The more pregnancies you have—or the bigger the baby—the more likely you are to develop diastasis recti, when the “six-pack” muscles drift apart. Instead of snapping back together, those muscles can leave a gap that affects both strength and appearance.

A tummy tuck often includes repairing these muscles by bringing them back to the midline. This step is key to restoring strength, stability, and a flatter abdominal contour.

Dr. James Koehler and Dr. Vincent Gardner discuss what causes diastasis recti, why repair is important, and what recovery looks like after a tummy tuck. They also stress the importance of maintaining results with healthy weight management.

Follow Dr. Gardner on Instagram @drvincentgardner and TikTok @drgardner

Learn more about tummy tuck

Alabama the Beautiful is the cosmetic surgery podcast co-hosted by Dr. James Koehler, a surgeon with over 2 decades of expertise in cosmetic surgery and his trusty co-host Kirstin, your best friend, confidante, and the snarky yet loveable “swiss army knife” of Eastern Shore Cosmetic Surgery.

Have a question for Dr. Koehler or Kirstin? Record your voicemail at alabamathebeautifulpodcast.com and we’ll answer it on the podcast.

Eastern Shore Cosmetic Surgery is located off Highway 98 at 7541 Cipriano Ct in Fairhope, Alabama.

To learn more about the practice or ask a question, go to easternshoreplasticsurgery.com 

Follow Dr. Koehler and the team on Instagram @easternshorecosmeticsurgery

And on TikTok @jameskoehlermd

Watch Dr. Koehler & Kirstin on YouTube @JamesKoehlerMD

Alabama The Beautiful is a production of The Axis: theaxis.io

Theme music: Never Need a Reason, Guy Trevino and Friends