The Fear of Falling

In graduate school, my thesis research paper was on falling with the elderly.  The number one contributing factor in people who fall is the fear of falling.  Not lower body weakness, not hip replacements, not dementia but FEAR. 

My husband just finished an extensive training to get his motorcycle license.  In the training, they discussed how to avoid accidents and told him if there is an object in the road that you might hit (a rock or a log or road kill etc), do not look at the object.  Look where you are going, beyond the obstacle toward your destination.  If you look at the obstacle, you will more than likely hit it and ultimately crash.

I do not spend much if any time reviewing other diastasis programs.  I realize there are many options out there and I know people doing this work have passion and believe in what they do.  I spend most of my "free" time further my understanding of how the body functions and heals and how to improve or add to what we do at The Tummy Team.  I have no desire to critique other programs and I do not feel the need to be competitive or compare them with us.  Sadly, there are more than enough hurting people to go around and there are many different approaches to healing.  Instead, I focus on helping people better understand what we do at The Tummy Team and even more importantly why we do it this way.

That being said, the number one common factor in clients we work with who have worked in other programs before The Tummy Team is that they are living (at some level) in fear.  Some of these clients are completely controlled by this fear and others are simply living a life less than God's best due to fear.  The fear of moving wrong, the fear of having another baby, the fear of damaging themselves further, the fear of exercising, the fear of having sex with their husbands, the fear of sleeping wrong, the fear of picking up their child wrong, the fear of doing one wrong move and ruining all their hard work.  The list can go on and on but you get the point.  Ironically this fear is often the most common factor that keeps clients from completely healing.

To quote The Hunger Games, "the one thing more powerful than fear is hope".  But what do we do when we are afraid to hope?  We take a step of faith and choose to hope anyway.  Hope does not mean you know all the answers before hand.  Hope does not mean there is an absolutely clear path ahead of you.  Hope is risky. Hope always take a step of faith.  And "faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Heb 11:1. Yes, I just quoted The Hunger Games and the Bible in the same paragraph.  I believe there are many ways we are exposed to Truth :). 

Hope can come in knowing our bodies were perfectly designed.  Do you know how was your body designed?  Your body was designed for balance, strength, mobility and for a long life.  You were designed to move in many ways. You have completely unbelievable capabilities.  Your bodies were designed for constant movement and activity.  Your bodies are efficient and trainable and have the ability to heal.  But more than anything our bodies function on demand.  That "use it or lose it" theory we talk about so much.  Ultimately, your bodies do what we ask them to do.  

So if you ask them to sit collapsed and inactive all day, that is what they will do. If you ask your body to hike one hip and arch your back to rest your baby on your hip for hours at a time, that is what it will try to do. Do not expect a body which is inactive and physically collapsed all day be able to effectively do an extreme workout for 30 min 3 times a week. What we do the most wins, so if you are consistently using your muscles to hold you up and be an active participant in your daily movements, they will be less likely to fail you when you ask for a little more. 

The first stage of our Core Rehabilitation programs at The Tummy Team is awareness.  Awareness helps you make better choices. Awareness keeps you from unintentionally continuing to hurt yourself. Awareness is power.  Awareness should not create an atmosphere of fear but rather an atmosphere of hope. When you realize your body has become injured, you want to understand what contributed to your injury AND how to fix it.  If you know how to fix it but not how to stop creating the injury, you will not heal completely. If you know how you injured yourself but not how to fix it, you will live in despair and frustration.  Understanding what your body needs to do to heal is intended to give you power and understanding of your bodies current limitations, not give you fear and anger at those limitations.

Against what our culture encourages, there is freedom in boundaries.  There is power in limitations.  Understanding your particular limitations at certain time will keep you from making choices that will ultimately further limit you.  For example, if you love to run but your body is telling you now that when you run your hips and knees hurt, ignoring that boundary and continuing to run through the pain can ultimately cause damage that will forever keep you from running.  The boundary is a gift.  We hardly see this as true but it is. Boundaries are an act of love, a way to protect us and help us flourish.  Not stifle us and restrain us.  Think of the boundaries you give your children, it is in love that you give them limitations.  You body is designed in love and the limitations and optimal function of our body protects us and allows us to flourish. It allows us to  have the longevity, mobility, strength, and endurance that it was designed for.   

Awareness is not the same as obsession.  Think of the motorcycle example.  If we become obsessed about one thing, that will ultimately consume us and distort our perception.  As when driving the motorcycle, you are aware that the obstacle is there but your focus is on your destination not the obstacle.

Fear of movement will keep you from using your body to its full capacity.  But carelessly ignoring what your body is telling you is not the answer.  Awareness and balance.  Understanding where you are and what you need to do to get where you want to be. Educate yourself. Understand the why. Then take that risky step of faith to hope and continue to take one step at a time.

The Tummy Team is very intentional about everything we do.  We guide you step by step to progress your body to be strong, stable and capable of what you need it to do.  It is much more about what your body is consistently capable of more than what it looks like (even though when it works better, you feel better and look better). The function is the goal.

But fear has no part in the journey.  

I wish I could just magically wipe away those fears and help you trust but that is part of your journey.  I have learned there is much more going on in this journey of healing than just pulling two sides of the abdominal wall together.  Nothing is wasted. 

I encourage you to trust, knowing you are not alone and not the first person on this journey.  So many have gone before you and found healing and strength and the elimination of pain and fear.  You can do it to.  Do not be afraid.  Trust the perfect design of your body and let us help you get back to that design.

A Story of Healing after a Devasting Loss~ Sarah, mother of a baby girl in heaven.

Dear Kelly,

Here is my story. I have never thought of myself as a good writer, but I want to encourage other women to find healing that I have. :-)

May God bless you and I look forward to working with you again sometime.

Sarah

My Story~

I have always been a "abs and obliques " girl. Not considering myself a athletic person, I was very fit when it came to strong lean tummy; topping my 500 situps in a row record in my teens and making a favorite of core “insanity" exercise program right before getting married at 25. My core was strong and together, but very tight. I had never heard of a “transverse” before.

 

Being due to have our first baby in July, I heard of a class on how to "bounce back after having a baby" in April and went enthusiastically being always eager to learn how to keep a tight tummy. I met Bethany Learn there and had a paradigm shift, adding "transverse" to my vocabulary and realizing abs and obliques weren't everything.  Bethany checked me for a diastasis and I had a 3 finger separation already. At that time I bought a splint and tried to remember a couple things Bethany taught but but did not pursue further.

