A fitness-loving mum has released an amazing video in the hope that it changes people's minds about their bodies after they have had a baby.
Taryn Watson, a 32-year-old physiotherapist from Perth, Western Australia, posted videos online that showed the effects of having recently given birth on her abdomen.
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The phenomenon in question is known as 'doming', which is when the contents of the stomach come through the abdominal wall in the immediate aftermath of childbirth, giving the effect that the gut is attempting to jump out of the belly.
While the dramatic visible result of the diastasis - which develops as the ab muscles are stretched apart during pregnancy - is not painful, it can result in a hernia.
"It's very normal for the six pack muscle - or rectus abdominus muscle - to stretch apart from each other in the later stages of pregnancy and then to remain apart from each other after giving birth," she said.
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"In fact, it's essential for this to occur to allow the baby to have room to grow. This is because it's actually two muscles with a line of connective tissue down the middle - it is this which stretches, the abdominal muscles themselves do not tear or split.
"Doming refers to the dome shape the abdominal wall creates, but what you can see coming through the gap is the abdominal contents. I can see how it could be compared to the movie Alien! But it's actually essentially a pressure issue - the same as a hernia or a prolapse."
"A diastasis doesn't mean you're broken, or weak, or can't exercise your abdominal muscles," she added.
"It just means you have to monitor what your muscles are doing during loaded abdominal exercise to avoid hurting yourself, and learn how to use your core muscles in a way that prevents doming."
Taryn, who is a physiotherapist by trade, was quick to point out that doing abs exercises isn't always a good idea when you are actually pregnant, especially after 16 weeks.
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"In pregnancy, you should learn how to activate the deep abdominal muscles. Automatic use of these to prevent doming can be taught," she said.
She also advised that pregnant women seek medical advice in order to control their diastasis - the technical term for doming - after birth, preferably with a qualified physiotherapist. Some new mothers may need to wear abdominal support in the immediate pre-natal period in order to keep their six-pack in the correct alignment.
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