Expert Diastasis Providers and Postpartum Pants

 

 

Things that caught my eye and made my body-nerd-brain glow this past week… The feeling of being surrounded by supportive colleagues; images of movement in 3D on an awesome yoga site; a happy member who is back into her unpregnant jeans at 4 wks postpartum after her 4th baby; a great phone call with a member in Wyoming who needs DVDs and being able to tell her we have them on amazon now … Before I elaborate, here’s a random #selfie

Okay, enough of the #selfie photo shots. What about that happy member who just had her 4th baby? Well, if you are a member, too, you can see her pic and read her testimony HERE in our private FB member forum. Here are some snippets, though:

“I found fit2b this January and did totally transverse, oh, 3-4 times a week for 3 weeks, plus used the transitions and alignments I learned in Align it flat, and finished closing my diastisis (I’d been dabbling with tuppler technique previously) just in time to be preggo with #4. I didn’t have good internet for much of my pregnancy, but when I did, I did a workout from the pregnancy section. This was my best pregnancy yet, with very little back and hip pain… I gave birth 4 1/2 weeks ago, with my smoothest delivery ever…One week post partum, I began wrapping… I started doing gentle workouts during week two, and have continued to ad more as I’ve felt up to it or had the time, usually doing one foundational five routine, and then another of whatever I’m in the mood for… What is key for me, I think, is engaging my transverse throughout the day, and practicing safe transitions in bed and when lifting the kids… I think I’m proof that a mommy’s day, with proper core engagement, can provide plenty of ‘exercise’ if you define exercise as movement, as Beth has taught me to!”

Now about the DVD’s…  At first this blog you’re reading said that we didn’t have DVDs and went onto share other wonderful programs that do have them BUT NOW WE DO HAVE A DVD which you can read about here. However, I’m still happy to refer out to rehab programs

Wait. Stop. 

WHY am I crazy enough to provide so many other resources which might be confusing and take your clicks away from Fit2B which is a big no-no in the typically greedy website world where we should want to keep you clicking around our own site for as long as possible?

Because I’m crazy and don’t care about my business or believe in my own methods?

Nope. I care very much about the families behind Fit2B and I’m 100% sold on what I teach because I’ve researched every last scrap. But I care even MORE about YOU and getting YOU the info YOU need and MEETING YOU where YOU are, that I view Fit2B as a catalytic hub of resources to help YOU find the right provider that you resonate with for deeper rehab if you need it.

I care too much about you to mislabel me.

Fit2B is the fitness piece of your journey back to strength. We refer out for the rehab piece. Please PLEASE be wary of programs selling diastasis recti “rehab” who aren’t physical therapists let alone licensed professionals in the specific field of DR care. For this very reason, we do not call our Fit2B programming rehabilitation.

Yes, I have a college degree in exercise and sport science and umpteen fitness certifications, and I’ve devoted myself to the study of diastasis recti since early 2011, and my fitness website here has “tummysafe” workouts for those with diastasis which can help narrow the gap if your style of fitness is what was preventing your abdominals from functioning correctly before. BUT I’m not licensed as a rehab professional, and I have a deep respect for those who are.

So if some “coach” or fitness blogger is claiming that they’re putting together a rehab program, please be careful. I talk about programs I’ve vetted below, and they’re REAL pros who are have trained for years and are licensed and qualified 7 ways to Sunday… and they won’t try to sell you any shakes 😉 

Not that I don’t like shakes, but …

Seriously, do not trust just anyone with your core. Check their creds. There’s so much more to this than slapping a few videos together or selling wraps. So much more. 

Second, my style isn’t for everyone, and I respect that.

Fit2B might jive with you for a few months and then you’re ready to move on. Or maybe you need more for your core than just a change in your fitness routine. What’s sad is that there are seriously only about 10 people in the WHOLE world doing this diastasis stuff for the lay population in a way that lines up with the research I’ve read, and I’ve combed through all of them and talked to all of them, finding the ones that match/enhance my research. Also, I think it’s SUPER important that I not hog the limelight when there are so many who need help and healing. There are more than enough people who need help, and I can’t be everything to everyone.

Third, you need more and I’m lazy…

Why reinvent the wheel if someone else has a great program or article that approached diastasis recti, or other core issues in a way that I haven’t yet, I’m going to have you go check them out! I’ve got dinner to make and kids of my own to raise here.

I’m thrifty (lazy) with my time and don’t care to write about what someone else may have already covered better. In my humble opinion the following online/DVD/book options are your best resources outside Fit2B which really only provides ongoing TummySafe fitness. These following gals know me, we are fairly consistent with each other {barring a few semantics} and we all respect each other.

Here’s the rundown on my faves for referrals:

Tummy Team: Multiple programs for men and women with a licensed physical therapist

ReCore/FitSplint: Basic program of core exercises with a FitSplint

Pelvienne Wellness: Excellent “Prepare To Push” program and other PF products

Pregnancy Exercise: Structured online programs for prenatal and postnatal women

Complete Motions: Yoga teacher training other instructors 

Tupler: Licensed professionals offering one-on-one assesments & training in many areas

MuTu: She has DVD’s and her program is 12 weeks 

Katy Bowman: Diastasis Recti, The Whole Body Solution book 

While I’m determined to keep the bridges up between us so we can network to get people the help they need, you have to find what works for you and I respect that. Several of you are doing two things at once, which means that there will be quite a bit of overlap, but since some programs start with one piece, while others start with a different piece, you might end up confused. Thus it’s crucial for you to give your program of choice at least 6-12 weeks of consistency and application.

If you’ve been doing a program for a while, and you really aren’t seeing any improvements – and I consider ANY improvement in any area to be major improvement because the core is evasive – then you NEED to meet IN PERSON with someone. When your core has fallen apart, there are many factors in play, and some people manage to put it all together in a few weeks while others take months. The deeper and wider your DR is, the longer it will take to heal. Strangely, there is a plateau that most people hit when their DRs get to about 2 fingers and thick. Some are content to stay at that measurement if they have full functionality. I pursued full closure and believe that last bit to be a truth teller of our daily alignment. Mine narrowed to a 1FW when I changed how I was loading wood into our fireplace. Not kidding. That was my missing piece.

Learn more about diastasis recti in our landmark ecourse: Experts on Diastsis Recti

Now let’s finish with the gorgeous movement images blogs like this ONE here. You have to click the arrows above the images because it’s a slideshow, but my favorite is the one of the woman making a bed. Do you believe me that housework is a workout now? Oh and if you like yoga and seeing muscles in action, head over to The Daily Bandha where I lost (or gained) two hours of my life just agog over their amazing muscle slideshows. My only beef is that they lump the iliacus and the psoas together which is old skool.