My Belly Bulge Three Months Postpartum

I love nothing more than answering your questions, honestly and openly. I have over 15 years experience with helping Mamas just like you through their pregnancy and postpartum journeys and I myself have two young boys (now aged 2 and 4), so I get it.

I get everything you are going through and will strive to help you find the answers you’ve been searching for.

Here’s just one of the many questions I get asked on a weekly basis. And one I’ve been asked many times, so read my answer and touch base with me about anything at all to do with #diastasis #bellybulge #mummytummy

My Belly Bulge Three Months Postpartum

Question from a Mama 3 months postpartum

I am 3 months PP and I have been struggling with a huge belly bulge. Pre pregnancy I had a very flat tummy with toned abs. I’d like to understand if this is a symptom of diastasis recti and if it will ever heal. I don’t feel I’ve gotten straight up answers up to this point.

Kerryn’s Answer

Firstly congratulations on your baby! I know it’s been months now since they were born, but my girl, you’re still in those early months postpartum. It’s all still very new. For you, your baby and your body in it’s recovery.

How are you going with sleep and the hustle of motherhood at the moment? It’s a question that needs an honest answer.

Because if you’re comparing what you looked like before you were even pregnant with this baby that’s now in your arms, waking you over night and demanding so much of your time and energy.. you can’t.

It’s no comparison.

Your life is completely different and the demands on you right now as so much more than they ever have been.

The lack of sleep and the extra stress of looking after a dependent has a huge impact on your entire body.

Your hormones are still racing around and haven’t yet found balance, you’re up overnight, your day consists of everything your baby needs.

BUT it’s been three months since you gave birth, so it feels like a lifetime, and you are SO ready to have your body back.

Nine months is a long time of progressive growth in pregnancy.

What NO one tells you at this end here at three months postpartum, is that it takes a decent chunk of time for everything to settle back into place again.

Your uterus has only just finally gone back to pre-pregnancy size, but you have a weakened core that surrounds your uterus (and all your pelvic organs).

Do you notice that your tummy protrudes more towards the end of the day?

Diastasis Recti is a weakening of the connective tissue that brings your rectus abdominis (six pack muscle) together.

The thing is, it’s more than just about the gap. It’s also about the depth that your fingers go through, watch this video for more on this.

Simple at Home Check for Diastasis Recti

 

Here are some questions to ask:

1. Have you seen a women’s health physiotherapist?

2. Have you been told you have diastasis recti?

3. What exercises have you been doing to date since the birth of your baby?

4. Do you walk most days?

There are so many questions to ask, and so many variables that play out.

I’m here to help.

My Core Rehab program that I see you started briefly, is designed to guide you step by step.

There is no hard and fast trick to postpartum. It doesn’t work that way. And anyone who is selling you something that does work quickly is:

1. Not taking into account everything that it is included in being a mother of a new baby with the sleep, stress and demands

2. They are marketing to you, take your money, smash you through a month of exercises that might, at the other end, leave you worse off in regard to your pelvic floor, your back and your mummy tummy.
I say all this because I’ve been in this field for a long time.

I’ve had two babies myself and my youngest is almost two, and if I’m honest – I’m only now fully feeling back to it all now.

To read that at three months postpartum I know sounds daunting, but at five months postpartum with my first I felt on top of the world.

At three months postpartum, I still had the mummy tummy. I just started losing hair in big chunks (as your estrogen level dropped and your hair follicles entered their resting/shedding phase.

During pregnancy, your estrogen increased, the growing stage of your hair was prolonged, hence you had such beautiful luxurious locks of hair during pregnancy.)

I also had a very flat tummy pre-kids and know exactly what it’s like to have that desire to have it back again.

It’s so misleading with all the social media and advertisements that sell you the ‘bounce back’. But I work with too many women that did the hard yards with all the ‘bounce back’ gimmicks.

And then come to me a year postpartum with pelvic organ prolapse because they went too hard on the ab exercises without correct technique or progressive programming.

The flatter tummy will come, it’s all about posture, back care, pelvic floor, glute strength and working with the body as a whole from the inside out.

I know this is a long answer to your – what seems a simply questions – but there’s complexities to it. There are variables.

Just know I’m here for you. Feel free to ask me any more questions that arise from all of what I’ve just wrote!

If reading this article has prompted questions, then I’m here to help answer them! You can use our contact us page to ask me anything.

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