I didn’t know I had postpartum diastasis recti (ab separation). I lived with it for almost an entire year postpartum before I was finally able to fix it, thanks to the Every Mother program.
There are lots of fitness programs designed to help heal diastasis recti, but I chose Every Mother because it is backed by science, clinical trials, and trusted by women-focused brands like goop, npr, Good Morning America, the Tory Burch Foundation, Women’s Health, and the Today Show.
The bulk of the work is done in quick 10 minute sessions. The whole program is only 12 weeks long.
As a mom, I was so happy to hear about such a manageable chunk of time. As hard as it is to find 10 minutes, it is definitely doable.
The core moves of their program are unlike any I have ever seen before.
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Every Mother Is Scientifically Proven To Heal Diastasis Recti
Plain and simple: Every Mother validates their claims with scientific evidence. In a study, 100% of their participants recovered from their diastasis recti in 12 weeks. Every Mother was also clinically proven to reduce urinary incontinence and back pain.
How can you argue with that?
Getting Started With Every Mother
If you have lost most or all of your pregnancy weight but still look like you’re pregnant, you might have diastasis recti.
Every Mother has a free tutorial video for a self-exam to determine if you have diastasis recti.
After the self-exam, I tried their free demo video and was so impressed with the program that I decided to try it.
Note: You should consult with your doctor prior to beginning any new fitness regimen or workout program.
Check for Diastasis Recti (DR)
This video was so helpful, as it walked me step-by-step through how to perform the exam and what the results meant.
What makes their video different from others is that they focus on three measurement points and measure both the width and depth at each point.
Customize Your Fitness Plan
Every Mother is a fitness and well-being program for pregnant and postpartum women. They are for moms of all ages and stages, no matter how long since you delivered.
Once you register, you’ll fill out a questionnaire to find out which Stage and Path you’re going to start with (you can always manually change these).
Pro Tip: I was almost a year postpartum when I started Every Mother.
The Stages
This is a prenatal program that can be done while you are pregnant. It is a guided path with workouts specific for each trimester, focusing on maintaining core and pelvic floor strength through the pregnancy.
This is the program to resolve your diastasis recti in 12 weeks. Within the Reclaim Stage, there are different paths that you can choose to vary your workout or increase or decrease the difficulty of the workout.
Surpass is the program that you would use once you have resolved your diastasis recti and are looking for more intense workouts and toning that are safe for people who have had diastasis recti.
Within the stages, they also offer a variety of mini series. This series range from a few days to a few weeks. They each have different focuses and the creators of Every Mother are continually adding to them to keep the program and content fresh.
The Paths
For moms who have recently delivered who haven’t been cleared for full exercise.
For moms who are 12+ weeks postpartum and are new to fitness.
For moms who are 12+ weeks postpartum and have experience with exercise and fitness.
The bonus paths vary in length and theme from core intensives to travel plans (when you don’t have equipment).
Pro Tip: The Every Mother quiz tells you which stage and path to begin your journey, but you can easily switch between them if you find your plan too easy or too difficult.
The Plan
Foundation Videos
You watch several instructional videos for the first few days to learn about diastasis recti, how it is treated and managed, how their program can help you, and how to do the foundational moves of the program.
They even have videos geared toward new moms that help with preventing further ab separation when doing things like lifting babies, getting down onto the floor with them, pushing strollers, etc.
Don’t skip the videos! They are part of the program.
The Checklist
One of the things I loved most in the app was the interactive checklist.
Each day of your plan is mapped out on a calendar, with checklist items to do each day (watching videos, core compressions, taking measurements, or a workout).
If you forget to do something one day, you can go back and check it off later ✅.
There was a lot of thought and intent put into building the Every Mother app.
Measurement Tracking
On the first day of the program, you will take your base measurements:
- Width of your DR at three places (upper abs, belly button, lower abs)
- Depth of your DR at three places (upper abs, belly button, lower abs)
- Waist circumference
- Abdominal circumference at your belly button
The app will guide you step-by-step to gather them:
You can take optional pictures of yourself from the front and both sides to document your progress visually.
Your measurements will generate a chart that looks like this:
The chart was so helpful to me when getting started to see where my significant problem area was: the center of my belly.
The Workouts
There are two types of workouts:
You will do the 10 minute Core Compression every day of the program.
The Core Compressions are the foundation of the program. You can’t skip these. In fact, I made it through the whole program without having to skip any Core Compressions.
There is no equipment required for the Core Compressions, so you can literally do them anywhere, any time.
You won’t sweat either.
When I first watched the videos, I didn’t think it was possible to see any results with such (perceived) little effort.
Man, I was wrong!
My abs were sore in those first few weeks.
… But sore in the good way that lets you know something is working!
Pro-Tip: Get creative with finding those 10 minutes. Sometimes I would do them before lunch during my lunch break, while my baby was napping, in the evenings before bed, etc.
So some days you just do Core Compressions, and others (about every other) you have an additional workout.
The full-body workouts target specific areas of the body (upper body, core, and lower body).
- Express Workouts (12-16 minutes)
- Full Workouts (20-26 minutes)
- Recovery Workouts (20 minutes)
To achieve my results, I did the Core Compressions and Workouts every day. If you are looking for the results that they advertise, I would stick to the program as closely as possible.
