Diastasis Recti & Other Fun Postpartum Goodies

June 2014 (why I didn't post this last year I do not know. I suppose I was waiting on something to finish it, but enough waiting):
After the birth of my second child I had a diastasis recti. I didn't know what it was at the time, but I distinctly remember trying to get up out of bed and seeing a fleshy bulge protruding from my abdomen between my belly button and sternum. I thought it was gross and weird, but figured it was normal for a postpartum body and that it would go away on its own as my body healed.

I lost the pregnancy weight pretty quickly (more quickly than with my first pregnancy) but didn't feel ready enough for any real exercise (other than dancing around my living room with my babies and doing kegels while washing dishes) until about a year postpartum. My mother gifted me a Mother's Day Groupon for one month of unlimited exercise classes. I went as often as I could before it expired and was feeling much tighter, more toned, and more energetic. I felt good.
But due to happenings and stress of life, buying a home (and all that entails), taking care of two young boys, work, etc. 6 months passed and I hadn't worked out at all in that time. I had been extremely stressed with house hunting and some financial troubles that I had palpitations, shortness of breath, felt my heart was going to stop while I slept, traveling pains, pinching and sharp pain sensations on my legs, arms, chest, etc. I honestly thought I was going to die. I was convinced I might have thrombosis and that a blood clot was going to travel to my heart and I'd die. The stress of not only finding a house and saving what little money we had, but now also worrying about my health, only made the symptoms more intense and more frequent. My fears were somewhat alleviated when I went to the doctor and all my blood work came back normal and I was told it was most likely stress related.
Once we FINALLY moved into our new home I was happy and relieved to be in our own home and most of the stress subsided and symptoms decreased. I went to the doctor again and they did more blood work to make sure I didn't have some autoimmune disease or lupus and was told I was "the picture of health". But I was still pretty sedentary and wanted to get back in shape. I was eager to lose my jelly belly and started doing my friend Kate Victoria's Yoga for Abs & Core Strength as well as sun salutations every morning. I was feeling really good and eager to add more to my routine, but when I enthusiastically posted a plank challenge to my Facebook page, a friend commented to make sure I didn't have diastasis recti, because if I did, plank was a no-no! "Damn-it!" I thought, "I DO have that!"
Finally I knew what that fleshy bulge was. I did the diastasis recti test and saw that it had closed some on its own but was still just over 2 fingers wide. Determined to lose the gap and get back to my ab workout I did the exercises in the above video (you can find plenty of diastasis recti exercise videos on YouTube). It has been 2 months of doing the exercises on a daily basis and I am now at 1 finger width at the belly button, the rest of the gap is even less. It is no longer technically considered a diastasis recti, but is still an abdominal split so I am careful to avoid certain yoga poses (mainly the deep back bends like camel pose) and am still weary of traditional ab exercises. I don't want to inadvertently undo the progress I have made, and have the muscles bulge out or, even worse, a hernia. I will continue to strengthen my core with the diastasis recti exercises and doing kegels to strengthen the pelvic floor.
When I asked Wendy Powell when would I be in the clear and could get back to my regular ab workout this was her reply: "It's not so much about getting an 'all clear' as having a core that is stable + can withstand the intra abdominal pressure when you exert yourself for any activity. Remember too that the stability / firmness of the mid line connective tissues is actually more important than the width of the gap" and sent me this helpful link: Mutusystem
I feel that my core is pretty strong and stable thanks to daily yoga, and Bikram hot yoga which I've been doing this past month (avoiding the back bends and not pushing myself too much on the twists) so I feel okay with slowly starting to do some of the traditional ab workouts. I look forward to seeing progress and will update here in the future. I hope this post will be helpful for anyone dealing with diastasis recti or who had it and wants to know "what now?" Please feel free to share your story or post your questions here.

