# Split Abdominal muscle anyone?



## lizziedripping

Hi everyone. As some of you know, a woman's main abdo muscle (the six pack one) separates during pregnancy to accomodate the growind uterus - it. After giving birth it usually settles slowly back together. In my case, and in other women who have had twins. large babies or several pregnancies, it can seperate a little too much and not come together again leaving a gaping hole :wacko:

When the twins had arrived, our consultant who looked after me when my premature daughter was born came to see me, and said that I had a 3-4cm gap (when normally it is 2) and that it would need surgery to correct. My belly button and stomach contents are not being supported by anything, so I have an unsightly "pot bellied" appearance. He said that at the moment there is no protection of my bowel and it is dangerous to leave things as they are.

I had physio for several weeks, and the physiotherapist said the gap had closed to 2cms and that she didn't think surgery was necessary. The doc says different, and that there is an area of my tummy (around my naval) where the gap is still significant. WHen asking him if excercise is likely to close that gap further, he couldn't say.

I am quite slim, and very active, and seriously swim twice a week which is great for toning these kind of muscles. I was wndering if any twin mummies had had this experience and can let me know if their abdomen repaired itself over time, and if so how long did it take? Did you do anything specific to help it? ANyone had the surgery to correct the problem?

I really don't want the trauma of surgery unless absolutely necessary, but neither do I want the continuing discomfort, hernia-like symptoms, and horrid appearance that I have now. My twins were massive (16Ibs total), and of course I didn't expect to have "washboard abs" after their birth, but I now need to know best course of action to take prevent any problems later on.

Any advice/experience much appreciated :hugs:


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## RebaMc

Hmmm... I'm a bit worried about mine too, although I've not done much about it!

Have found this to be good reading though: https://pregnancyfitnessinsurrey.com/category/postnatal-exercise/diastasis-recti-postnatal-exercise


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## MrsRabbit

I only had single babies but I got huge, had lots of water etc.

I don't know how to feel. I still look several months pregnant and have no insurance so I cannot get it fixed. I hate that I'm thin everywhere else but my stomach - it makes it look even more silly.

I'm thinking of getting a belly band or supportive underwear to see if it helps.


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## vineyard

I'm the same way. Exactly as you describe. I have a 3 finger width separation between my abdominals and and also have a hernia. I'm potbellied and I can watch my bowel move. I have no belly button. My OB didn't seem concerned at all. Surgery would be considered cosmetic and I can't afford it.

I'm a skinny girl with a nasty belly. I'm 5' 7" and 126 lbs now.......But, the belly looks gross! I HATE IT!!


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## lizziedripping

Awful isn't it? I'm the same, the rest of me is reasonably slim (tho I'm no skinny bean ;)), but then have this 4 month preggo look if I wear anything tight. 

Consultant says it can be done on NHS because it isn't good to have unsupported organs and bowels, it can cause problems later on. It feels very peculiar and tender. My lower back aches like tooth ache because that muscle also supports the lumbar region. It is apprently a problem for smaller built, but taller women because that muscle isn't then very flexible in pregnancy so just tears open under the extreme weight of twins or very large babies. Nice :(

As for loose hanging "twin skin" - well that's a seperate issue I also never had after singletons - cripes x


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## midori1999

My abdominal muscles were seriously seperated after the birth of my second son. He wasn't huge, 10lb, but I had been. I was bigger than most of the twin ladies are on here at near term. 

Surgery to correct it would be a tummy tuck, inlcuding muscle repair and it is very difficult to get on the NHS, especially recently, despite most of the women who need it having split abdominal muscles due to child bearing. It is also very major surgery and leaves a very large scar, usually just from hip to hip, under the bikini line, but sometimes that as well as a scar from under the ribcage going down, via the navel and joining the hip to hip scar. 

