Diastasis Recti The Today show

Marianne was recently interviewed by the Today show on NBC for a segment addressing Diastasis Recti.

Although diastasis recti is normal for pregnant women, according to Marianne Ryan, a New York-based physical therapist, for some women, the muscles don't shrink back down on their own.

"Hormones during pregnancy cause your muscles to loosen up to pass the baby and accommodate stretching skin and bone separation," Ryan said. "Your six-pack muscles essentially separate in two halves."

And for those who don't see their stomach flatten out by eight weeks postpartum, they can face a magnitude of health issues.

"It can be pretty painful," said Ryan. "Women can experience pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse and painful sex."

But even for women who didn't experience problems with the condition directly after pregnancy, Ryan warns that jumping back into workouts too quickly can exacerbate the problem.

"If you go back to vigorous exercise, you can really make diastasis recti a problem," Ryan said. "The system isn't always strong enough after birth, and added pressure to the core muscles can cause the symptoms to get even worse."

Here is a link to the segment Today Show Diastasis Recti