my abdominal muscles have split :(

[gerb]

has anyone else had this? i didnt know i was mean to roll over before getting up after laying down etc and the mw said iv separated my abdominal muscles- iv noticed for a while wen i sat up my tummy went all pointy but i just didnt realise...am i really dumb or has anyone else had this?
im a bit annoyed now i always had a big bum but i had a little tummy now iv gone and ruined it! does anyone know if itll fix itself or will i have to get someone to stitch it up??

 

[xjdx]

Ive never heard of this before, im really sorry hun. Is it painful? I hope it doesnt stop you enjoying the rest of your pregnancy x x

 

[gerb]

no it doesnt hurt i didnt realise until they said. maybe its because i had a little tummy to begin with, i guess its happened gradually

 

[fran_23]

I thought that happened to everyone in pregnancy..you gt a big gap in the middle that you can feel when you have had baby...they gradually come back together after the birth! or is she saying that you have actually split your muscles??
If you had then i would have thought that it would be very painful..think how much it hurts when you pull a tummy muscle!

 

[Becky]

I was vaguely aware of this but had no idea that a "pointy" tummy was a sign, I get this sometimes depending what way I sit up/move etc and my MW didn't say anything about it when I saw her yesterday....

Just how "pointy" is it?

 

[fran_23]

Heres a good link for you

tummy muscles in pregnancy

 

[Fly]

The stomach muscles do kinda unzip when you are pregnant.. people with very firm stomach muscles pre-pregnancy would notice this more.. you can feel it when you run your fingers down from your cleavage down towards your belly button - it kinda indents a little ? I don't think it ever quite goes back but don't quote me on any of this.. vague recollections from antenatal classes ten years ago...

 

[charlotte_]

MW told me 'how to get up' last time i saw her to avoid this happening. i really thought it would hurt!

 

[gerb]

thankyou for the link, i have been having a read
apparently it happens to up to a third of people, it looks like its a physio thing but looking it up it seems some people can develop hernias and need surgery after. it doesnt seem to cause pain as such but can cause back pain in the longterm
i think most sort themselves out, i guess im just being a bit vain because i liked my tummy i knew it would never be the same but it seems some people who get it get left looking 5months pg longterm, i dont mind looking pregnant wen im pregnant but dont really want to look pregnant wen im not
the mw said i might need some kind of corset thing better start saving for a tummy tuck!!!

 

[aramintalovegrove]

I dont roll over to get up when at clinics etc and have never been told this is wrong (I do at home as i seem to have all pregnancy unfriendly furniture low to the ground )

I also thought it was usual for the muscles to split and it was a reason with any pregnancies after your first you feel things and generally have bigger bumps quicker, because your body doent have the muscles inplace anymore.

If your worried I would ask for your MW to explain better but TBH I agree with what the others have said

 

[Fly]

now then... i think it was the autumn/winter jojobebe catalogue i seen them in but somewhere was sellin light support pants suitable for after birth that hold everything in and give you some support to get ya figure back.... make granny pants your frienddssssss sloggi are well comfy

 

[Little Bump]

I was told that I had diverification of the stomach muscles when I was in my teens. The doctor could get his fingers between them

It's never really caused me any problems, and no ones ever said to do this or not do that. I do find that I'm more prone pulling myself when lifting etc hich would leave me sore for a few days, but I soon learned my capabilities. For instance carrying a full bucket of water for the horses would pull me when initially lifting it from the floor, so I sat it on something higher before filling it. Couldn't lift a full bale of hay without pulling myself, so split them first and then used the wheelbarrow.

now I have bump (still in there!) I have noticed that I go very pointy when sitting up either from bed or even when I've been sat back on the sofa, and coughing makes it point too!

 

[gerb]

yeah coughing makes it do it too
i think ill try and not worry and deal with it later, u know wen u hear these things tho u worry for a few days then it wears off
i did intially think they split too, but now im confused! ill just try and not worry!!

 

[hennaly]

Mine seperated so far my midwife could get her fist in, it doesnt hurt and with correct excersise will go back to normal so dont worry.

 

[Sherlock]

I'm amazed you are able to just sit up from lying down anyways I simply could not do that by about 30 weeks.

And yeah, rolling over on to your side is safer all round. And actually easier.

Hopefully your muscles will repair themselves fine after giving birth.

 

[flowergirl]

After the birth ask for some expert advice about correcting the split. If your midwife doesn;t put you onto a physio then go to your gp- you should get back to *almost* normal with the right exercises. Good luck

 

[lea m]

I have to say I had this with mine and thought it was quite normal?! I always had the pointy thing after birth but did really really hurt it after Lucy! Years later I still had extremly bad ripping pains when I did sit-ups! (a lot of them) so try and be as careful as you can hun! Especially AFTER birth!

 

[Manda&Thomas]

omg my belly did that
i still look pregnant even though ive lost loads of weight do you think thats why?
i used to have a lovely toned belly
xx

 

[gerb]

girls thanx for all the advice, im less traumatised now
manda that maybe why theres lots about it if u hunt its called 'diastasis recti'
sherlock yeah i can still sit up!! i think i had a strong tummy once, im going to try not to do it anymore tho!