32 Weeks Pregnant - back pain in pregnancy and abdominal separation (aka diastasis recti)

Weekly pregnancy updates from a childbirth educator, doula and mum to 2 little girls. Come and join me on my journey as I share how I’m feeling, how baby is developing, what I’m doing to prepare, and some favourite resources!

I’ve had a bit of upper and mid back pain this week as my abs have really let go, and the weight of my uterus and baby is pulling my upper body forward. I need to be very mindful of posture and of engaging my core. But I’m also feeling very motivated to really focus on building up the muscle in my abs and back after I close up my diastasis recti postpartum!

It is very normal for the abs to separate to make space for the growing uterus. It is not a “bad” thing at all, but quite natural. With rest and targeted gentle exercise, the gap will generally close again postpartum.

So if the separation itself isn’t a big issue, why am I getting more back pain this time than in my previous pregnancies? I reckon it’s because I had a really strong core prior to having babies. That muscle supported my first pregnancy, though did get somewhat worn down. Second pregnancy was still fine, though I did get back pain postpartum when babywearing or holding baby while standing for long periods. But this time around things are just starting to let go.

See, as much as I wanted to get back to regular exercise between pregnancies, I didn’t actually get into it with the regularity and intensity I needed to really build up the muscle I lost during pregnancy. I have always focused on repairing ab separation postpartum, using a very simple workout my sister shared with me that she found on YouTube (linked in the resource section below), and that has been very successful. But it’s about taking things to the next level and really working on building that muscle up again! We’d love to have more children, and I want to do what I can to have a strong body and avoid these kinds of issues in any future pregnancy. This postpartum I will also be seeing a physio who will help guide me through postpartum exercises targeted to my needs and my body.

What symptoms am I feeling?

Apart from the back pain, I have been feeling pretty good! Energy levels are still great and I am so thankful! I did have an episode of feeling round ligament pain in the top of my uterus for the first time ever this week, when I was bending and twisting to reach something down low. I’m used to the feeling of round ligament pain under my belly, which I’ve had with every pregnancy, but this was new and unpleasant! Definitely not doing that movement again!

How has baby been developing this week?

At around 40-42 cm long (head to toe), and weighing 1.8-2.2kg, the soft downy hair that covers the developing baby’s body (called lanugo), is starting to fall off, and tiny fingernails and toenails are growing.

What am I doing to prepare?

My midwife visited this week and all is looking good! As usual, baby boy was moving around quite a lot and it took a while to get a baseline heart-rate! We always get there in the end though. The novelty of having a posterior placenta still hasn’t worn off. I love that I don’t just see my belly move, but actually see body parts poking out here and there! 😄

A favourite resource:

Postpartum Diastasis Recti Abdominal Repair Workout - Abdominal Separation and Coning Exercises - by Lucy Wyndham Read [9min YouTube video]

And that’s it for this week! 🌿💛

[Image credit: Photo by Anna Mysłowska-Kiczek on Unsplash]