Diastasis of the Rectus Abdominis Muscle (DRAM) aka abdominal separation is a common concern among pregnant and postpartum women. During pregnancy, the ligament that connects the two bellies of the Rectus Abdominis muscle (the six-pack muscle) has to stretch and thin out to accommodate the growing uterus.
There are multiple factors that influence this change including:
- hormonal changes,
- genetic "stretchability" of your tissues and
- too much pressure your tissues through work, exercise and childcare responsibilities and
- baby size, twin pregnancies, excessive accumulation of amniotic fluid.
There are lots of strategies that can be used to help with managing and recovering from DRAM.
Our physiotherapists can assist by providing:
- education - making small changes in everyday life can make a big difference to overall function and comfort
- advice - we may recommend some extra support around the belly such as tubigrip, belts or specific clothing
- individualized exercise program - depending on where you are in your recovery we will prescribe exercises that will be most appropriate for you and your progress.
