With the onset of pregnancy, changes occur in the woman’s body, and these changes may extend beyond childbirth, and she needs some time and patience to return to what she was before the pregnancy period. In our article, we will learn information about Weak abdominal muscles for pregnant women And many other details about the changes in a woman’s body during pregnancy.

Reasons for weak abdominal muscles during pregnancy

Weakness of the abdominal muscles during pregnancy is common in this period, and it occurs as a result of hormonal changes during pregnancy and also due to sudden fat gain, and the large size of the uterus during the different stages of pregnancy is one of the causes of weak abdominal muscles.

In the beginning, the abdominal muscles in early pregnancy usually witness a slight change, as the growth of the fetus is very small and does not push these muscles until now, and as the pregnancy progresses and the fetus begins to grow, it will press on the rectus abdominis muscles, which are two muscles that run parallel to each other on both sides abdomen.

These muscles cover your abdomen and can separate in the late stages of pregnancy, i.e. the end of the second stage or the beginning of the third stage, in which many women suffer from diastasis recti, which is the separation of the straight abdominal muscles, and after childbirth may leave a gap between the straight abdominal muscles, called diastasis recti, The gap will gradually return to normal, and this may take up to a year for some women.

Why does muscle separation occur during pregnancy?

Speaking of the weakness and separation of the abdominal muscles of a pregnant woman, we must first know why this happens. Abdominal separation is more common in women who have given birth to more than one child, or who are over 35 years old, or who have twins, triplets, or more.

Abdominal separation occurs when the growing uterus causes two parallel muscles in the stomach to separate from each other. These muscles extend from your chest to your pelvis and are just below the skin in the middle of your abdomen. This is usually in the second half of pregnancy.

Symptoms of weakness and separation of the abdominal muscles

If you have weak abdominal muscles and this leads to a separation of the abdominal muscles after the birth of your baby, you may be able to see a gap between the two bands of the abdominal muscles, and you can see this gap more clearly when you lie on your back with your head up, and you may notice a bulge in the middle of your stomach .

How can muscle separation be prevented?

There are several ways that help prevent and strengthen the abdominal muscles of a pregnant woman, including the following:

Doing exercise

Exercising before and during pregnancy helps greatly to prevent muscle separation, as simple abdominal exercises in the first stage of pregnancy can contribute to strengthening the abdominal muscles and not weakening or separating them, but avoid strenuous exercises that may make the matter worse.

Sit on the ball exercise

It is done by sitting on the ball, placing your hands on your knees, and rolling backwards. Repeat this matter several times, as it helps to strengthen the abdominal muscles.

Get rid of obesity

Excess weight is one of the factors that contribute to the weakness and separation of the abdominal muscles during pregnancy, so getting rid of excess weight before pregnancy and following a healthy diet during pregnancy to avoid obesity contributes greatly to preventing the weakness of the abdominal muscles.

How to treat weak abdominal muscles after childbirth

There are many tips to be followed to treat weakness and separation of the abdominal muscles after childbirth, including:

• Avoid lifting anything heavier than your child.
• Choose simple exercises to strengthen the deep stomach muscles.
• Avoid vigorous activities and movements that can make abdominal separation worse.
• You can also wear a brace, belly band, or shapewear that compresses your belly to help support your back and reduce the problem of muscle separation.

In the event that these tips do not work, resorting to surgery is the only solution, and surgery often includes the use of stitches to repair the abdominal wall and reduce the gap between the muscles, and this can help to improve muscle strength, especially when the separation is wider than 3 cm.

In the end, we got acquainted with our article about Weak abdominal muscles for pregnant women And the possibility of its separation, how to prevent its occurrence, and some tips for its treatment after childbirth, with best wishes for your continued health and happiness.