I had a tummy tuck (privately) after my third son, well after though, about two years prior to getting pregnant with my girls. I did it as I because I had no tummy muscles to speak of, after a meal everything stuck out and I looked very pregnant. I did also have loose skin, but that could be hidden with clothes, it was the muscle thing that bothered me. 

Having been pregnant again, I do have some minor seperation of the muscles, but only around the bely button area, the rest seem to have held together, probably as they were stitched that way. I am hoping diet, fitness and the slendertone I have just bought will fix that. 

This is what I looked like before my op, the 'saggy' photos are what I looked like in the morning, the 'pregnant' ones are what I looked like at night. I am NOT sticking my tummy out in any of the photos. 

https://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20291887

This is me after the op, NOT holding my tummy in... :haha: I still have some swelling (the recovery period is around a year for this surgery!) but am pretty pleased with the results. 

https://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20465929


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## vineyard

midori, that's exactly what I look like! No insurance here cover muscle repair which is just plain student. It's considered cosmetic. I'm in so much back pain and sick of seeing my intestines moving---nothing cosmetic about that!!


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## lizziedripping

Hi, and thanks Midori for sharing hun - wow the surgery really did an amazing job. My tum looks like the hard protruding bit around my navel that you have. THe rest isn't too bad, just some paper thin floppy skin hanging down.

My consultant said he would do surgery when I saw him post twin delivery. He told me to come and see him in clinic, so have booked in for October. He said it is unacceptable to leave it because health problems can occur as a result. 

Was really wondering if any of you ladies had seen improvement with just excercise alone. I have managed to achieve some closure of the muscle from minimal excercising and was wondering whether further improvement might occur after another 4 months without having to resort to surgery x


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## vineyard

lizziedripping said:


> Hi, and thanks Midori for sharing hun - wow the surgery really did an amazing job. My tum looks like the hard protruding bit around my navel that you have. THe rest isn't too bad, just some paper thin floppy skin hanging down.
> 
> My consultant said he would do surgery when I saw him post twin delivery. He told me to come and see him in clinic, so have booked in for October. He said it is unacceptable to leave it because health problems can occur as a result.
> 
> Was really wondering if any of you ladies had seen improvement with just excercise alone. I have managed to achieve some closure of the muscle from minimal excercising and was wondering whether further improvement might occur after another 4 months without having to resort to surgery x

I'm wondering what sort of problems. Because like I mentioned, my ob wasn't concerned about it all one bit. Said its normal and basically to just deal with it. She wasn't even concerned about the painful hernia and blew me off.


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## midori1999

lizziedripping said:


> Hi, and thanks Midori for sharing hun - wow the surgery really did an amazing job. My tum looks like the hard protruding bit around my navel that you have. THe rest isn't too bad, just some paper thin floppy skin hanging down.
> 
> *My consultant said he would do surgery when I saw him post twin delivery. He told me to come and see him in clinic, so have booked in for October. He said it is unacceptable to leave it because health problems can occur as a result. *
> Was really wondering if any of you ladies had seen improvement with just excercise alone. I have managed to achieve some closure of the muscle from minimal excercising and was wondering whether further improvement might occur after another 4 months without having to resort to surgery x

Did he specify what health problems he meant? Is he an obsterician?


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## MrsRabbit

vineyard said:


> I'm the same way. Exactly as you describe. I have a 3 finger width separation between my abdominals and and also have a hernia. I'm potbellied and I can watch my bowel move. I have no belly button. My OB didn't seem concerned at all. Surgery would be considered cosmetic and I can't afford it.
> 
> *I'm a skinny girl with a nasty belly. I'm 5' 7" and 126 lbs now.......But, the belly looks gross! I HATE IT!!*

That's me. I don't know my weight but I wear size 4 in jeans but I got this tummy. I don't hold out much hope. My mother dieted got down to 104lbs at 5'3[too thin but she was trying to get rid of the baby belly] and still had the tummy. One day I hope to get rich so I can get all this destroyed skin cut off!


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