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If you've been losing a lot of weight and working out after pregnancy and still have a noticeable bulge in your abdomen that makes it look like you're still a little pregnant, then you may have diastasis recti. This is caused when the left and right halves of your abdominal muscles begin to separate. With no muscle holding it back, the center of your abdomen will begin to bulge out slightly.
If you want to flatten your abdomen, one option available to you is a tummy tuck surgery. During this surgery, your separated abdominal muscles will be sutured back together, restoring their natural position. If you want to learn more about what causes diastasis recti and what you can do to treat it, read on.
What Causes Diastasis Recti?
Your abdominal muscles are normally bound tightly together by fascia, which is a form of connective tissue found throughout your body that keeps your organs and muscles in place. During pregnancy, your fascia naturally becomes much more lax in order to accommodate the continued growth of your baby. When the fascia around your abdominal muscles becomes lax, the muscles are able to separate from one another. Having separated abdominal muscles is called diastasis recti.
People who haven't been pregnant can get diastasis recti as well. It's most common after a period of extremely rapid weight gain, as the quickly growing abdominal fat can cause the muscles to separate. It's able to overwhelm the force of the fascia holding them together.
How Can You Treat Diastasis Recti?
Diastasis recti will sometimes go away on its own as the fascia tightens and the abdominal muscles come back together. Exercise can sometimes make this process faster, movements that stretch your abdominal muscles taut like pelvic tilts can strengthen them and help them come back together.
Unfortunately, even exercise isn't always successful. Some people continue to have a visible abdominal bulge even after a couple years of intense exercise and weight loss. The abdominal muscles simply don't want to move back into their normal position. In these cases, a tummy tuck surgery may be the best option.
How Can a Tummy Tuck Help Flatten Your Abdomen When You Have Diastasis Recti?
During a tummy tuck surgery, your plastic surgeon will make an incision across your lower abdomen in order to operate on your abdominal muscles. Your abdominal muscles will be straightened back into their normal position, and then they'll be sutured together to keep them in place. Once your muscles are in their correct position again, your plastic surgeon will remove any loose skin in your abdominal area, making your abdomen appear flatter.
If you still have a visible bulge in your abdomen that won't go away, regardless of exercise or weight loss, contact a plastic surgeon in your area that performs tummy tuck surgeries. A plastic surgeon can determine whether or not your abdominal bulge is caused by diastasis recti, and they'll be able to tell you if you're a good candidate to have your abdominal muscles repaired by a tummy tuck surgery.
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