Changes that happen to the pregnant core

When we think about pregnancy we don't really think about having a core, we generally think about losing it, which is something that happens to a certain extent. But understanding what happens to you core during pregnancy can be very helpful in understanding how to avoid issues in the core during pregnancy (like diastasis recti) which can have an overall impact on the health of your core as your start to heal postpartum. Curious to find out what's happening?

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As baby grows and you get further in your pregnancy, there are several changes that start to happen that affect the core. The most noticeable to most people is the stretching of muscles, tissue and skin in the front of the body, and you'll notice this just by looking down and watching your belly grow. Additionally, though the added weight carried in the abdominal cavity by way of baby can cause:

• A tilt of the pelvis forward.
• A deepening of the low back curve.
• Added load to the muscles of the pelvic floor

Combined with the stretching of the belly that happens simply from the expansion of the uterus as baby grows, the postural shifts noted above can deepen the The most significant muscle stretching in the core happens along the rectus abdominus and impacts the connective tissue called the linea alba.
As the uterus expands the muscle bellies can separate and the linea alba stretches thin.  This creates what is called a diastasis recti.

What is diastasis recti?
In its most scientific sense, it is musculoskeletal injury, where the rectus abdominus tears at the connective tissue, separating it from the linea alba.

What causes diastasis recti?
When the ribs lift in front, they drop in the back. Pinching the back of this “abdominal balloon” places the contents under greater pressure. And like things under great pressure, they try to escape. Because the spine makes a strong boundary in the back, your baby has to go somewhere. The choices are up, down, or forward (or a combo of all of them) In diastasis recti, the forward pressure on the uterus pushes against the abdominal wall, stretching the. muscles and the linea alba. As the linea alba and the abdominal muscles stretch, the pressure on the muscles and connective tissue can cause tearing.

Curious how you can prevent diastasis recti?
​Read more on my blog post avoiding diastasis during pregnancy. Better yet, grab a copy of the book Yoga for the Pregnant & Postpartum Core to learn about these changes depth, how to support your core during pregnancy and heal postpartum.