How do I close the gap? Part 1
It is distressing to enter the postpartum period not feeling “like yourself” and not knowing how to gain the information you need. Your provider checked you out and cleared you for activity, but you do not feel ready to jump back into your previous workout routine. It is upsetting and confusing whether you look “still pregnant”, do not feel strong, can feel a “gap” between your muscles, or feel pain when caring for your baby. All too often people are left feeling upset, unheard, and questioning how they will ever recover. One common question is “how do I close the gap?” To get the right answer you need to ask the right question, and unfortunately this isn’t really the right question. Check out my other posts on diastasis to get a good understanding of the anatomy affected, test yourself to determine whether you have a measurable gap, and find out why you are struggling when your friends seem fine.
Now, onto the part you want to know the most. How to “close the gap”!
I always recommend seeing a perinatal physical therapist with pelvic floor expertise in the early postpartum period. Whether online or in person, there is no replacement for having an expert watch you move and work with you on your form in exercise and movement. That being said you can do a lot independently to work on your pressure management and neuromuscular control (I know big words, it just means how your brain communicates with your muscles).
The first step I recommend, is checking if your bones are aligned.
You can do two self assessments yourself to at least get a sense of the current state in your body. If you find that either your rib cage or your pelvis is not in alignment, then stop and call your local perinatal physical therapist. You are going to have difficulty engaging your muscles if they are not aligned well.
Check your rib angle. Place your hands along the inside edges of your ribs. You should have your fingers aligned at about 90 degrees and your two hands should be relatively symmetrical. That means one hand should not be more horizontal.
Once you know your bones are aligned you can start working on improving your breathing pattern.
Your rib cage should expand forward, sideways, and backwards as you breath. Your belly and pelvic floor should move out as your lungs inflate on inhale and move in on exhale. Your belly and pelvic floor are two sides of one balloon they should move out together as you breath in and in together as you breath out. Here is a video to help.
If you are not able to expand your rib cage in all directions as you breathe, then try this exercise to improve rib movement in your back.
If that doesn’t work then you would likely benefit from further guidance from a physical therapist. You should master an improved breath pattern before working on engaging your muscles. I know it seems so basic, but if you cannot breath well, then you will struggle to engage your abdominal muscles well. Check out information about postpartum physical therapy with New Journey Physical Therapy here or schedule a postpartum consultation here.