In July I went into labor and after 5 long days and 9 cm we transferred to the hospital for a cesarean and sadly lost our little girl.  Needless to say, my core was tired; and I was physically and emotionally traumatized. I disconnected with my tummy and didn’t like to touch it, think about it or look at it. My scar was avoided above all. At that time I could fit a full hand in the separation of the transverse. I splinted because it felt good and that’s all I remembered how to do. 

Three months after we lost our baby, I built up the courage to call Bethany at Fit2B and she referred me to Kelly Dean at The Tummy Team. I didn’t want to deal with that part of my body, but my desire to be healthy enough to have another baby spurred me on. That’s when my story of healing began. 

Kelly was encouraging and supportive, making the “exercise as daily habits”  seem attainable and easy. She encouraged me to start massaging my tummy  and learning to reconnect to my core with engaging breathing which slow began my healing both physically and emotionally.  The most amazing part was that there was real measurable progress in just 2 weeks. 

There are a few things Kelly said that really helped me have better follow through perseverance. 

“Even if you skip a day and don’t do any of the exercises, don’t be discouraged. Just pick up where you left off and keep going”
“You may confront new emotions when massaging your core; they are completely natural, just keep connecting until it feels normal.”
“Just one step at a time.”
“Stay long lean and lifted”
“ I know its hard but you can do it”
“You are a daughter of the King.”
“You have a lot of of strength, you just need to connect to it again.”

Anyone can do it. Even the busiest mother. The key is being willing and The Tummy Team will teach you   the tools and help you create habits to incorporate into daily tasks. 

Over the next 6 weeks it seemed as if I was learning all the basic tasks over. How to breathe, sit, stand, have a bowel movement, walk and even empty the dishwasher! I started to have amazing posture and people in my life noticed and even started having better posture too.  My husband loves the “new me” and even reminds me when I forget to engage my core. 

I have become more graceful and tall, walking like the royalty that I now know I am. 

I am approaching 5 months mark since my little Kendrah went to be with Jesus. I am starting to feel whole again. My body feels connected to my heart and my mind. I love how my reconnection to my core has helped me reclaime myself in a new way, feeling better than I did before getting pregnant. I thank God for bringing healing through Kelly and I am looking forward to being a mother of many children when God sees fit.

I encourage anyone reading this to take a leap of faith for yourself, your children or your husband; because it is worth it. If you choose to, you can reclaim who you are one step at a time.

Sarah~ mother of one baby girl in heaven

Identity of Brokenness

Why is it hard to hope?

We work with men and women but most of our clients seem to be women and often women with very similar stories.  The Tummy Team specializes in core rehabilitation however most people do not truely understand what their "core" is.  Not only do we not understand the physical nature of the muscles but we also do not understand the emotional and spiritual nature of our "core". 

The "core" is the structure and the foundation that everything else is built upon.  It is the stabilizing force that allows for effective, pain free movement.  It is the internal support for all of our external activity.  It is essential for life.  It is essential spiritually, emotionally and physically.

Many of our clients are women who come to us weak, disconnected from their core and ultimately feeling broken. At some time in their life they were either violated, hurt or rejected.  At some point in their life they believed on some level that their body failed them (abuse, injury, infertility, miscarriage, rape,difficult birth, unexpected c-section, poor birth recovery, etc). At some point they had to survive and push through.  At some point they found themselves feeling like they were somehow living in a strangers body.  Disconnected and weak. And many have sought help and received little encouragement.  Many have chosen to accept weakness, pain, disconnect and more.  Many have believed this is the cost of motherhood and growing older as a woman.  Others have become obsessed with looking for solutions. Obsessed with all of the broken pieces of themselves.  Obsessed with analyzing and evaluating every piece of themselves that is not working.  Whether they have given up or are obsessively seeking help- most have little to no hope of getting better.

It is interesting how many women come to us at The Tummy Team and have very little hope or expectation that they will get better.  Our first session is almost completely based on helping these clients to understand how their body was designed and why it is not functioning well and to give them HOPE.  Some of our clients cling to this hope like it is a lifeline.  Sadly many of our clients on some level reject the hope.  It seems just too hard to hope.  At least in the beginning.  As we slowly begin changing things, hope starts to spring up, only to be squashed by the fear of healing.

Why would we be afraid to heal?

Healing can be scary.  When we have decided to accept our situation (usually not an easy task),the thought of hoping with the risk of disappointment can be overwhelming.  If we have adjusted our entire life around our weakness or our pain, it can be terrifying to consider what life might be like without those adjustments.  We sadly can use pain and brokenness as a soft padding that buffers us from the world, that excuses us from connecting or investing or really living.  If we have spent a large part of our life looking for "cures" or "treatments" or explanations for why cannot do certain things- without that need, what will we do with our time? 

The truth is you were placed here to live your story.  Our stories are not without pain and suffering.  However, the truth is your body was created out of a perfect design.  The truth is women were designed to have babies and not fall apart.  The truth is our bodies were designed for a beautiful balance between stability and mobility.  The truth is pain is your bodies way of revealing its boundaries so you will protect yourself.  The truth is you were not designed to live broken, merely surviving and powering through life.  The truth is you were designed to thrive and stand tall and walk as a glorious daughter of the one true King.  The truth is healing is available.

There is a difference between hope and expectation.  We as humans cannot help but compare ourselves to others and place expectations and therefore disappointment on our perceived failures. We all have a story. We all have our own unique journey. (I believe nothing is wasted in these stories.) We have hope in all things and we expect that healing will happen, yet we must be open to what that healing will look like.

 Remember what the "core" is.  The "core" is the structure and the foundation that everything else is built upon.  It is the stabilizing force that allows for effective, pain free movement.  It is the internal support for all of our external activity.  It is essential for life.  So healing your core is much more about what you are healing on the inside than simply what we look like on the outside.

As a culture, we focus so much on the external components of our life and even in our bodies and we forget that without the inside being solid, eventually the outside fades and fails. It is from within that healing comes.  It is the structure, that sometimes you cannot see but you can absolutely feel that begins the transformation process.

Do not be afraid.  You were not designed for an identity of brokenness.  You were fearfully and wonderfully made.  

