Pre & Post Natal

Because I am a certified Pre & Post Natal Specialist and a mother, I know how important it is to exercise during, and after pregnancy to stay fit and "phirm". I believe that exercise during pregnancy facilitates easier labors, healthier babies, and happier new moms.  I encourage proper exercise form and appropriate modifications in all of my classes aligned with the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines for safe exercise before, during, and after pregnancy.

 

After having my son, my midwife discovered that I had a condition called diastasis recti split. Some of you may have never heard about it, so here is a little explanation.  Diastasis recti (also known as abdominal separation) is defined as a separation of the rectus abdominis muscle into right and left halves.  In pregnant or postpartum women, the condition is caused by the stretching of the rectus abdominis by the growing uterus. When the condition occurs during pregnancy, the uterus can sometimes be seen bulging through the abdominal wall beneath the skin. FYI, one function of the rectus abdominis is to support your back and your organs. Hence, when these muscles are separated they cannot do their job.

 

I was very thankful that my midwife checked me so that I could take care of my recti split. Meanwhile, I have heard and seen many moms who are struggling to get rid off their “mummy tummy”. Why is that? It is because most women developed a recti split during pregnancy and don’t even know it.  Furthermore, they never got checked and are constantly wondering why their tummy doesn’t return to its prenatal size. Several women do not know that there are certain exercises, which should be avoided if the condition exists like crunches and sit-ups! These exercises may cause your diastasis recti to get worse or make the gap of your abdominal separation bigger.