Any mom out there who has given birth to a little one knows how magical the childbearing process can be! Before that fateful day, you are just a pregnant lady with a big old belly, yet by the end of it, you are holding a precious life in your arms.

But, warm and fuzzies aside, the one thing that so many people don’t like to talk about in regards to pregnancy is that it can really wreak havoc on the body, especially the abdominal muscles. About 1/3 of pregnant women experience a vertical “splitting” or gap of 1-2 inches in this area, something that is medically referred to as diastasis recti—or “mummy tummy.”

This happens to women of all shapes, sizes, and ages. In fact, even the fittest moms have ended up with a pooch that just refuses to go down after a pregnancy.

It’s important to note that diastasis recti can cause more than just embarrassment or a closet full of neglected tight clothing. In the worst cases, it can cause a tear in the abdominal wall, and in the best, it can cause back pain. This occurs because the muscles have been weakened over the 9 months of pregnancy, which leaves moms with little of the core strength they once had.

We know what you’re thinking: Can being a woman get even MORE unfair? We miraculously pop out little humans and are left with a stubborn bulge? C’mon!

Well, don’t get TOO worked up because, luckily, there is a way to firm up that pooch and lose around 2 inches from your midsection in as little as three weeks. Now, this isn’t some sort of infomercial-esque promise here; science backs up this powerful data.

In a piece written for NPR’s Morning Edition, reporter Michaeleen Doucleff chronicles her own personal experience of trying to lose her post-partum tummy. To gain control of her bleak abdominal situation, she enrolled in a class taught by Dia Method founder Leah Keller.

At the top of every class, Keller proudly flaunts her students’ incredible “100% success” rate. The fitness guru says that, in just 3 weeks, every woman in the class will “achieve full resolution.”

These results don’t lie. Impressive stuff!

How to correct your diastasis recti at home

Similar to Pilates exercises that call for muscle isolations, the diastasis recti workout may not look difficult to do to the untrained eye, but anyone who is familiar with it knows that there is A LOT going on in the targeted muscle groups when completed correctly!

1. Keep this in mind as you start by sitting on the floor, cross-legged, making sure that your core is fully engaged.
2. Next, put one hand on your belly button and fill your midsection with as much air as you can; as you exhale, visualize your navel going as far back to your spine as possible. Hold this position as long as you can, retracting your belly further with each short breath. Do this for at least 2 minutes.
3. Repeat this same exercise in 4 other positions: sitting on your knees, standing with your knees slightly bent, up on all fours, and laying on your side in the fetal position.

Complete these moves every single day for 3 weeks and, chances are, your diastasis recti will be a thing of the past. You go, momma!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this post-partum exercise regimen. Did you suffer this condition after giving birth? If so, how did you remedy it? Do you have any other workout tips for new moms?