbing stairs, playing sports, bending over to hold their baby... Back pain, or even lumbago or back pain, can then appear. In rare cases, the diastasis can also create dysfunctions in the pelvic floor, and therefore urinary or anal incontinence, or sometimes even a prolapse (descent of organs).
How can abdominal diastasis be treated?
During pregnancy, there's not much you can do to reduce or prevent abdominal diastasis. You can, however, make sure that your posture is correct and that you limit your weight gain. After giving birth, encourage a healthy lifestyle (including a healthy, balanced diet and drinking plenty of water, combined with some physical exercise, taking care not to overstretch the abdominal muscles) and good posture. This can only help the diastasis to disappear.
After pregnancy, it is also possible to use physiotherapy by doing specific exercises. These will aim to strengthen the abdominal belt so that the rectus stomach muscles can be repositioned and the gap between the abdominal muscles can be gradually reduced. You can also ask for a helping hand through cosmetic surgery by having an abdominoplasty. If you are overweight, a reduction in excess weight is recommended before considering surgery. In some cases, weight loss is sufficient.
What does abdominoplasty consist of in the case of abdominal diastasis?
Sometimes, when the diastasis of the rectus stomach muscles causes health problems, abdominoplasty may be necessary. In this case, the operation may be covered by the health insurance.
Overall, the operation consists of bringing together the abdominal muscles that were separated during pregnancy.
Thus, when the rectus stomach muscles are too stretched to be able to be reattached simply by doing physical exercise, the operation consists of bringing the muscles together by holding them together with threads.
Note that this operation cannot be performed on pregnant women.
It is therefore advisable to wait until you are sure that you do not want to have another pregnancy, and to wait at least 6 months after giving birth before considering such an operation.