The workouts are not required in order to see results prioritize doing the Core Compressions. I do think the workouts gave me better, faster results.
Pro Tip: I knew this was a short-term play (12 weeks). I enlisted the help of my husband to do the last 30 minutes of our son’s bedtime routine so that I was always guaranteed to have the time to do my workouts.
Equipment
You need equipment for the workouts:
- A light set of weights
- Heavier set of weights
- Stool or aerobic step
- Resistance band
- Yoga mat
Five Below is an awesome place to get inexpensive workout gear if you live in the United States. I have never had a problem with the quality of any of the workout equipment I have purchased there.
Pro Tip: If you don’t want to invest in weights, you can use household items like 2 water bottles for your light weights, and 2 cans or jars for heavier weights.
Reclaim Classic Path Review
The rest of this article focuses on the first path that I did: Reclaim Classic.
If I had to start this all over again, I would probably do the Reclaim LightPath first, and then do the Reclaim Classic after it.
But that is just me and my fitness level.
My suggestion would be to start with a week of one Path, and if it is too easy, move to the Classic, and if it is too hard, move to the Light.
Don’t be afraid to move Paths!
- Manageable daily workouts (10-30 minutes)
- Saw results in the first few weeks
- Short programs–you can stick with Every Mother forever if you love them, or go back to your regular exercise routine after healing your ab separation.
- Great support (from other moms and their customer services)
- Scientifically proven
- The intensity of the workouts was unpredictable. Some workouts were so easy I barely broke a sweat; others were so hard I couldn’t finish them.
- The core compressions can be repetitive. But I was seeing results, so I wasn’t complaining!
- It’s recommended not to do other workouts outside the Every Mother program while healing your DR.
My Results
Here is my starting graph for my diastasis recti, as well as my progress checks, and final measurements.
Day 1
Note: There is severe diastasis recti for depth and width in the mid-section.
Day 21
Note: The diastasis recti is no longer severe after only 21 days!
Day 42
Note: No change from day 21.
Day 64
Note: The width is now in the optimal range! Still working on the depth!
You can see that my diastasis recti is almost gone.
You can also see the starting graph for my waist and abdominal circumference, as well as my progress checks, and final measurements.
Note: Although my ab circumference stayed the same, I did lose an inch off my waist which I was proud of ?!
Bonus: Every Mother Fixed My Urinary Incontinence
Every Mother draws a clear connection between the core and the pelvic floor. Many of the exercises simultaneously target the pelvic floor.
About halfway through the program, I remember sneezing in my kitchen, expecting to leak, and being completely amazed that I didn’t!
It wasn’t a fluke either.
9 out of 10 laughs, coughs, and sneezes are fine now.
Talk about a huge bonus!
The Village
The Village is a community within the app for users to connect together.
I love the Village. I love reading other people’s journeys, struggles, and accomplishments. It motivates me to keep going on the program.
You can also direct message users within the Village and even ask admin questions if you get lost or stuck in the program.
Bonus: Workout Wednesdays!
They don’t advertise this as part of the program, but every Wednesday there is a FREE LIVE class that you can join in. The class is offered twice a day, and they also post the live recording for anyone to watch. After the workout,, there is a Q and A where users can submit any questions to be addressed.
While I haven’t yet made it to a live class (#toddlerlife #amiright?), I often watch the recordings the next day during my lunch break, specifically for the Q and A.
I find questions that I personally have are often asked, or sometimes I learn things that I hadn’t even thought of.
How To Succeed With Every Mother
The Bottom Line
If you’re wondering “do I have diastasis recti?” you should absolutely use their self-examination video, as it is the best that I have seen available for free.
If you are a mom, there is something very comforting about having workouts designed specifically for moms.
Every Mother worked for me exactly as they said it would. I would 100% do it all over again.
I love Every Mother, I will continue to update this post with my progress, and I can’t wait to hear about your journeys as well.
What is Diastasis Recti?
Diastasis recti (DR for short) is ‘the partial or complete separation of the rectus abdominis… It is very common during pregnancy and the following pregnancy.’
Here are the most common symptoms of diastasis recti:
- Pooch or bulge in your stomach
- Lower back pain
- Poor posture
- Constipation
- Bloating
In addition, here are some of the other symptoms I experienced:
- Bladder leaks
- Still looking pregnant
- Not seeing any progress in my abs with working out
- Not seeing any progress in shrinking my belly with dietary changes.
Healing Postpartum Diastasis Recti
Before Being Cleared for Exercise:
- Suppose you have recently delivered and have not yet been cleared for physical activity by your doctor. In that case, you should focus on your overall postpartum recovery and not worry about your DR just yet.
- Wearing a postpartum girdle early can help relieve your sore muscles.
- Wear postpartum clothing that is comfortable and supportive.
After Being Cleared for Exercise:
Once you are cleared for physical activity, you can start a postpartum workout program like Every Mother, which is designed specifically for mothers on their postpartum journey.
The reason that I settled on Every Mother when I was trying to figure out if I had diastasis recti and how to fix it was that they have been featured by many sources that I trust like the Today Show and Women’s Health.
