An End to Abdominal Amnesia?

Ah, the stomach. I’ve written a lot about the postpartum belly.

An article on the Unison.ie site (free registration required) has another important point to add:

• The six-week post-natal check with your GP presents the perfect opportunity to ask if your body has healed sufficiently to embark on a gentle exercise programme. If you’ve had caesarean surgery, you may need to wait a few weeks more. Before you embark on any programme, Postpartum Fitness Trainer Liz Stuart recommends getting a physiotherapist or qualified post-natal exercise instructor to do a ‘rec check’.
• “This is to ensure the stomach muscle separation is no more than two finger widths apart before starting any kind of curl-ups,” says Liz. “Don’t start doing sit-ups again until your stomach muscles are very strong.”

Many women are impatient to do heavy exercise after giving birth, but your body has been through a major change and possibly some trauma. Patience is worth it. Imagine suffering an injury to your back because of weak abdominals and then not being able to lift your baby for two weeks.