4 Things That Helped My Postpartum Belly and Diastasis Recti Heal

Are you a mum who's worried about how your belly looks? Do you feel like you're still looking pregnant, even months or years later? Or just disproportionate around the midline? This is often a sign of diastasis recti, and I was one of you. I probably still am, if I'm honest.

These are the things that actually helped me:

First: Diet. Your body changes after pregnancy, and things that were fine before might not work anymore. You need to pay attention to your trigger points. For example, prosecco doesn't sit right with me, nor do boiled potatoes or sweet potatoes. Find out what triggers you and try to manage it.

Second: Breathing. This one's huge for healing diastasis recti. The more you breathe deeply and allow your pelvic floor to engage, the better your entire mechanics work. It helps manage intra-abdominal pressure and stabilise the spine. After pregnancy, your abdominals have been stretched, we're talking fifty centimetres of stretch. That's half a metre! You need to rebuild that tone, which brings me to the third thing.

Third: Core. You need to strengthen those underlying muscles. Typically, when we talk about core muscles, we're referring to those deep muscles that support and stabilise the mid area of the body, including your back. This is where postnatal Pilates comes in, especially when it's designed for postpartum bodies. I focus on the key areas that actually matter for diastasis recti recovery.

Lastly: Alignment. After birth, a lot of us tend to hold ourselves in a way that pushes the belly forward, an anteriorly tilted pelvis. You need support, not more push-out. One simple thing you can do right now is better align yourself and come into the midline. Watch how that immediately changes how you appear in the mirror.

Looking for Pilates for diastasis recti near you? Come to my classes and let's work on this together. Saturdays at Vulcan Works and Wednesdays at The Elgar Centre in Upton.