In plain words
Diastasis recti abdominis, or DRA, is a widening of the gap between the two sides of the , the long belly muscles. The midline tissue, the , stretches and thins as the baby grows. Most pregnancies show some widening by late pregnancy. For many mothers the gap narrows over the months after birth. For some it stays wider beyond a year. A bulge along the midline, most visible when sitting up or straining, is the usual sign. DRA is measured by the distance between the muscle edges, usually a few finger widths above the navel. Many mothers have no pain. Some have back, pelvic, or core symptoms. A physical therapist who treats the core can help sort out what is happening.
The deeper version
DRA is an increase in caused by widening and thinning of the linea alba, occurring in most pregnancies by the third trimester and persisting in a substantial minority of women beyond one year postpartum. Boissonnault and Blaschak (Physical Therapy, 1988) and Sperstad and colleagues (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016) reported prevalence and risk factors across the childbearing year, with multiparity, higher birth weight, and older age among associated factors. Measurement by palpation, calipers, or ultrasound is inconsistent, and cut-offs for pathology are not standardized. Benjamin and colleagues (Physiotherapy, 2014) found that exercise may change the gap less than it changes function. Controversy persists about whether the gap predicts pain or hernia risk and whether surgical repair has a role.
Where it comes up
- Belly bindingNourishment and Traditions
- Your changing body and how you feel about itPregnancy: Mind and Life
- Diastasis recti: abdominal separationPregnancy: Your Body
- Moving your body in pregnancyPregnancy: Your Body
What mothers here say about diastasis recti abdominis
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Sources
- Sperstad JB et al. — Diastasis recti abdominis during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth: prevalence, risk factors and related pain. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016
- Benjamin DR, van de Water ATM, Peiris CL — Effects of exercise on diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle in the antenatal and postnatal periods: a systematic review. Physiotherapy, 2014