What is 'Mummy Tummy'? Oh you know it's that belly bulge you never used to have, the one that dosen't go away even though you're at your pre-pregnancy weight. It's the odd phenomenon of your belly actually getting bigger the more sit-ups and crunches you do. If this is happening to you then you have abdominal muscles that are separated, clinically called a 'diastasis recti'. It's easy to check for yourself.
The female body is AMAZING in the way it changes and and adjusts to accommodate a human life inside. The way the abdominal muscles support the uterus and stretch and separate to make room for baby is truly incredible. With strong abdominals after birth the muscles will contract back to their normal size and return to their normal place, the connective tissue naturally healing and coming back together. But, this process becomes more difficult the weaker your abdominal wall is, the more children you have, the bigger your babies are and if you carry multiples. Every woman's body is different, but the number one thing ALL new mothers can do to support their bodies and speed post-partum healing is to wrap up their belly with an external support garment in the weeks and months following birth. Wrap up and get as much rest as possible with your baby next to you, focus on breastfeeding and caring for your baby and add gentle exercise with your baby as your energy allows.
Gentle is key, stress and strain on those hard-worked stretched-out muscles will damage your body, it's in a delicate place and needs the right kind of strengthening. While resuming exercise that makes you feel good as soon after birth as you like is good for you, traditional ab work like sit-ups and crunches will stress your body and make a diastasis recti larger, or create one. It's especially important to care for your body in this way after a cesarean birth as your body has extra healing to do. External support for your uterus as it shrinks, for your organs as they rearrange and your skin as it recovers from being stretched like a rubber band makes a huge difference in everything finding it's right place again. Makes sense right? So much sense actually that women have been doing it in all corners of the world for a while.
Along with a good bellywrap your transverse abdominal muscle is your best friend, as Julie Tupler is fond of saying. She is right! A strong, engaged transverse will protect your back, improve your balance, increase the intensity of any workout and will also keep you more comfortable through pregnancy, help your body to regain it's shape quicker after birth and will protect your pelvic floor for the rest of your life. Good stuff right??
GREAT stuff, and for more than just Posh Mama's. I have been fascinated to see how many clients of Tupler's are men who are battling beer bellies, separated abdominals and umbilical hernias from excessive weight gain and even excessive exercise like body building. Properly engaging the transverse muscle is the key ingredient missing in many people's workouts. When I first heard about diastasis recti I thought it was some strange, rare, embarrassing condition and my vanity was having just a little bit of a heart attack over the prospect of it happening to me when carrying my twins, which was my third pregnancy. I bounced back well after my first two babies, my belly going back to it's original flatness with the enjoyable work of exercise and eating well. I love feel active, energetic and healthy!
But.... turns out even though my belly was flat, I had a minor diastasis after my second baby and didn't even know it! I also had a small umbilical hernia and didn't even know it! After having my twins I wrapped my belly for months and one day finally checked for the dreaded diastasis. I could fit nearly two fingers inbetween the rectus abdominis muscles that run vertically down the center of my body. Oh the horror! As I continued to lose my baby weight, I began to notice a small bulge above my belly button, one that was squishy and painless when I pressed it. A little bit of intestine coming out from in between my muscles. A hernia. Grosssss! I am a monster!!!!
In reality this condition is extremely common, and contrary to popular belief can be greatly reduced and repaired through exercise, no surgery necessary. Even for extreme cases. Nothing to be so scared of after all.
Here I am in the bliss of ignorance, the summer before my twin pregnancy hanging out in the sun having fun with my friends, completely unaware I am showing off my innards. See that little round bump above my navel?
Who knew a hernia could match a bikini so well?
Well now that I know it's there I'm not finding it so easy to ignore and have been pleased to see it growing smaller as I continue to do Tupler's exercises.
Which brings me to my second Tupler tip.
2. Incorporate her isometric contractions into your daily life! It's easy! A lot easier than finding the time to count repetitions of each Tupler's three exercises three times a day with a bunch of busy kids to take of. Though finding the time is EXACTLY what you should do if you have a large diastasis and protruding umbilical hernia you are serious about repairing. Follow her program and you will see results! But, once you have seen your abdominal muscles pull back together (I can barely squeeze a finger in between mine today) or if you do not have diastasis and just want to tone and strengthen your abdominal wall you will still see great results and keep your tummy tight by engaging your transverse and contracting it Tupler-style through the day. The more you do it the more it becomes second nature and the better you feel. And look! And the less chance you'll injure yourself, caring for little ones is demanding on your body. Growing old is a tough physical job too, learn to keep your pelvic floor strong and supported with engaged abs on a daily basis and you'll thank your younger self in your later years.
It's really easy to contract your transverse muscle in any seated position like while driving or sitting at a desk and the muscle should be engaged every time you lift a child, carry anything heavy, stand up and sit down, or exercise. You'll run better, walk your double stroller farther, hit the volleyball harder, balance on your dancing heels better, see your hatha poses get stronger, and kick the soccer ball farther. Whatever you like to do for fitness will get better when your transverse engaged. Yes that's the exact same thing as your core.
So Tupler has not exactly discovered the moon but she really understands the abdominal muscles and how they respond to exercise, why the forceful forward motion of exercises like crunches, sit-ups, the pilates 100, tennis and golf can create a larger, more bulging belly. I've heard plenty of fitness pros say 'tighten your core!' but never known anyone to explain and employ the core the way Tupler does.
However, Patty Simkins' Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn which I am currently reading in preparation for my doula certification does describe transverse abdominal contraction exercises very similar to Tupler's, I'll give you basics here:
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, shoulders dropped and squared, or sit with your back straight against a wall. Inhale deeply into your belly, filling it up with air as if it were a balloon. On exhaling press all the air out of your belly balloon. Notice where your belly button is, and how your abdominal muscles feel when your belly is emptied of air. This place is 'neutral' for your transverse. To engage it imagine there is an accordion inside your body from your bellybutton to your spine and press it back, back, back, back, all the way to your spine. You should feel your muscles working all around your waist and to your back. Practice holding this contraction and breathing gently. Then practice releasing it slightly, then pulling back in again. And that's pretty much it. Do these contractions before getting pregnant to get your abs in their best shape, through pregnancy to support your growing uterus and relieve back pain, after birth to heal your body quicker, and for the rest of your life.
Alright Posh Mama's, can't wait to hear your experiences with post-partum exercise, get your tips on what's worked for you and what hasn't and especially your own experiences with The Tupler Technique!
