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Is the stomach muscle in front of baby?

When I'm lying in the bath and I use my stomach muscles to sit up, a 'mound' rises up along the middle of my belly, lengthwise from under boobs going down. Is that tummy muscle, or is it tummy muscle underneath pushing baby up to protrude?!

Replies

  • Its your stomach muscles.
    IT will more than likely be perfectly normal, but it could also indicate that you may have a minor rectus diastasis (seperating of the stomach muscles.) A lot of women have these and don't even know about it

    ask your MW to check it out for you as if it is and its caught early enough you can stop it widening any further by a variety of exercises and stopping doing certain things.. (I had one that was a whole hands width before it was spotted, and ended up not being able to pick up my son or sit on the floor as the getting down and up split the muscles - mine was an extreme case, and it can be controlled very easily if you catch it early enough - but try not to let it get to the point where there is a protrusion in the middle of your tummy when doing anything)

    xx
  • Oh gosh I've never heard of all that icecreamlover!

    I have what you describe LSG when I do certain things. My hubby has it too and so I always assumed it's a normal muscle thing and mine is more prominent now because of baby and thats why I've just noticed it!
  • Best to have your mw have a feel to check that your case is normal. I had it towards the end of my last pregnancy and it became a party trick after the birth (hubby hated when I did it!) Once you pass the 6wk checkup you can start doing situps again to knot the stomach muscles back together (if you ever find the time!!) I never found the time and then fell preg again when my son was 5 months so I still have it and it's much more noticable with this pregnancy since day 1. I figure I will work on it after our next baby arrives (cos I will have so much more time then :lol: )
    xx
  • In the last months of pregnancy the actual stomach MUSCLE moves to the sides 'splitting in the middle' like this -

    http://mcr.coreconcepts.com.sg/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/diastasis-recti.jpg



    As far as I undersand it is not a full seperation as the tissue connecting the two sides of the tummy muscles still stays connected but stretches out in a way. So in last stages of pregnancy you dont actually have the muscle in the middle of your belly but moved to both sides so that the baby has space where to grow.

    During pregnancy the seperation of muscles is normal, issues start if the gap does not close after giving birth. The gap needs to close naturally, that is why you should not do tummy presses and things for the first 6 weeks after labour as hard tummy exercise can prevent the gap closing (same as lifting very heavy things and so on). After labour one should only do the exercises which are appropriate for that period.

    The 'seperation' is why the tummy looks slightly odd if you sit up without turning on your side first, I d suggest getting up from your side anyways as it is better for your back. And when it comes o bathing, ask your oh for a supportive hand to get out :P

    Hope you are well! Cheers!

  • As far as I undersand it is not a full seperation as the tissue connecting the two sides of the tummy muscles still stays connected but stretches out in a way.

    That is not true I'm afraid (not according to the MW and the physio I saw)- the 'strings' that hold the muscles together actually split, so they will never be knitted together again, HOWEVER most cases return to normal on their own and there are never any problems because the muscles close together so tightly its as though the strings are there anyway - if the muscle gap becomes more than 3 fingers width it will need specialist exercises to get them to close up again - It took me 12 months to get mine to a 'normal' 2 finger gap from a hands width, and even now they're still not fully closed (but i am overweight which doesnt help)

    xx
  • icecreamlover - thanks for clearing that up, i was reading up on it on a medical site and they didnt clarify fully about the tissue inbetween. Good that you managed to close that much of your gap though!
  • Arghhh this has all scared me! I just thought it was baby pushing my belly muscle around!
  • Please don't worry - it is very very common! Most women don't even notice they have one and it closes without them knowing about it after the birth, your might just need an eye keeping on it to make sure it doesnt get any worse. It doesn't affect birth and can be closed again afterwards with the right exercises.

    xx
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