If your belly still bulges months or even years after giving birth, it's time to look beneath the surface. That soft, protruding area below your belly button might not be fat—it could be a result of weakened connective tissue. Healing this tissue is key to reversing a postpartum belly pooch and closing the abdominal gap caused by diastasis recti.
What Is Connective Tissue in Your Core?
Connective tissue, specifically the linea alba, is the fibrous structure that holds your left and right abdominal muscles together. During pregnancy, this tissue stretches to accommodate your growing belly. When it becomes overstretched and thinned, it can’t hold the muscles in place properly, creating a visible bulge.
Why It Gets Stretched During Pregnancy
Hormones like relaxin and the physical pressure of a growing uterus both contribute to the expansion of your abdominal wall. In some women, the tissue bounces back—but in many others, especially after multiple pregnancies or large babies, it remains overstretched and weak.
Why Losing Fat Won’t Fix It
Trying to diet or exercise the bulge away often backfires. That’s because the pooch isn’t caused by fat alone—it’s caused by connective tissue that’s lost its tension. Even women with low body fat can still have a noticeable belly bulge if the tissue hasn’t healed.
What True Healing of Connective Tissue Looks Like
Healing involves more than just tightening the abs—it means:
- Repositioning the muscles so they’re aligned properly.
- Strengthening the transverse abdominis, the deepest core muscle that acts like a corset.
- Reducing intra-abdominal pressure through posture, breath, and movement training.
- Supporting the midline with abdominal splinting and strategic taping when needed.
Supportive Tools to Help Your Body Heal
Healing connective tissue takes time and the right tools. A comprehensive approach might include:
- Abdominal splints to reposition the muscles and reduce lateral stress.
- TogetherTape® to assist in guiding tissue alignment externally.
- Corrective Connective Tissue Cream to nourish and support the skin and fascia.
Why the Tupler Technique® Works
The Tupler Technique® is one of the few non-surgical programs specifically designed to heal connective tissue. It focuses on:
- Training the transverse muscle to pull the abdominal wall inward
- Guiding healing with splints, tape, and tactile feedback
- Avoiding harmful exercises that could re-tear the tissue
This technique is progressive, gentle, and grounded in anatomical science. It meets your body where it is—then helps it function the way it was meant to.
Continue reading the rest of the series:
- What Causes a Postpartum Belly Pooch?
- How to Tell If Your Postpartum Belly Pooch Is Actually Diastasis Recti
- Exercises That Make a Postpartum Belly Pooch Worse (And What to Do Instead)
- Why Crunches, Planks & Twists May Be Making Your Belly Pooch Worse
- How the Tupler Technique® Shrinks a Postpartum Belly Pooch Safely (Coming Soon)
