Update on cause of body shape changes

[Phoenix51]

I was very grateful to everyone for their advice on my last post regarding. Weight gain / moonface / body changes and have taken the advice on board. @Heron mentioned checking with Dr which stroke a chord with me and hit me thinking that this strange shape ( protruding abdomen) might be something else. Turns out it’s diastasis recti- because I have put on a lot of weight and rapidly, due to the Pred, the walls of my abdominal muscles have been put under stress and this has caused them to pull apart giving me the Humpty Dumpty shape that I have! Apparently no amount of dieting will fix this, although clearly I am now trying my best to follow a lower carb diet etc. I’ve been referred to physio and will have to do exercises to strengthen my core muscles. It’s nothing life threatening of course but I feel it’s unsightly and it’s also uncomfortable when bending over, putting socks on etc. it’s most often seen post pregnancy but can occur in males and females following rapid weight gain particularly if you were on the small / thin side before. Just thought I would update you all and thanks @heron for the nudge 👍

[SheffieldJane]

Does your tummy feel hard, tight and tender sometimes? Mine does. I don’t think my GP’s surgery would want to explore anything other than my sedentary life style and suspected gluttony. ☹️ Somehow, it is always my fault. 😉

On reflection, my mother’s female relatives always had this shape, as far as I know, without this disease.

[Slowdown in reply to SheffieldJane]

🤣 you did make me laugh! Better not to ask.

[powerwalk in reply to SheffieldJane]

"Suspected gluttony" 😅😅😅. Thanks for the giggle!!!

[Phoenix51 in reply to SheffieldJane]

I could certainly claim to be in the ‘suspected gluttony’ Club with all the lockdown baking! So I have an idea where my expanding waistline and flabby tummy have come from but the area I was less certain about was my upper abdomen where my rib cage ends. It’s completely flat when I lie down but pops out when I sit up ( without the aid of my hands) this is the test they gave me at the doctors. When I sit down I could rest something on it! My legs and arms are same as always - skinny- but I look such a strange shape. Will see what physio say when I am able to be seen 👍

[Rache]

That’s interesting. I think I may have had something similar since childbirth which means when I gain weight it pops out at the front! I was very slim before pregnancy but my first child was 10lb 8oz and I was enormous

[Phoenix51 in reply to Rache]

How to you get it to pop back in again ?! 🤞

[Judyliz]

Just a little story for you.Many years ago I worked as a midwife and as those of you who have been through labour might recall midwives often put their hand on your abdomen and are able to tell you when you are about to have another contraction. I vividly remember doing this with one patient and kept my hand resting gently on her abdomen as she said it have her reassurance. At the top of one particularly strong contraction during crowning I felt her abdominal muscles tear.

It only ever happened once in my career and none of the other midwives I spoke to, some very experienced had ever known it to happen or at least realised it was happening.

To reassure you, new mum was followed up by a physio.

[Phoenix51 in reply to Judyliz]

Thank you for sharing this. I’m pretty sure I experienced something similar ( not so dramatic or sudden) with my first baby I seem to remember the midwife on post birth visits putting her hands on my abdomen and fingers in a gap?? Saying something about the gap needing to close. I had forgotten all about it as was 25 hrs ago.. maybe I have a weakness there and the weight gain has encouraged a repeat performance. I take comfort knowing I was able to return to post pregnancy shape although admittedly my age, hormones, medication will undoubtedly make things harder this time round 😩

[Rache]

The baby in question is approaching her 40th birthday so I don’t know if there’s much I can do. Maybe Pilates type exercises to help strengthen core? Will look into it 🤷🏻‍♀️