In our clients we see true healing occur once they trust the truth.  Once they trust that their body was designed for strength and balance.  Once they believe in the power of the perfect design to heal and thrive.  There are often external changes that are evident, but these changes are always as a result of an internal restoration.  The light shines out of that solid foundation. 

"It is never too late" a testimony from a 71 year old mom of 5.

"Dear Kelly Dean and the Tummy Team,


I wanted to share how much your work has helped me so you can share it with others....

I was 71 when my Naturopath recommended I see Kelly at the Tummy Team. I had been having trouble with a prolapsed bladder for several years and had been through physical therapy that was more frustrating and discouraging than helpful. I had also recently developed a hernia at the midline above my naval that had been recently diagnosed.  There didn't seem to be any good solutions for a hernia.

 I had 5 children when I was in my twenties and had lived at that time in women's Lib when a woman was supposed to be able to lift as much as a man or she was just being a sissy. I've been a Massage Therapist for about 20 years and I haven't done a lot of self care, yoga or stretching.

I was a little dubious about trying the Tummy Team, but my naturopath believed in the work.  I am so glad I took her advise.

First of all Kelly is very enthusiastic about her work and is able to transfer that enthusiasm and encouragement . She has a deep and powerful understanding of body dynamics and anatomy and an  ability to translate that knowledge into visuals and metaphors that made using her knowledge easy and instinctive, not at all like being given calisthenics or a gym workout and no where near as hard as physical therapy can be.

The concepts she gave me with quickly became a natural part of my daily habits.  AND THEY WORK.  So there is more incentive to continue using them. Within a few weeks my hernia was almost gone and when I could feel it growing, I would use her methods and it would disappear again.  I am thrilled. No surgery and no living with a rupture in my abdominal wall.

The prolapsed bladder is a longer standing and more complicated issue which I am still working on three months after starting treatment.  I have really good days and some discouraging days but gradually the good days out way the hard ones and when I remember all the exercises and body mechanics that make it better and practice a few of them, not even all of them, the prolapse decreases.

The most amazing part is that it works and works easily and quickly even for someone like me who is not very disciplined. Also Kelly is learning all the time and incorporating new ideas and new ways of explaining concepts so that they are easy to learn and integrate into daily life.

  Kelly is a real treasure.  A great combination of intelligence, enthusiasm, encouragement, analysis, and creative ways of explaining and teaching.  Very alive and growing, not at all 'by the book' but engaged with each new client and learning from them and with them as she teaches and heals.

Thanks Kelly.  I know a lot of work and passion went into developing this body of knowledge and practice."


~71 year old mother of 5.

Testimony from a Tummy Team trained Midwife- her personal and professional journey!

As a midwife for many years, we have been coaching women to push in a c-curve with their chin to their chest and their knees up. I have found there is considerable resistance to changing this tradition.  I really appreciate the effort The Tummy Team is making to reach out to midwives.  I continue to learn from and use the skills and knowledge you shared at the workshop I attended in Spring of 2013.

First I want to give an update on my personal rehab.  After the instruction you gave at the workshop and my private Skype sessions, my diastasis completely closed -- down to 1 finger shallow, and I was able to wean myself completely off the splint. But daily life and the fact that the new is not as good as the original contributed to a slight re-injury at the navel. It was a good reminder for me to wear my splint whenever I am working. When I last measured, my waist was 31". I no longer look 7 months pregnant. I can wear clothes without being concerned with whether my belly will be concealed....but most importantly, I feel connected to my own body. It works much better.

Professionally, I assess everyone in my practice for diastasis. This includes women I see only for Maya massage, who may or may not be pregnant, and all of the homebirth midwifery clients. I generally teach the core breath during childbirth classes or at a prenatal clinic visit.  If someone has a major issue I send them to The Tummy Team site and I am now so excited about the online programs as I work many hours from your clinic. Otherwise, I supply them with an abdominal splint and practice the breathing and other training you gave us in the workshop.

There are two recent case studies I would like to share with you. This first is a third time mama who was a professional competitive athlete. With her first baby, she was unable to push out her first baby after 4.5 hours of pushing, so her doctor used a vacuum. With the second baby, after 3 hours of pushing, she had a cesarean. She came to us late in care (34 weeks) with her third. On initial assessment, I was unable to find the margin of her abdominal musculature. Her diastasis spanned about 10 inches across, from her ribs to her pelvis. She was attempting a VBAC. I taught her the core breath, sent her to get a splint, and referred her to a local PT who also trained with The Tummy Team. She got PT 2x/week for a month, and then went into labor...It took her 10 minutes to get completely dilated. She spent the next 4 hours not pushing, but using position changes, relaxation, visualization, active coaching and support before her baby was low enough for her to engage her pushing reflex. She stood up between contractions and squatted during them. And after 30 minutes of that, she gave birth spontaneously at home. No c-curve pushing! No ankles by her ears! We wrapped her up in the splint before we even got her back to the bed and she started doing her core rehab exercises right away.

The second case study was a birth that happened the very next day. This mama was having her second baby. She had no diastasis. Her uterus was anteflexed and we used some maneuvering to help her baby descend into the pelvic inlet (Walcher's technique). After that, she had 3 contractions with no urge to push as her baby moved down the birth canal. With the next strong contraction I reached around her from behind to pull her uterus up and back( as the transverse abdominis should when engaged). While holding her uterus, I felt her transverse muscle fully engage and wrap around her like iron as it literally squeezed her baby down. That was the irresistible urge to push or ejection reflex in action. Her body pushed like that for 30 minutes (without any support from me) and she gave birth to a 10 lb baby. So now I understand that the ejection reflex IS the transverse being stimulated. She only added to the pushing as much as her body asked her to. She was at risk for post partum depression, and after I wrapped her up on day 1, her tears evaporated and she was all smiles. She loves her splint!

Some women experience the irresistible urge to push and others don't. Could it be diastasis that causes the failure of the ejection reflex? I love peeling the layers and exploring the depths.

I am so excited to become a Tummy Team affiliate and further direct my clients to your online programs.This information is so valuable. I envision sending both pregnant and non pregnant clients your way. I would still send serious cases to our local PT as needed, but a 6 week series with you and The Tummy Team to help prepare for birth is a great value. Even though I teach the basics in my classes, I can't spend that much time on it, and many people are not integrating the information. As for non-pregnant clients, if they do not need ongoing PT, your program gives them a lot for the money.

Thank you so much for this work.

Tummy Team Testimony from Online Client....

