I have now completed 6 weeks of The Tummy Team’s Core Foundations course. I am on a journey of healing my Diastasis Recti and restoring my core. In the first article in this series, I gave you a background of my history with Diastasis Recti and why I’m doing The Tummy Team program. You can read that here.
Weeks five and six really get into setting you up for building endurance. Kelly reminds us here that although it may feel like progress is slowing down, it’s not because the first three to four weeks building a foundation and now it’s time to build long-term success.
Weeks five and six were challenging. It had nothing to do with the course but everything to do with life. After vacation, my entire family dropped one by one sick and before I knew it, everyone was sick for two weeks! My husband ended up getting pneumonia and this course got put on the back burner so this mama could take care of my family. And just when I thought everyone was well, I got sick!
UGH!
So, in actuality, weeks five and six were drawn out over the course of three and half weeks! But, that’s OK because I had a strong foundation and was able to stick with what I learned from the previous weeks until I could catch up.
If you’ve been following my progress and were wondering why a new update took so long, well that’s why. Luckily, The Tummy Team knows that life happens and they offer an extension to the course if you need it. And boy did I need it! I didn’t hesitate to purchase it!
Without further ado, let’s take a look at what was going on prior to starting the program:
Initial Symptoms:
Abdominal pain, sore to touch abdomen, lower back pain, incontinence, poor posture, intestines bulging from my abdomen, pain during intimacy, and constipation.
Initial Measurements:
Inches:
Belly Button: 34”
Waist: 34”
Lower Belly: 35”
Separation Width & Depth:
At the navel: 8 fingers wide, about 2” deep and pulsating (meaning I could FEEL my pulse!)
3 inches above the navel: 6+ fingers wide, 1-2” deep
3 inches below the navel: 4-5 fingers wide, 1-2” deep
You can use Kelly’s guide to self-test yourself for Diastasis Recti too!
https://youtu.be/slz1xD_fREE
Week By Week Recap:
To see my Week One and Week Two recap, click HERE!
To see my Week Three and Week Four recap, click HERE!
Week Five:
The focus on this week was neutral rib cage and endurance. We learn how upper body posture affects neutral alignment and the core. Kelly put emphasis on maintaining neutral alignment so that all of the muscles are properly engaged. She also puts emphasis on weaning from the splint as you’re building strength.
This week I am able to sit for longer periods of time without needing a lumbar support. But, it’s nice to have it when I need it. I didn’t wear my splint a few times at night and I noticed it the next morning because I was sore in my back and abdomen. I am going to continue to wear my splint at night until my baby starts to sleep through the night. She’s almost nine months old now and we’re working on it!
Week Six:
The focus of this week was consistency, which is funny actually because these last few weeks were anything but consistent. But like I said above, luckily I had my firm foundation to lean back on which helped me a ton to at least attempt to be consistent.
Kelly reminds us that the success of this program is dependent on how I’m integrating what I’m learning in my lifestyle. I must say that I am determined to integrate these things into my lifestyle and for it to be functional for me because I’m on a mission to restore my core. It is not always easy or convenient, however, each step that I take to being consistent is a step closer to seeing and feeling the results and to healing my Diastasis Recti.
Results:
Even with the craziness of the past few weeks, I am thrilled with the results!
My measurements after six weeks of the program:
Inches:
Belly Button: 31.5”
Waist: 32”
Lower Belly: 32”
Upper Belly: 29.5”
Separation Width & Depth:
At the navel: 6-7 fingers wide, about 2” deep and pulsating (meaning I could FEEL my pulse!)
3 inches above the navel: 5 fingers wide, 1-2” deep
3 inches below the navel: 4 fingers wide, 1-2” deep
Let’s calculate!
I am down 0.5 inches on my belly button, down 0.5 inches on my waist, down 0.5 inches on my lower belly, and down 1 inch on my upper belly!
This week, I also rechecked my separation width and depth. After 6 weeks, it has closed about 1-2 finger width and about half an inch to an inch in depth! THIS is fantastic news for me!
I promised that this week I would reveal my bare belly photos and I am ready to come through with my promise! Six weeks ago I would absolutely, positively, definitely NOT show you these photos. However, since I have built my confidence level based on the results that I’m seeing, I am ready to show them!
This week, I can totally SEE a difference in the mirror and my clothes are fitting better! My results have not been drastic, but they have been slow and steady which you can see in the comparison photo below.
My Symptoms After 6 Weeks:
Here’s what hasn’t changed: I still have some abdominal pain, and there are places that are still sore to touch. It’s evident that my intestines are still bulging from my abdomen and I still have some pain during intimacy.
Here’s what HAS changed: My lower back pain, incontinence, constipation, and posture have all continued to improve week by week. I also have less pain during intimacy and when touching my abdomen.
I have two more weeks left to complete the Core Foundations course. So far, I am definitely pleased with the results that I am seeing. Next week, you’re in for a treat! I will be sharing even more bare belly photos from start to finish of this fantastic program!
Don’t forget, The Tummy Team was gracious enough to offer 15% off of their Online Core Training Programs to my readers! All you need to do is enter promo code mominthegolane at check out for your discount!
If you have Diastasis Recti, you definitely want to give this a try! I highly recommend The Tummy Team and its Core Foundations program!
Until next time, friends!
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