Pamela Ellgen - Mom’s Guide to Diastasis Recti: A Program for Preventing and Healing Abdominal Separation Caused by Pregnancy

Text copyright 2017 Pamela Ellgen. Design and concept copyright 2017 Ulysses Press and its licensors. Photographs copyright 2017 Rich Ellgen except as noted below. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the Internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Ulysses Press

P.O. Box 3440

Berkeley, CA 94703

www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN: 978-1-61243-701-9

Acquisitions: Casie Vogel

Managing editor: Claire Chun

Editor: Shayna Keyles

Proofreaders: Renee Rutledge, Lily Chou

Indexer: Sayre Van Young

Front cover design: Rebecca Lown

Interior design: what!design @ whatweb.com

Production: Jake Flaherty

Cover photos: Rich Ellgen except mother and child Evgeny Bakharev/shutterstock.com

Interior photos: Rich Ellgen

Models: Pamela Ellgen, Meagan Stirling

Distributed by Publishers Group West

Please Note: This book has been written and published strictly for informational purposes, and in no way should it be used as a substitute for consultation with health care professionals. You shouldnt consider educational material herein to be the practice of medicine or to replace consultation with a physician or other medical practitioner. The author and publisher are providing you with information in this work so that you can have the knowledge and can choose, at your own risk, to act on that knowledge. The author and publisher also urge all readers to be aware of their health status and to consult health care professionals before beginning any health program.

Table of Contents

Contents

If you prefer to skip over the research and jump straight to the exercises, I understand. If youve already given birth, chances are every minute is precious. Heres what you need to know to get the most out of this book:

If youre still pregnant, turn to for a safe but challenging Prevention During Pregnancy program to increase your overall fitness and reduce the risk of diastasis recti by as much as 35 percent.

If youve just had your baby, turn to for four postpartum exercises you can do in the hospital that have been shown to reduce diastasis recti.

For a treatment overview, turn to . Whether your baby was born six weeks ago or six years ago, this three-phase progressive program will help you reduce diastasis recti, improve core strength, and achieve a flat stomach.

Of course, always consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise routine, especially if you have or have had complications in pregnancy or delivery, particularly cesarean deliveries.

Shortly after I gave birth to my second son by emergency cesarean section, I snuck away from home to get a pedicure. As my feet soaked in the spa tub, the nail technician asked the question every postpartum woman dreads: When are you due?

Two weeks ago, I said.

Wow, you look amazing, she said, thinking I was two weeks overdue.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the nail salon. I just laughed.

My body had done something amazingit had nourished and supported a new life for nine months. Not only had it done what it was supposed to, but it also looked exactly the way it was supposed to after such an accomplishment.

Ive never viewed my body with as much acceptance as I did after giving birth, even though neither birth went as I anticipated. Perhaps it was because I finally had an excuse not to have a perfect body, whatever that means. Perhaps it was because I was too smitten with my newborn to care. And perhaps it was because I had a profound new respect for my body and what it was capable of. It was empowering.

This might sound like a strange way to introduce a book about altering the physical effects of pregnancy. However, I believe physical fitness and good nutrition should always emerge from a place of self-acceptance and kindness. You have to treat your bodyespecially your pregnant and postpartum bodywith a lot of love and respect. This means not pushing yourself to the point of injury, making sure you get enough sleep (or as much as your new baby allows), eating nourishing foods, and choosing healthy and strong over skinny.

Exercise and eat well because you love your body, not because you hate it.