The Gentle Birth Project

It’s an injury. Treat it as one and you can heal.

Treat it as a “normal” part of being a mum and you won’t.

Remember MEN have DR as well.

A diastasis recti is a disconnection through your midline - which runs from your ribcage to your p***c bone. This will leave you unsupported through your "core" which comprises mainly of your respiratory diaphragm, your pelvic floor and your abdominal muscles, just to name a few! However, a DR is a whole body issue and to compensate for this lack of support, you may find yourself holding your breath (your diaphragm), tucking your pelvis under and gripping your butt (your pelvic floor and abdominals), Clenching your teeth and jaw and tensing your shoulders (nothing working through your core).

One of the techniques we begin with in our program is relaxation. We take you step by step through a guided relaxation that encourages you to become more aware of your "holding" patterns. Once we get you out of your "flight or fight" mode, you are ready for the next step towards recovery of your DR.

Download our free guide and check out our home program through the links in our bio.

Hi, I'm Carolyne and I am happy to meet you. My story begins with the utter frustration I experienced with my first pregnancy. How did I, a professional dancer, runner, fitness buff, swimmer, know NOTHING about my pregnant body. And MY GOODNESS!! why didn't anyone tell me what to expect AFTERWARDS?

That was 34 years ago.

Today I own several brands whose mission it is to help women gain a deep understanding of their bodies through education and empowerment.

I founded Diastasis Recti Awareness Month several years ago at the insistence of one of my colleagues from Norway. We started with sharing our information for one day and now the movement has grown into a month long journey into DR.

I designed The Center Method for Diastasis Recti Recovery teacher training course and currently have nearly 2000 teachers in 41 countries teaching this method. These teachers are an integral part of DR awareness month, spreading the word in their respective countries.

I continually develop the program as new information and research becomes available. One of the key components of my program is it’s simplicity. If you don’t understand what you are supposed to be doing, then nothing will get better.

Another component of this program is working with a qualified teacher. I don’t believe you can be given a set of exercises to do via an online course (unless it's mine!) and expect to make a change. Every body is individual and my teachers are trained to look at you holistically and apply the program to YOUR body. This is how we get results.

The combination of fascial release, breathing techniques and simple restorative exercise forms the foundation of my program. Results are almost immediate and with consistency on your part- mostly permanent. This is because we re-educate you on how to move correctly..

A C section is major abdominal surgery and can cause damage to your abdominal muscles as well as your fascial system, often resulting in a Diastasis Recti that runs from the p***c bone to the belly button

The healing process includes the creation of scar tissue that surrounds the incision area. This is normal but will need to be dispersed in time.

Scar tissue from a C Section incision can create fascial restrictions through the midline preventing full recovery of a DR.

Releasing fascia is an important step in your recovery.