Show Notes
19: Why Your Core Affects Your Gut More Than You Think
What if your bloating isn’t actually about food?
When your stomach suddenly becomes visibly distended, it’s easy to blame the last thing you ate. But bloating and abdominal distension aren’t always caused by excess gas, food intolerances, or SIBO.
In this episode of Team Gut Girls, Dr. Christina Carew, Dr. Whitney Baxter, and Dr. Dominique Vanier go beyond the food list to explore an often-overlooked part of gut health: how your diaphragm, abdominal wall, and pelvic floor work together to manage pressure inside your abdomen.
We start with the story of a patient experiencing dramatic abdominal distension — sometimes becoming even more pronounced after a bowel movement. Despite elimination diets, SIBO testing, supplement changes, and other attempts to find a digestive trigger, nothing seemed to explain what was happening.
That case led to a different possibility: abdominophrenic dyssynergia (APD), a pattern where the diaphragm and abdominal wall don’t coordinate pressure as expected. The result? Significant visible distension can occur even when excess gas isn’t the primary problem.
We break down the difference between bloating and distension, how constipation and pelvic floor tension may contribute, and why constantly sucking in your stomach, bracing your core, or simply doing more Kegels isn’t necessarily the answer.
We also look at the postpartum picture, including diastasis recti, and how changes to the abdominal wall can affect the way your abdomen looks, feels, and manages pressure.
Most importantly, we give you practical ways to start looking at your symptoms differently — and language you can use when talking to your healthcare practitioner.
What You’ll Learn
The difference between bloating and visible abdominal distension
What abdominophrenic dyssynergia (APD) is
How the diaphragm, abdominal wall, and pelvic floor work together as a pressure-management system
Why visible distension doesn’t necessarily mean you’re producing too much gas
How constipation, straining, and pelvic floor tension can enter the picture
Why constantly “sucking in” or bracing your stomach may be working against you
Why more Kegels or more core tension doesn’t automatically mean better function
How postpartum changes and diastasis recti may contribute to abdominal bulging or distension
Simple strategies including 360-degree breathing, relaxing your abdomen, and changing your toileting posture
What to ask your practitioner when food doesn’t seem to explain your symptoms
Red flags that mean bloating or distension should be medically evaluated
Chapters
00:00 Welcome + The Patient Case 00:14 A Case of Extreme Abdominal Distension 01:48 What Is Abdominophrenic Dyssynergia (APD)? 03:23 Your Core as a Pressure-Management System 05:05 Bloating vs. Distension 06:05 Social Media Core Myths: Sucking In & Kegels 07:58 Myth Busting: Is Food Always to Blame? 09:40 The Diaphragm, Breathing & Gut Symptoms 12:45 The Pelvic Floor: Your “Exit Strategy” 17:19 Postpartum Changes & Diastasis Recti 20:23 Practical Strategies You Can Try 22:48 How to Talk to Your Practitioner 24:47 Red Flags: When to Seek Medical Care 26:16 Key Takeaways + Wrap-Up
If you’ve spent months — or years — trying to figure out which food is making you bloated, this episode offers another way to think about the problem.
Sometimes the better question isn’t only “What’s happening inside my gut?” but “How is my body responding to what’s happening inside my gut?”
Because Better Gut Health Changes Everything.
More from Team Gut Girls
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