Diastasis is when the muscles of the abdomen separate in the middle to allow more room for whatever is happening beneath them inside of the abdominal cavity. It is common in pregnancy but not exclusively as this can happen with any increase in size in the abdomen.
There is a band of connective tissue that runs from the base of the breast bone down through the belly button to the pubic bone called the linea alba (meaning: white line). It is the meeting point for the left and right side of your torso and allows the room for your abdomen to grow if it needs to without too much muscle disturbance.
When the muscles can’t stretch any further around your belly they part ways to allow more room and it is this connective tissue (linea alba) that allows the stretch. When the contents of the abdomen reduces in size i.e. postnatal, the soft tissue of the abdomen can lose tension which looks and feels different from person to person and sometimes can look and feel like a gap in this midline.
Diastasis does need individual assessment, as everyone is different and therefore will have a unique set of symptoms or presentations (if any at all) and it is common to feel a bit hollow in the abdomen with a tummy gap due to the reduced tension that is required for good control of pressure in the abdomen when you move and breathe.
Having a wide, narrow, deep or shallow gap does not make any difference in the presentation of symptoms and ultimately it is how your body performs with activity that should be at the “core” (see what I did there) of your rehab journey.
Every pregnancy will have an element of diastasis in the last trimester and even those who have not had any pregnancy at all can have a gap from 0.5 - 4.5 cm. Measuring it is not really useful unless you’ve measured prior to becoming pregnant and even that just adds unnecessary pressure to postnatal recovery as some gaps remain with no change to bodily function at all.
The moral of the story is to not get too caught up in the measurements or how it looks but to make sure you are working toward a body that you need for your life.
Healing in every body is the same but will look different to each individual so if you’re unsure then book a session today and we can work towards your goals.
DON’T JUST LIVE WITH IT!
Book in for a Pelvic Health Physiotherapy appointment or a Mummy MOT with Sarah