Dailymail Vesti

You CAN get rid of mum tum: Having a baby bump can make women's muscles baggy after birth and the stomach bulge out - but there is a pioneering treatment if you know what to ask for

At least once a week Lauren Askew is congratulated on her pregnancy - but she's not pregnant. 'It's so embarrassing and upsetting,' she says.

Source: Cubes | 

04.12.2024, 16:25

facebook twitter linkedin link mail

Cubes

At least once a week Lauren Askew is congratulated on her pregnancy – but she's not pregnant.

'It's so embarrassing and upsetting,' she says. 'If it's a stranger, I just go along with it because I can't face saying anything.

'But if it's someone I'm going to see again, I have to say, 'Actually, it's a condition'.'

Lauren, 42, gave birth to twin boys in June 2021 and has severe diastasis recti – a condition where the abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy and do not return to their normal position.

While some degree of separation is normal in every pregnancy – as hormonal changes cause ligaments to relax – normally the muscles naturally come back together after birth.

But in one in three women, the muscles and connective tissues of the rectus abdominis – the 'six pack' muscles which run vertically down the front of your stomach – separate too far, so can't return to their position.

The condition is usually caused by pregnancy, particularly if a woman has a large bump – such as Lauren's twin pregnancy – or is very petite, overweight or quickly becomes pregnant again after a previous birth.

Genetics and pushing for long periods during labour are linked with the condition. It can also be triggered or worsened if a woman exercises intensely before recovering core strength in the weeks after birth – especially doing sit-ups or certain yoga positions which cause the abs to bulge.

Lauren, 42, gave birth to twin boys in June 2021 and has severe diastasis recti ¿ a condition where the abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy and do not return to their normal position

Comments (0)

LIVE TV

Blue to Red: The Shifting of America
The most read