Postpartum

Postpartum recovery: closing the gap and standing tall again.

Restore the breath and deep core conversation, undo the carrying posture, and the middle comes back.

Mia Gleason, BCSI Postpartum 6 min read

Diastasis recti, the midline separation addressed with bodywork and movement — The gap is not a life sentence. We rebuild the support around it.

One of the most common things I hear postpartum is some version of: my middle does not feel like mine. A gap down the center, a core that will not switch on, a back that took over the job. It is incredibly common, and it responds well to the right work.

Start with the pressure system

Your deep core is a canister: diaphragm on top, pelvic floor below, deep abdominals around. After birth the pressure system is out of sync, and crunches only make it worse. We start by restoring the conversation between your breath and your deep core, so the canister can manage pressure again.

The deep core canister of diaphragm, pelvic floor, and deep abdominals — The canister has to work together again before the gap can close.

As that comes online, the midline has something to organize around, and the separation starts to feel supported rather than hollow.

Undo the carrying posture

Then we release the carrying posture, the rounded, forward shape that months of feeding and lifting built in. As the front line lets go and the pelvis levels, you stand back up over true vertical, and the core finally has a fair chance to do its job.

Diaphragm breathing mechanics that drive the deep core — Breath drives the whole system. We retrain it first, then build on it.

You do not crunch your way back. You rebuild the system, then teach it to carry the load.

Whether you are weeks out or years out, the structure is workable, and standing tall again is very much on the table.

The short version

A postpartum middle that feels off is common and workable.
We restore the breath and deep core pressure system first.
Releasing the carrying posture lets you stand tall again.
It works whether you are weeks or years postpartum.

This is educational writing about bodywork and movement, not medical advice. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and does not replace care from your physician.

Mia Gleason, CMT, BCSI

I am a Certified Massage Therapist and Board Certified Structural Integrator in Grass Valley, with nearly thirty years of hands-on work. I read the body like evidence and follow the lines back to the cause.

Mia Gleason Bodywork · Grass Valley / Nevada City