Skip to main content

Ask an Expert- Julie Tupler's Opinion and a Challenge!

For ALL of my diastasis clients out there, here is an email correspondence of interest. I wrote to Julie Tupler with this question, on behalf of all of us:

"Hello Julie. My name is Kate and I work with Samantha Montpetit-Huynh at Core Expectations as a pre and postnatal trainer. I have several postpartum clients (and I am 6 months postpartum myself with baby #2) who have diastasis they are working to close. We all notice that early in the day our abdominals seem flat, but as the day progresses we become more distended and by evening we feel and appear very distended. In your opinion is this because of our separations? Can you suggest a reason why this is happening? The obvious would be that our stomachs are fuller resulting in more pressure on the separation, and perhaps our abdominals are more tired by the day's end and so engage less? The time range is 6-12 months postpartum.

I just thought I'd ask your expert opinion.

Thanks in advance,
Sincerely,
Kate Rita, PTS, PFS"

"Kate
Yes that is a common occurrance.
Just think of all the forward forceful movements your abs are doing during the course of the day. Do an experiment. Wear the splint all day and engage the transverse on the work of everything you do and make sure the transverse goes to 5th floor on the exhale part of every breath you take. Then tell me if it is the same in the evening. I look forward to the results of your experiment

Have a great weekend
Julie Tupler RN" 

I am going to try her suggestion and I'll post my observations. If you try it too, please leave a comment regarding your experience!




Labels:

Comments

  1. KateJune 21, 2010 at 5:36 PM

    After following Julie's instructions (as much as I was able to) for 2 days straight, I will say that I felt and appeared 100% less distended by the evening. It really renews my conviction in the effectiveness of the splint and the importance of active body/core awareness in the abdominal rehabilitation process!

    Have you tried this challenge yet?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kate's Guide to Getting the Correct Sports Bra!

I wear an unusual size and it took me years to unlock the secrets to bra fitting (and finding!) I suffered for years in improperly fitting bras, and during exercise I would wear 2 or 3 just to get the support I needed.  E very woman needs support while performing sports; not having proper support means that there is extra stress put on the back during various activities. Even low-impact exercise s done without the support of a sports bra can result in strain on the upper back and shoulders that can result in pain or worse- injuries that may develop over time. Sports bras affect a woman’s posture. Exercising without support can result in slouching to prevent painful bouncing which throws the back and hips out of alignment and impedes form, leading to potential injury. The most common mistakes are when women wear a bra that is too small in the cup and too loose around the body for example a 38e instead of a 36f. Note: When you go down a band size, go up a cup! Step 1: T
Post a Comment
Read more

I don’t have a Diastasis- Why is my abdomen still distended postpartum?

I get asked this question all the time! Here is my answer: Research has shown that 100% of pregnant women will develop some degree of diastasis recti. A diastasis is a lateral separation in the abdominal wall between the recti or “six pack”, due to a stretching of the midline connective tissue or “linea alba”. Although some diastasis will heal postpartum, in many cases a separation will remain without restorative exercise. Distention from DR will present as a doming in the midline. Women who heal a diastasis spontaneously or through restorative exercise may still find that their abdomens are distended, particularly after a meal and/or at the end of the day. If there is no diastasis, why is this? This abdominal distention does not occur in the midline, but rather across the entire abdominal wall. This is due to a weakened hypotonic TVA- transverse abdominis muscle. The TVA is the deepest anterior abdominal muscle, wrapping around the midsection like a girdle, with a left an
2 comments
Read more

Is it Safe to Run with Pelvic Organ Prolapse?

In support of Incontinence Awareness Month June 2015 Is it Safe to Run with Pelvic Organ Prolapse? I was a recreational runner pre-baby. Post-baby, I suffered stress incontinence when I returned to the sport. I was fine while running, coughing or sneezing, but if both happened simultaneously I peed my pants. Although it improved as I recovered, it never fully resolved until I addressed it with a restorative exercise program. From a pelvic floor assessment I found out I have both a grade one cystocele and rectal prolapse . There are many moms who run with symptoms of incontinence, from a few drops to full bladder leakage. The solution is not to wear a pad, it is to address the obvious weakness and strategically strengthen the muscles to support the sport. Here’s what you need to know. 1. Running involves impact and requires the core strength necessary to support it. Stress incontinence is a symptom of core dysfunction and often related to diastasis recti (althoug
1 comment
Read more