My Story- Tanya S~ new mother of 1 year old

During pregnancy, I had literally felt my ab muscles “ripping” apart above my belly button and, after some online reading, discovered I was probably developing a diastasis. My midwife confirmed my diagnosis and told me I would fix it after having my baby with physical therapy and/or surgery. I started doing “belly breaths” on my own and holding in the transverse as best I could while still pregnant and I think this helped my diastasis not to worsen much beyond a three finger gap throughout the remainder of my pregnancy. Besides the diastasis, my pregnancy was quite uneventful, and I enjoyed almost all of it. I continued to walk nearly 6 miles per day right up until I delivered my baby boy on October 24, 2012. 

My unmedicated labor was fine and manageable (labored at home and at a park, and actually arrived at the midwife center fully dilated and pushing!!), but my little man was stubbornly “sunny side up” and was incredibly difficult to get out. My midwife encouraged me to hold my breath and push (which I now know is soooo wrong!), and my baby moved millimeters at a time for 2 hours. At that point, I was taken by ambulance to the hospital, because even though the baby was not in distress, they suspected I would need a c-section to get him out. By the grace of God, something shifted in the ambulance and I was able to push him out myself in one more hour at the hospital. I had a second degree tear which healed up nicely, and I was walking within an hour of giving birth. I dove into mothering and home-making head first and loved (almost) every moment of it. I was back to walking a few miles per day at a week after birth and felt my recovery was actually fairly easy. I lost the baby weight effortlessly while breastfeeding and everything checked out fine at my six week appointment. My midwife wrote me a prescription for physical therapy to fix my diastasis, and I felt fine about where I was at. 

Two days after my six week check-up, I felt a bulging down below and discovered a bladder prolapse. I remember being shocked and scared and crying to my husband. I really felt like my body was broken. I went to the physical therapist and they gave me one exercise for my DR, did not recommend splinting, and gave me no info at all about lifestyle or postural changes. They told me to do Kegels for the prolapse. And I did. I did everything they said for months, and saw only a worsening of my pelvic floor and diastasis symptoms. I started feeling very frustrated and hopeless. I did not feel attractive, despite my husband telling me I was beautiful. My midsection, previously always effortlessly flat, was bulging and shapeless and hung to the side like a cow’s udder when I lay on my side. I didn’t recognize myself. I felt embarrassed to wear anything that showed my belly, and shopped for some new “boxy” shirts that would better hide my new 5-month-pregnant-looking form and protruding belly button. I didn’t like anybody touching my belly because it felt like a bowl of pudding, and I would avoid looking down when it stuck out while I was nursing. I hated my belly. It had let me down and it wasn’t responding to all my efforts to whip it into shape. And it frustrated me endlessly that no amount of healthy eating or exercise seemed to make a difference.

I felt defeated. After all, I had been to a women’s rehab specialist, and they had not been able to help me! Where else could I turn for help? I started to grieve the loss of control over my belly and to work on accepting my body as it was right now, with a protruding tummy that was the result of carrying and delivering my beautiful baby boy. However, even as I tried to give up the “vanity” issues, I still worried how my body would possibly support another pregnancy. I felt broken already, and was worried my mild prolapse would become unmanageable during the stress of another pregnancy. I felt I needed to find a way to improve my strength before carrying a second child, even if I would need to deal with the “cosmetic defect” of a “mummy tummy” for life. 

I prayed about it and I feel God’s response to me finally asking for His help was to lead me to Fit2B. I felt nurtured and calmed by Bethany’s approach to healing my tummy, and I started learning that I did not need to “beat my tummy into submission” to see results. Her teaching about how to move in core-supporting ways in everyday life was eye-opening to me and I started seeing changes in my belly and my everyday core strength. After about 4 weeks of doing Fit2B workouts, I felt I needed more. I needed to start from the ground up and find somebody to help me systematically rebuild what was broken. Through a search on Bethany’s site and reading her testimonial, I found the Tummy Team. 

After emailing with Kelly, I signed up for their online core foundations course. 

Empowered. That is how I would describe how I feel after going through the Tummy Team’s online core foundations program and having two one-on-one skype sessions with Kelly. I now understand how my core functions, how to balance all the parts of my body that impact my transverse and my diastasis, how to move and function in everyday life to support my core, how to live my life in a way that promotes healing and limits damage to the precious instrument God has given me that allows me to love, nurture, and care for my family. Kelly’s program is step-by-step, comprehensive, nurturing, and realistic. She is the opposite of “alarmist” which is so good for my sometimes-neurotic personality. When I obsessed about my diastasis measurements over and over, she patiently encouraged me to “stop checking so often!”. She was right  She told me I was doing great, and that my efforts were paying off not only in my slowly-closing diastasis and healing connective tissue, but in my functional strength and my posture. 

Before finding the Tummy Team, I felt frustrated, desperate, and broken. Deeply broken. That might sound dramatic since we’re just talking about a tummy, but my diastasis and my pelvic floor weakness were leaving me feeling frustrated, unattractive, and fearful of what another pregnancy would do to my body. After eight weeks of rehabbing my tummy, I feel like I can imagine another pregnancy (not yet, but after another several months of strengthening my body and healing). I will also definitely sign up for Kelly’s online prenatal course if/when the time comes for delivery and recovery with pregnancy #2. 

My progress has been admittedly slow, and my before and after pictures are not astounding, but I can see and feel some progress after 8 weeks. I splinted nearly 24/7 for the first several weeks, and with Kelly’s encouragement, I started weaning gradually around week 5/6 of the program. I started with the following measurements (taken by myself, so not sure how accurate my reading is…):

Top: 2.5-3 and medium, 28.5”

Middle: 2.5-3 and deep, 30”

Lower: 1.5 and shallow/medium, 31”

At the end of eight weeks:

Top: 2 and shallow/medium, 27.5”

Middle: 2 and medium, 28-28.5”

Lower: 1-1.5 and shallow, 30-30.5”

Before

After:

I am breastfeeding my one year old son on demand and he still nurses a lot, so Kelly has told me my healing might stagnate a bit until I’m done. I am about 50% weaned from my splint. 

