Have you had a baby?
Then you may need to do a Diastasis Recti self-assessment.
This assessment is easy, quick, and something you can do in the comfort of your home. It is to check if your abdominal muscles are starting to approximate post pregnancy.
How do you do it?
Check out the steps below:
- Lie down on your back on a flat surface and stretch out your legs.
- Take two fingers side by side and place them right at your belly button.
- Lift your head up so you’re looking at your toes.
- Repeat this step two inches below your belly button and two inches above your belly button.
That’s it! You may also watch my video here for a demonstration.
(The picture to the left shows me assessing a postpartum mama, but to perform yourself just place your fingers where mine are.)
But what are you looking for as you’re doing this?
You are feeling for two things during this assessment: width and depth.
Permission to use copyright image from Pelvic Guru, LLC- Width – How wide is the gap or the degree of separation between the abdominal muscles. The more fingers you can fit side by side as your feeling, the larger the gap.
- Depth – How far can you dip your fingers into your stomach. Pressing your fingers into your belly button will tell how much tension there is in those muscles.
There are also different variations of Diastasis Recti. We won’t cover that in this blog post but you may check them out in the photo to the right.
If you are fitting more than two fingers or diving down deep when you’re feeling around, you should consider making an appointment with a professional. You want to make sure your body is healing even years after your last birth. If you’re not confident in your ability to tell whether you need further medical assistance, you can ask a birth healing professional, a midwife, or an OBGYN to do this assessment for you.
Be sure to watch the video below to learn the proper way to get out of bed if you have a Diastasis Recti.