Little steps, taken consistently, will take you far

Working out when you have small kids at home can be hard. If you're like me, you never have much time for yourself. Of course you could lock yourself in a room for some quiet meditation, but then you'd be leaving the kids free range of the house, and, as all parents know, that can be a disaster (or tragedy) waiting to happen.
So I usually pull out my yoga mat in the middle of the living room while the kids are playing or watching T.V. and try to get in at least a few sun salutations, some diastasis recti exercises, and some poses from the Instagram challenges...key word: TRY. As soon as that yoga mat comes down my two year old comes racing over, making circles around me Bobby's World style. *Sorry kid, I need this mat.*
Sometimes I can use his help, though. Little kids come in handy when you're trying to stretch; a little extra weight can be the difference between being perpetually stuck at a 30 degree angle and actually touching your toes. So be sure to request their assistance as needed.
My kiddos like to make a game out of me exercising and run past my legs as I do some scissors or leg lifts, or wriggle their way under me as I do downward dog.

But there are some positions/routines/flows which I just can't do with them on top of me.
So as much as I'd like to spend a good hour stretching and working out, working on poses and breathing and really getting deep into some stretches, and seeing daily progress, I just don't have that kind of time or patience to dedicate to it with two Mamma's Boys lingering.
But I've been doing yoga for about a year now and looking back at pictures and videos I can see the difference. Hell, I can FEEL the difference, and I haven't even dedicated that much time to it (though I have been consistent). I am so pleasantly surprised by some of the progress and when both my boys are in school I look forward to dedicating some more time to yoga and seeing/feeling bigger changes.
If you've ever seen someone doing a handstand and thought "Damn, I'd love to do that" followed by "I'll never be able to do that", start now! Little by little, but consistently, work on your stretches, work on your upper body strength, work on whatever it is you want to achieve, and a few months  ... a year ... five years down the road, instead of having done nothing to work towards that goal and still not being able to do a handstand (or whatever it is you want to do), you can look back at your progress and be amazed (even if you still can't fully do that handstand).

A year ago I did not think it was even possible for me to support my weight on my forearms.
This was a definite breakthrough.

I never had much upper body strength, so this right here is something I never thought I could do.

Let alone this! I still can't hold it very long, but #babysteps

What Yoga Has Done For Me

Just watched an interesting video about the benefits of exercise, and it reminded me of the symptoms I had experienced before starting yoga on a regular basis. I was experiencing random sharp pain, starting on my right ankle, then my arms, then all over really. Sometimes it was dull or felt like pressure. I'd get pins and needle sensations in the fingers or toes. I'd feel pain on what seemed like the bones and joints of my hands. It sometimes felt like the vein in my arm would get stiff and would hurt to bend my arm slightly. The anxiety caused by worrying about my health caused palpitations and shortness of breath; I'd sometimes lay awake in bed afraid to fall asleep. I didn't have health insurance and fought myself on whether or not I should see a doctor. I knew the symptoms could easily be explained away by stress and anxiety, but the fear that it could be something more (MS, Lupus, thrombosis, Lyme, etc.) lead me to pay for a doctor's visit and blood work out of pocket. All tests came back negative *phew*. I wasn't totally convinced it was just stress, but knowing my blood work was fine eased my mind some, and the symptoms subsided right away.
I still had stress factors in my life, as I think many (or most) of us do: KIDS, financial problems, a job I didn't really enjoy, sedentary lifestyle, etc. but at that time I was also house hunting with the added stress of having to find something before the lease of our then apartment expired, or risk going month-to-month and paying an amount we couldn't afford. The symptoms came back twofold.
When we FINALLY moved into our new home (after going 2 months over our lease and paying ridiculous amount of rent, having to dip into savings that was meant for our new home, moving all of our stuff just three days after closing into a foreclosure that wasn't fixed up to my standards because we had no time, having to buy all new appliances, get new A/C, fence, i.e. spending more money we didn't have) I felt some relief. I decided to go to another doctor (this time I had insurance) because while my symptoms had subsided again, they were still there and I wanted a second opinion. This doctor did a full blood work, even doing a protein test and checking for indicators of Lupus. He said I was "the picture of health. I'd even say you're healthier than me". Okay great, but I am still experiencing pain, so what now?
I decided not to go back to the doctor but start working out instead. I figured, if the symptoms continue even when I'm not stressed out and sedentary, then I'll go back and demand answers. I got on the Instagram bandwagon and was inspired by my dear friend Susy who was posting pics of herself doing arm stands. I thought "that's fricking amazing! I want to do that!" I had also joined a mommy group and met a mom yogi who told me about her YouTube channel (link below) so I started doing some of her videos as my morning routine. At that time I was doing yoga maybe 3 times a week for maybe 1/2 an hour or less in the morning. After just ONE week of doing yoga my symptoms greatly subsided.
When I felt the difference in how I felt I REALLY got into yoga. I started following some amazing yogis on Instagram and doing their monthly challenges.  I bought a Groupon voucher for Bikram hot yoga and went with my new yogi mom friend Kate Victoria for a month. I do yoga every...single...day, even if it's only to do some sun salutations in the morning when I have too much work to get done. 
I'll still get the occasional headache or little pin prick pain when I'm particularly stressed out and the kids are driving me up a wall...but NOTHING like what I was experiencing before. I am so thankful for yoga and for pushing myself to stick with it.
*Other benefits I have experienced thanks to yoga: I'm stronger (never had much upper body/arm strength, but am much stronger now, and I WILL CONTINUE until I can do a hand stand), I'm more flexible, I have more stamina, I feel sexier, I'm pushing myself out of my comfort zone (ever tried Yogance? that stuff is crazy fun, but you risk looking the fool), and last but not least, I've made new friends. I feel all around better.
Now I'm not saying you have to start doing yoga. BUT if your health is lacking, you have mystery pains, you're stressed out, or you're just not happy with your life, DO any form of exercise! You may have a more serious medical issue and need real medical attention, in which case by all means get the help you need, BUT doing some form of exercise as well will do your body and soul some good :)