I feel so much stronger, so much more aware of my posture and the positions my body is in throughout the day, and much more able to stabilize myself with my transverse. My new postures and movements, and the way I now engage my transverse are becoming increasingly automatic. I feel more willing to put on a slightly more form-fitting T-shirt, and I can honestly say I feel more attractive.. My core feels much stronger, and I can see the increased muscle definition and structure in my midsection. I no longer feel like I am just “mushy” in the middle. My belly stays in place much better when I lie down on my side (instead of just kind of “oozing” away from me). My pelvic floor is getting stronger, I no longer have to run to the bathroom as often, and my prolapse symptoms are gradually lessening. 

I feel like I am finally moving in the right direction. I have hope that if I continue doing the exercises, keeping my transverse active in my day to life, stretching, and being mindful of the posture and way I use my body each day, I will continue to see improvements in my diastasis measurement, the strength of my connective tissue, my pelvic floor strength, and my overall functional core strength in my everyday life. 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you thank you thank you Kelly and the Tummy Team for making this information available to me in Pennsylvania. Thank you for the Skype sessions, the Facebook forum, and the clear path to continued healing you’ve helped lay out for me. I will be sharing your information with the Midwife Center in Pittsburgh, and with any women or men I come across who were/are suffering like I was. 

Ps: if I see more improvements in the months ahead, I will update 

Real

I have been feeling a prodding to write this for some time now but there always seems to be something that gets pushed ahead.  A few discussions on the Private Tummy Team Client FB Forum really made me realize how important it may be for me to share this.

It is easy for people to develop an impression of someone based a a little information.  We all do it.  I notice this when clients first come to see me if they have watched some education videos I have posted or read my bio.  I see this flicker of recognition in their eyes when they see me, like they know me already.  It is actually very helpful as it allows people to trust us and allow us to help them even with more intimate issues.  But I also know that they have only seen a small blip of who I am.

The more people know about the work I do, the more assumptions are made.  Although, one blog will not share every intimate detail about myself, I do feel like some things that I share could really help people understand that I am just a person, just a mom, just a woman with many of the same struggles as them.

Yes, I have developed by the grace of God, I strong understanding of the body, alignment, rehabilitation etc.  Yes, I have years of experience to draw from.  And, yes, I work hard to learn more every day.  But I still struggle with the same things you all do.  So let's expose some lies and hopefully set some people free...

First, people like to assume since I run The Tummy Team that I am super thin and have a 6-pack (abs, not Coors Light).  I am not skinny and I do not have flat tummy.  I am 5'8" which is relatively tall for a woman (I am seriously an amazon beside everyone of my close friends- I don't think I have one close friend that is not at least 4 inches shorter than me.)  So due to that height, my weight is dispersed.  I weigh a lot.  A lot. How much? I honestly cannot say because I have not looked at a scale seriously since I was about 21.  When I was in college, I was a very competitive athlete and very fit.  At that time I had an insanely low body fat percentage, like 16% or something crazy, but still weighed 20lbs more than almost everyone on my swim team.  Maybe it is muscle, or dense bones, who really cares.  The scale took on a very negative place in my life so I chose to no longer measure my health by it.  Even when I am at the doctor or pregnant, I stand on the scale backward and ask them not to tell me the number. The number messes with my head.  I am size 12 ( a real size 12 not the junior size 12- why do they do that anyway?).  Sometimes I am a size 10 but usually I am a size 12.  When the size 12 does not fit well, I realize I need to adjust some things.  My belly measurement (at the belly button) ranges between 36 and 38" depending on many factors.  I do not measure all the time, but I know this because I demo the splints and if I am 36" the medium fits better, if I am 38" the large does.  I try to not sweat it.

Second, people assume I am super comfortable with my body.  Wrong.  I can be very self conscious of my tummy.  Personally, I have had so much healing in this area of my life and this area of my body that it does not affect me nearly as much as it has in the past.  But almost every client I have looks at my tummy and I imagine every on-line client zooms in and checks out my tummy when watching the videos.  It is human nature to be curious to see if this program "worked" for the teacher.  I really try to not let it control me but I am a woman and I have the same body image issues as everyone else.  Even when I was fit I did not have a washboard stomach.  I have stretch marks, extra skin and a very deformed poorly planned tattoo on my tummy.  However, I expose my tummy at every class I teach and give other professionals the opportunity to check my stomach.  We cannot allow fear to control us, so I look for every opportunity to stare that fear in the eye and overcome it.

Third, my diastasis is not completely closed.  I had a 6 finger very deep diastasis with a weak inactive core, no pelvic floor, horrific posture, no energy and chronic back pain just 4 years ago.  My diastasis now typically measures 1 shallow (closed) at the top, 1.5-2.5 shallow/medium at my navel, and 1-1.5 shallow at the lower measurement.  However, my posture has transformed, I lost 6-8 inches off my waist, I have a solid pelvic floor, tons of energy, incredible functional strength and no back pain.  The diastasis measurement is only one piece of the puzzle.  The elasticity of the connective tissue flucuates, it reacts to your menstrual cycle, it was very stressed and damaged so their can be residual changes to that tissue.  That measurement alone will never be the measurement of your success or failure.  And, often the more we focus on the number, the less it changes.

Forth, I move my body.  It is true that I live what I teach.  I am aware of my posture, alignment, how I sit, how I move, and how active my core is throughout the day.  But I move. I am not in the "rehab" phase of the program.  I have a lot of awareness and functional strength for what I ask my body to do, so I can do things without causing damage to my body. Not crunches, not v-sits but functional movements within reasonable ranges.  For instance,  I swim butterfly.   Butterfly can cause the ribs to flare, and my back does arch and the dolphin kick does put my body into a crunch at times.  I also do flip turns which is a flexed position.  My diastasis has not reopened because of this.  But I would not have been able to do even 2 years ago.  It is a process and a journey.

Fifth, I am not a fitness fanatic.  I cannot run, I suck at hiking, I cannot complete most of Bethany's Fit2B workouts without serious effort and fatigue (even the ones I filmed- look closely, I am sweating and exhausted).  I run a business, have 3 kids and a home to take care of, so I swim 2-3 times a week and do functional core exercises and stretches and a few other fun things here and there.  You just cannot do it all so I choose what I love and I choose to be in my kids lives.

I am sure there are other myths that need to be busted but these are the ones I feel people assume the most.  I have never intended to misrepresent myself.  I have found that especially with the internet where you can present what you want and omit what you don't, it is very easy for people to fill in the blanks with their own assumptions.  Sadly, I feel like people can either put me on a pedestal or be overly mean and critical.  Very few people hit the mark unless they really know you.

