Podcast: Episode 17: Diastasis Recovery


EPISODE 17:

​Diastasis Recovery


Listen, as Susi digs into the diastasis recti and uses her own personal experience to highlight some core teaching concepts that she uses when working with women who are recovering. Susi is dividing this episode into three specific time periods, early, mid, and later, and how she used her principles inside of those particular periods on this episode of From Pain to Possibility

Susi shares the key principles she uses when helping people to move better. Number one is to become aware and to nurture relaxation to bring about the idea of ease. Moving in their optimal range of motion is the second principle, and the third is focusing on the simple positions first, then moving on to more complex positions.

Listen, as Susi speaks about having no control of her abdomen after her C-section and how using a belly band was pivotal for support. At about six-weeks, Susi moved from early-stage to mid-stage postpartum and started using a Pilates reformer. She realized that her diastasis would worsen when she was compensating and wasn’t moving in a fluid, natural way, and Susi also realized she tended to overuse her obliques.  

At about the nine-month mark, Susi shifted into the later stage of recovery and started doing modified sit-ups at an angle instead of lying flat. Within a year, she felt solid through her abdomen and was ready to bring in more weight training. It wasn’t until about two years postpartum that she felt ready to run again, and within a month, she was back to running a 5k.

If you want to dig into this more, and explore more about your own diastasis and move along your recovery process, check out the Diastasis Recovery Project. If you want to work with Susi, email her at [email protected], and they will discuss the possibility of either private sessions or the Therapeutic Yoga Intensive.

Subscribe:   iTunes   |   Spotify  

“I’m not sure if you ever stop being postpartum after you’ve had kids because the process is one that really shifts and changes us on many levels." 
- Susi Hately


In This Episode:

[00:24] Welcome to the show!

[01:06] Susi shares three time periods and how she used her principles inside each.

[02:00] Susi speaks about the key principles she uses when helping people to move better.

[03:40] Listen, as Susi defines what core stability means to her.

[05:05] The third principle is thinking and focusing on the simple positions first, then building up to the complex.

[05:48] When Susi came home from the hospital after a planned C-section, her abdomen had no control.

[07:28] Susi discusses how pivotal a belly band was for support after her surgery.

[09:52] Susi shares how she rolled out of bed, bracing with a pillow.

[10:46] At about six-weeks, she moved from an early stage of postpartum to mid-stage.

[11:54] Using a Pilates reformer was something she started during mid-stage.

[13:36] She discovered that her diastasis would worsen when she was compensated and wasn’t moving in a fluid and natural way.

[15:38] When someone moves more purely, with more precision but in an easeful way, things change in the abdomen.

[17:45] In this phase, Susi realized that she tended to overuse the obliques.

[19:35] How did your C-section play a part in this?

[22:11] Susi speaks about a book called The First Forty Days that she referred to when she ate something that caused bloating.

[22:55] At about nine months is when she shifted into the later stage of recovery.

[24:10] Susi shares that she had to go about doing sit-ups in small stages at an angle.

[25:45] Susi believes that you should wear the belly band for eight weeks, especially when you are tired.

[28:00] At the two-year mark, Susi felt ready to run. In about a month, she was back to running a 5K.

[29:54] Listen as Susi shares the Diastasis Recovery Project that she and Megan recorded.

[31:21] Thank you for listening.

"When we give a pain signal like a consistent pain signal back to the nervous system, the nervous system will respond in kind."
- Susi Hately

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

  • Core teaching concepts when working with women who are recovering
  • Key principles Susi uses when helping people to move better
  • Insights and ahas for your own process of recovery 
  • How using a belly band is pivotal for support post c-section 

"Research showed that if you could improve the tone of your abdomen, even if there is still a gap, that you could have better function." - Susi Hately

Episode Transcript:

"When you think about it, we don’t walk down the street in brace mode, expecting that someone might jump out at us." 
- Susi Hately

Connect with Susi

Do you have a question or a desire for more learning opportunities at Functional Synergy?  Let's Connect!

Subscribe to my Mailing List

Never miss a new episode!
Subscribe to the Podcast Mailing List below.