So you are holding your little bundle of joy and you look down and feel so happy, then look beyond to see the squidgy, wrinkly blob of what once was your tummy and think...how the hell am I going to get rid of that!

Pregnancy stretches and weakens your abs beyond belief and for what once were the muscles that supported every move you make now lies a lifeless deflated balloon, that if isn't strengthened back up will stay a wobbly jelly belly and will cause nothing but trouble in the future and I promise you it will get you when you least expect it!

SO What DO YOU DO ABOUT IT?

The first thing most people do when trying to tone up their tummy is sit-ups and crunches. STOP! This could make everything worse. Not only will it put strain on your back and could cause injury it could actually make your tummy stick out MORE!

Before doing anything else you need to check whether your tummy muscles have realigned. During pregnancy your tummy muscles separate to create space for the growing baby and for some women these never fully come back together, which is a condition called Diastasis Recti. Many women don't realise they have this condition even years after they have given birth, but may wonder why their tummy remains a little pregnant looking. It also leaves the core weak meaning that you are prone to many problems including back pain.

To check if you have this condition:-

simply lie on your back,
contract your abdominal muscles
press gently into your abdomen above and below your navel.
If you can feel a soft spot or gap between the muscles, then you do have a separation.
One to two finger-widths is normal and should close on its own. If your gap is wider than three finger-widths, it may not be a bad idea to contact your GP to refer you to a Physio Therapist but try these gentle tummy exercises as often as possible to help you to start pulling them back together and start strengthening your inner core, your Transverses Abdominus, the ones that lie behind the six pack and support your spine in everything you do.

If your gap is 2 fingers or less then, aswell as practicing the gentle tummy exercises, you can move on to slightly more intense ones but it is imperative that you keep your core engaged at all times. Without doing this you can actually train your tummy to stick out further as your put outward pressure on your abs as you crunch up, plank or squat etc. By engaging your core, you are pulling in the muscles and training them to stay there. Here are some more advanced Postnatal Exercises to get going with (REMEMBER, if you have any sign of Diastasis Recti, stick to the gentle tummy exercises above ONLY for the time being until your muscles realign).

Engaging your core is important in everyday actions, not just when exercising. For instance, if you don't engage your core when you pick up your little one, all of the pressure is on your back...this will likely lead to back problems at some point.

So how do you engage your core?

The easiest way to explain how to engage your core is to imagine someone is about to punch you in the stomach. You brace yourself ready for impact right? That's engaging your core. The same action naturally occurs just before you cough or sneeze. Do this before all exercises, when working out and just as importantly, in your everyday activities, picking up your baby/toddler, bending and tidying toys, lifting the car seat into the car, all of these things require your core to be strong otherwise all of the pressure goes onto your back and at some point it's going to know about it.