I firmly believe that "the Truth will set you free".  Spiritually and figuratively.  When women assume things that are incorrect and then try to live up to those imaginary standards, they live in a trap.  The "never good enough" or "I wish I was like so and so" trap,

We all have a story, a journey and a beauty to share.  Beauty is so much more about how you feel than how you look.  When you feel beautiful, it pours out of you.  Beauty is everywhere.  Don't miss it looking for something else or trying to be someone else.

Thanks for reading.

Kelly Dean, MPT
Founder of The Tummy Team

Maria~ mother of 3 and physician

I attended a Tummy Team workshop after my second child was born and it was the best thing I’ve done for myself in years! Here’s my story:

I am a 31 year-old physician and a mother of 3. I have always been an athlete. I prided myself on being athletic despite being pregnant or breastfeeding, or having young children, and I’ve considered core strength to be foundational for balance, strength, and energy. After my second child was born, I had a deep diastasis with weakened abdominal muscles, and it affected every aspect of my athletics. I worked really hard to get my tummy back “in shape” but the yoga, Pilates, crunches, etc. didn’t help at all. I was frustrated, discouraged and lacking self-confidence when I heard of the Tummy Team program. I wanted a third child, but I was afraid of ruining my body (you give up so much for motherhood, but I didn’t want to sacrifice everything!). 

I’ll be honest that I was pretty skeptical after the first Tummy Team session – the program was so simple, I wasn’t sure it would work for me. But I gave it a shot, and I was thrilled with the results. I regained my core strength back and remembered how to use my  body safely. I was shocked how quickly I was back to a quality work-out routine (with small modifications for my healing tummy). 

My third child was born about a year after I started the Tummy Team program (she’s 4 months old now), and the recovery after having that third baby was so much easier than it had been after the first 2 (although the labor and delivery hadn’t been much different, and I’d actually been less active during my last pregnancy). I know that the difference in recovery was because of the lessons I’d learned from the Tummy Team. I have incorporated subtle changes into my everyday life to be able to stay strong, healthy and active. I am so grateful for the Tummy Team, and I strongly recommend anyone who is battling their core muscles to sign up for a session – it is simple, easy to do, and best of all, it works! Your tummy will thank you!!

My Story~ Julie, Mother of 3 and 1 on the way!

The Tummy Team works!  It truly does! 

Before doing the Tummy Team:  I was 33, my third daughter was 2 years old, and I still looked quite pregnant.  Not because I was overweight but because I had no muscle tone in my stomach.  I had had enough!  Even more important than how I looked was how awful I felt!  My back constantly ached.  I had to see the chiropractor regularly because my spine & ribs kept popping out of place.  My formerly "regular" bowels were sluggish and causing constipation (and further strain on the hemorrhoids I had developed during my second pregnancy).  My posture was horrible and looked really sloppy.  Overall I just felt unhealthy and unattractive!  My husband and I were planning to conceive our fourth child soon, but I really wanted to get my core strong BEFORE I had another baby stretch my tummy out again.  I wanted to feel stronger during this next pregnancy, not to mention push more effectively.  I also knew doing the Tummy Team before pregnancy would help me get my core strength back quicker after pregnancy.

During the Tummy Team:  I love Kelly!  She is such a likable gal, and so very knowledgeable.  She was super encouraging and helped me to progress in my core strength, but without being bossy or harsh.  The educational videos were excellent.  I did the Tummy Team with a group of gals, and ALL of us had incredible results.  We are talking diastasis closed, bowel-control, urinary-control, posture and spinal problems remedied or greatly lessened!  Most of the gals even lost several inches off their waistline!  I would highly recommend doing your Tummy Team rehabilitation with or at the same time as another person.  We all communicated via a Facebook group during our 6 weeks, and it was incredibly helpful to have encouragement and accountability from others "in the same boat."

After the Tummy Team:  Talk about results!  I went from having a separation of 3 to 3.5 and medium-deep down my tummy, to being 1 to 1.5 and shallow!  (1 is closed, so I only had a half-of-a-finger width separation left!)  My posture was great and I felt so much more confident about myself.  My back problems virtually went away, and my bowel issues greatly improved.  And, as an added bonus, I lost 4" off my waistline.....without losing a single pound!  So as you can see, I am a huge believer in the Tummy Team.  I have literally recommended it to dozens of people!  

Update as of Six Months Later:  I am currently 5 months pregnant with baby girl #4 (yay!), and have felt so much stronger during this pregnancy!  I truly believe that my knowledge of my core will greatly help with pushing this little girl out efficiently.  And after this little one is born I can't wait to use my belly splint and my core-strengthening exercises to get my core health back!  The Tummy Team is truly a gift that keeps on giving throughout a lifetime.  Still so grateful for Kelly and the Tummy Team!

 

 

My Story~ Becca~ mom of 2.

I took the Tummy Team's "Perfect Pushing" class in 2010 when I was pregnant with my second child.  I had previously had a cesarean delivery in 2008 after five long hours of pushing that didn't move my large (and unfavorably positioned) son.  Along with regular chiropractic care to help promote ideal positioning, I wanted to prepare myself with exercises that would really help me focus my efforts and push effectively.  I enjoyed how thorough the class was, and did the exercises faithfully throughout my second and third trimesters.  When my daughter was born in 2011, I had a much faster labor and pushed on my own (without being coached).  My memory of that part was a little foggy (it was a short and intense labor!) but I only pushed for about 20 minutes when she came flying out like superman, with a nuchal hand and a 14.75" head.  I am so thankful for the information and exercises I learned from the Tummy Team, and the role they played in helping me achieve a successful and healthy vbac.

My Story~ Kelly- first time mom and doula

 My Tummy Team Story

So, I heard about the Tummy Team when, as a doula, a good friend and current client told me she was taking the pushing class in order to prepare for the birth of her daughter.  I had been her doula at her first birth and it had taken over three hours and almost every position for her to get her son out.  She wasn’t taking chances this time.   She, however, had some complications and ended up at the hospital.  She was not having the birth she’d wanted or planned and there were some very real dangers involved.  When she was ready to push she had her midwife on one side with forceps and another nurse midwife with a vacuum extractor.  To say things were tense would have been a grave understatement.  But, my friend calmly closed her eyes, focused and in two pushes her daughter was born.  After, seeing her perform that minor miracle, I was sold on Tummy Team.  