 September 2014

June 2014/September 2014

                                         

June 2014/September 2014

Some Yogis worth following:
Kino MacGregor @kinoyoga: YouTube Google+ Instagram
Kerri Verna @beachyogagirl: YouTube Instagram
Cuchira @cuchira: Instagram
Kate Victoria @katevictoriayt: YouTube Google Instagram
My lovely friend Susy who inspired me to start yoga: @susyloveskaila

*The video that inspired this post: www.upworthy.com

Sex & Yoga

I had the best sex of my life today and I credit doing yoga with my hubby this morning. We had slept in a tent last night, so his back was hurting more than usual and I convinced him to do several sun salutations with me to give that back a good stretch.
After doing some chores, cleaning dishes and stove top (which I did happily because I was energized thanks to my morning yoga) he playfully "ordered" me to the bedroom. I begrudgingly followed him to the bedroom (my libido has been greatly lacking since the birth of out second child). But once he got on top of me and started kissing me, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed his smell (which was surprising because he was sweaty from packing up the tent outside) and his kisses didn't disgust me (I'm a make-out fiend - or was anyway - but at some point his kisses started to gross me out, so no more kissing = me not getting into it). It was the best sex I've had and for the first time EVER we both came during intercourse, nothing extra needed.
I'm not one to air our dirty laundry, and I certainly wouldn't do so without his consent. He agreed to this blog post because I know there are a lot of women out there who due to MANY factors are lacking libido. There's the dreaded pregnancy hormones, the lack of self-confidence due to a new mommy  body, sheer exhaustion, not being able to switch from mommy mode to sex vixen at the drop of a hat, resentment towards your partner, etc. BUT I think that doing yoga with your partner addresses and works on several of these factors.
First off, you are doing something TOGETHER. Here is something that can bring you closer, especially if you feel somewhat disconnected from each other. You are working out, tightening muscles, stretching, becoming more limber, releasing endorphins and will therefore feel more relaxed, patient (needed for dealing with those kiddos), energized, awake, and more self-confident! Hell, even try doing some of those yoga moves during sex! Not too flexible yet? Work on it TOGETHER.
I'm telling you, I don't know exactly what it was, but doing yoga together this morning just had us on the same page biochemically. Those pheromones were finally working on me again after so long.
I'll have to get him to do yoga with me every day :)

Here's some extra reference reading:
What UMMC has to say about yoga
Scientific American article on pheromones & sex lives

*Update: Okay so I have been doing yoga for over a month now almost every day. It's been over a week since hubby and I did yoga together but he has been doing sun salutations on his own in the morning before work. While I'm certainly not in the mood all the time and my libido isn't at pre-mommyhood levels, it has increased, and I foresee it improving! I'm interested in reading if any other moms out there with low libido have seen improvement after starting any kind of exercise/fitness regimen. Share your stories!