I signed up for the pushing classes and did the best I could to get “in shape” for the birth.  I was very faithful in my exercises at first with things waning just before the birth when even getting up to go the bathroom was making me tired.  I could still feel my core when I tightened my muscles and I could relax my pelvic floor at the same time so I felt prepared.  

The one thing I’ve learned as a doula is to prepare, but be prepared for change.  My birth did not go as planned.  When my water broke at home I went to the bathroom and filled the toilet bowl with blood.  I knew there was something seriously wrong so we immediately went to the hospital even though contractions hadn’t started yet.  They checked me and confirmed that my water had broken and that they weren’t sure where the source of the blood was coming from.  I don’t think they wanted to say the words partial placental abruption, but that’s what was going on.  They needed to keep me monitored and we complied.   

My baby was doing great on the monitors so we slept until we were woken later that morning.  The midwife on call suggested that we start pitocin since my water had broken and labor wasn’t active yet.  Around noon I started pit, my doula joined me and we walked around to get things going.  The rest of my laboring was in the tub – seven hours later they got me out to check me and I was 5 cm.  I was pretty exhausted at that point and dehydrated.  I hadn’t eaten for 24 hours and I was beginning to worry about my baby.  I wanted an epidural.  I was advised to walk around, but when I did that I gushed more blood.  I wasn’t bleeding in the water, but I couldn’t go back.  I was a prune.  Literally a prune and body needed time outside the water.  

I got the epidural and rested for a few hours before it was time to push.  My epidural was too heavy.  I couldn’t feel my legs I couldn’t move them.  I was completely numb from the waist down.  I really hadn’t wanted that.  I wanted to be able to feel some, but my former-military (in my opinion) anesthesiologist didn’t understand me when I said I wanted it lowered.  I asked specifically for it to be lowered when I pushed.  She lowered it marginally, but I still felt nothing.  I had to ask for people to tell me when I was having a contraction so I could push with it.  It was very frustrating, especially when people weren’t really keeping track.  

The amazing thing though, was that when I pushed I pushed well.  I pushed so well that I had my eight pound baby girl out within 29 minutes.  I know it would have been less if people had actually kept track of my contractions.  Even though I couldn’t feel my body I relied on my practice and I focused on tightening my core and relaxing my pelvic floor.  I pictured my baby’s head and I pictured my muscles holding her little head in place while I waited for the next contraction to help push her a little further.  

I was so glad to get to this part and be able to push so effectively.  The nurse even mentioned how well I’d done because she was ready to guide me and I said I wanted to use the Tummy Team method.  My baby girl came out healthy and howling.  Her back was covered in red blood.  It wasn’t until later that I realized how precarious our situation was and how blessed we are that my placenta didn’t attach further.  

I really am so grateful I took the pushing course, as a first time mother no less.  I am recommending your classes to every mom I meet.  I know two moms at least, myself and my friend who introduced me to Tummy Team that were able to avoid c-sections because of successful pushing. 

Kelly- new mom of 1.

My Story~ Gretchen mother of 1.

I wanted to share my story of tummy empowerment.

I'm a 40 year old mom of a 9 year old. Ever since the pregnancy I experienced a bulging belly button and abdominal weakness. Over the past few years I noticed a developing mini-tummy, being noticeable on my thin frame. Last year I developed an inguinal hernia that I underwent surgery for. While there weren't any complications, and the surgeon explained that the hernia was normal for thinner women, I understood that my lack of core strength might have contributed. I tried yoga and strength workouts, to no avail. From the advice of super hero pelvic P.T., Tami Kent, came a referral for the strengths and wisdom from Kelly Dean of the Tummy Team. Kelly and I corresponded over email and met shortly after for a one-on-one session. Kelly found that I had a 3 finger-gap, almost as deep, at my center and points above and bellow. Even after testing myself, I didn't discover my weaknesses as Kelly did. She provided me with a handful of simple exercises that I would do daily to develop my transverse abdominis that had weakened with the birth of my child. While still not perfect, I have been amazed at my progress. Kelly taught me how to carry myself in a more supported way, avoiding positions that increased the finger gap. My work with the exercises became more proficient and I am pleased to report progress, greater ease of movement, and continued slimming of my gap. Thank you Kelly and the Tummy Team for your help and for the training to heal myself!

-Gretchan J.

Portland, OR

.

My Story- Emily mother of 2~

My only regret with The Tummy Team is that I didn't go sooner.  Kelly seriously changed my life.  Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of what a blessing my three sessions were and how I will never be the same.  I'm continually recommending it to friends when they complain about back pain, a floppy tummy or elimination problems.

After two children (both C-sections, one emergency at just under 28 weeks and one planned at 39 weeks), my tummy had a bulge that just wouldn't go away.  Two years later, having taken up running for the first time in my life and doing Weight Watchers, I still couldn't get my tummy to firm up.  A friend told me about The Tummy Team when my youngest was about a year old and I just wish I had gone in right then instead of waiting.

In my first appointment, not only did Kelly teach me fabulous exercises that allowed me to engaged all of my abdominal muscles (including my transverse, which I didn't even realize I had no clue how to engage), but she also explained (TMI warning) how to properly have a bowel movement.

For years I have struggled with constipation no matter my diet and spent a lot of time pushing as a result.  I also had recurring back pain for the constipation that pain medication couldn't help.  Using the method and position Kelly recommends, I have been able to keep my back pain mostly at bay and find quick relief when the pain does resurface.

Although I still have extra weight to lose around my mid-section, I can now feel the lines of my abs underneath that have curves like you see on super-toned exercise instructors, all without a single crunch.

And as if that weren't enough, Kelly also gave me the skills and proper positioning I needed to correct my poor posture, which has been poor since my early teen years when I developed early than my peers and hunched to not look like I was flaunting my chest.  I tried unsuccessfully in high school to get better posture with the help of a physical therapist...it was simply too uncomfortable to do what she was asking.  But Kelly enables correct postural alignment in correct timing with abdominal control so as to make the change without major pain.

Over the course of my three appointments, I saw changes I never would have dreamed were possible.  To top it off, Kelly is such a sweet, warm and loving woman whose care for others shines as she shares her amazing wisdom.  Even though I felt like I had the tools I needed to be successful as I finished, I was sad to not get to see Kelly every other week anymore.  She's truly one of a kind!

My Story- Joy~ mom of 5.

During the beginning of my 4th pregnancy I had horrible, horrible pain around my belly button.  I often had to lay down on my back and hold my insides in so that the pain would go away.  For years after the pregnancy I had to wrap up my middle to hold everything in place.  I started looking for help so that I could be free from the pain.  Anything but surgery. 

It wasn't until after my 5th child, about 4 years after the pain started, that I learned about the help that Kelly Dean offers.  After a few appointments and a few months of doing the exercises that she gave me, the pain went away.  My own muscles can now hold my insides in without anything wrapped around my middle.  I can pick up my children.  Also, my back pain is gone.  It was well worth the time and money I spent to learn how to develop a strong core.  I'm so very grateful to Kelly for helping me! 

Joy Cruz- Mom of 5!

My Story~ Jane 52 year old mother of 5.

I first heard about the Tummy Team through my Gyn Dr. Jane Ahearn.  She handed me some printed materials about diastasis recti and The Tummy Team.  This intrigued me, since I was aware I had diastasis recti and had previously consulted with a specialist who have given me the option of surgically fixing it or just letting it be. 

 

 I had opted to just let it be, resigning to the fact that my 5 c-sections had made it impossible to have a tight tummy ever again. But I wasn't happy with how my tummy bulged in a very unevenly distributed pattern despite my regular efforts to do sit-ups and ab work in my daily work-outs.  

 

I was excited that there was hope for my belly, and I signed up for the Tummy Team class starting on 9/27/11.  Through the classes, I was shocked to learn that the ab workouts and exercises I was doing were contributing to the problem, and the uneven bulging of my tummy was due to the 5 finger-wide, "deep" cavern in my tummy muscle.  My intestines were protruding through the cavern, and the muscle was building up around each side of the cavern.  

 

At the first class, we received our abdominal splint, which I wore faithfully.  We also learned the proper way to help close the diastasis through core-building exercises, proper movement through daily activities, and posture improvements.  My post-class measurements showed that my waist size had decreased by 4 inches, and the depth of my diastasis had significantly improved. See stats below.  I am extremely pleased with the results that I have achieved from The Tummy Team.   Kelly is a very personable and knowledgeable instructor.

 

                9/27/11                11/8/11                    4/12/12

Waist:        34                        30                            ---

Upper:        3.5 deep                3 med                    2 shallow                      

Middle:        5 deep                  3 med                    2 shallow

Lower:         5 deep                  2.5 med                  2 shallow

 

My Story- Heather, mom of 2.

  My diastasis story goes back to my pregnancy with my first born son. When I am pregnant, I carry the baby straight out in front. My husband would often comment about not being able to tell that I was pregnant until I turned around and you could clearly see my humungous belly. I'm pretty sure I could get some small objects to orbit around me towards the end of the pregnancy.  I ended up getting a Modella maternity belt to help hold the belly up. After I recovered from my first c-section, I began doing sit ups to strengthen my abs and noticed that my belly protruded up in a football shape. At one point, my husband poked it down with his hand, but it popped right back up when he lifted his hand.  I had no control over the middle of my belly.  A few months later, I noticed that my abs were firm along the sides of my belly, but the middle was still flabby and soft.  A friend told me to do more sit ups to strengthen my belly. At that point, I was currently doing a work out video that had me doing 100 pushups and 100 sit ups.
  When my son was 1 1/2, I became pregnant again and grew just as big as I did with the first one.  The maternity belts in the department stores were not helping me at all with the pain and weight of carrying straight out in front, so my OB/GYN wrote a prescription for a medical grade maternity belt that I picked up from Sante Mama in Vancouver, Washington. While I was purchasing the belt, I noticed a pamphlet for the Tummy Team, took it home, and began reading about diastasis.  I realized that I probably had one ever since I was pregnant with my first child.  I asked my OB/GYN about it after I had my second child and she checked me and said that if I had one it was at most a 2 finger split and that the only way to fix it was with surgery and no surgeon would work with me until I was done having babies. For almost a year, I stopped doing sit ups, but still had a pooch and was constantly asked if I was pregnant. At one point a well intended lady said, "Oh you poor dear! Look what those babies did to your belly!"
  In the fall of 2011, I went to a free tummy check that the Tummy Team offered and found out that I had a deep 6 finger wide split.  It was encouraging to find out what was wrong with me and also disappointing to see how wrecked my body was.  I attended a 6 week Tummy Team session in the winter of 2012 and went from a deep 6 finger wide to a deep 4 finger wide split.  I "feel off the bandwagon" after the class ended and didn't do the daily exercises, but I still didn't do sit ups, jerk myself out of bed, and braced my tummy whenever I picked up my sons.  A few months later, my husband and I started talking about trying to have another baby, which motivated me to get back to healing my diastasis. I joined Fit2Be studios, which has immensely helped me to not get bored with tummy safe exercises. Now, my split seems to be flirting with the medium 2 finger wide mark (although I might not be measuring correctly. I think I am though).  I still have a ways to go, but I haven't gotten the awkward "When are you due" question in a long time.

Heather- mom of 2.

My Story~ Sarah, mom of 5 month old.

From Tummy Team client~

I first heard about The Tummy Team through my naturopath. I had been complaining about a sudden "pooch" despite the hundreds of sit ups and a paleo diet. She encouraged me to check it out. I lollygagged for a while, but then I got pregnant and she REALLY encouraged me to look into taking a class...and I am so glad I did! 

I took the prenatal course starting when I was about 12 weeks pregnant. I was by far the earliest along in my pregnancy, but was thrilled that I had a months to strengthen my core and to "practice pushing". I committed to doing my sets; my husband even joined me (he was sore after the first day!). I can't speak highly enough of how instrumental this class during my labor. Despite my wishes to have a natural birth, I opted to have an epidural after 22 hours of hard labor with no progression. Despite the epidural and not being able to feel where to push, my muscles retained the memory from my practice. I knew exactly how to push which is a great feeling for a first timer.

I've continued my exercises post labor (though not as frequent as I should) and I had a relatively flat stomach a mere 4 days after birth...it was pretty incredible. 

I highly recommend the The Tummy Team!

Thanks,

Sarah, mom of 5 month old baby boy

Your Story

We have heard so many amazing stories and we know that the story of others often help us find the healing we need.  We will be listing personal stories from our clients over then next few weeks. If you would like to send your story, we would love to hear it.  Simply send it to info@thetummyteam.com and put My Story in the subject line.  Your journey could help someone else.