Diastasis recti is a condition where the abdominal muscles, or the rectus abdominis, separate down the middle, which creates a gap or bulge along the midline of the abdomen. It’s a normal physiological adaptation for almost all pregnant women, with some studies finding that 100% of women experience it in their third trimester.
During pregnancy, diastasis recti is one of the amazing ways your body grows to accommodate your baby. However, ab separation is common but not normal after the early postpartum period. Many women accept it as just part of having kids, but your core CAN and SHOULD return to proper function.
The truth is, you don’t need “diastasis recti self-care” after 3+ months postpartum. You need a way to heal it.
As a Pelvic Floor PT, I want you to know that you don’t have to live with diastasis recti, and there are natural ways to get rid of it without surgery, no matter how long ago you gave birth. Here’s how!
What Is Diastasis Recti?
Diastasis recti occurs when the abdominal muscles separate along the midline of your belly. This separation happens at the connective tissue called the linea alba, which holds those muscles together.
During pregnancy, as your sweet baby expands your growing uterus, your abdominal muscles stretch to make room. The pressure from your growing belly causes the muscles to pull apart, leading to a visible or felt gap.
Research shows that almost all pregnant women—as many as 66% to 100%—experience diastasis recti in the third trimester, but for many, it also persists into postpartum.
40% of women have diastasis recti at 6 months postpartum, and 32% still experience it at 12 months postpartum.
Postpartum is where diastasis recti gets more problematic. The symptoms include:
- A ridge or bulge down the middle of your belly, especially when you sit up or engage your core
- Feeling of core weakness or instability
- Sometimes, lower back pain or pelvic floor issues (such as peeing when you cough or exercise)
Many women feel self-conscious about the way diastasis recti looks, but it’s not just an aesthetic concern. Studies suggest that diastasis recti can cause health complications, such as persistent lower back pain and a higher degree of pain in your abdomen and pelvis.
For many women, diastasis recti doesn’t spontaneously resolve on its own and can last for many years or even decades after birth.
Despite what you may have heard, it IS possible to heal ab separation naturally and without surgery. But it’s important to work on recovery now instead of waiting for it to go away on its own. Pelvic floor physical therapy is the most effective way to do it.
How to Check for Diastasis Recti
You can check for diastasis recti at home with a quick and simple self-assessment. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
1. Lie on your back
Lie on a flat, firm surface (like a mat or carpeted floor). Keep your knees bent, with your feet flat on the floor, and your belly relaxed
2. Use your fingers
Place 2 or 3 fingers horizontally just above your belly button, pointing down toward the floor. Press your fingertips gently into your abdomen at the midline. Check how far those fingers sink in and how many fingers you can put into that gap.
3. Do a small crunch
Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the floor (like you’re starting a crunch), while keeping your hand in place. Use your abs to lift. You should feel the muscles tighten around your fingers.
4. Feel for a gap
If you feel a space or gap where your fingers sink in (instead of firm muscle), that could be diastasis recti. Repeat the test:
- At the belly button
- Above the belly button
- Below the belly button
Measure how many fingers can fit in the gap and what the space in the gap feels like. Is it squishy? Is it firm like a trampoline?
The ‘official’ diastasis recti definition is anything above 2 finger widths.
That said, recent research shows that the depth and firmness of the tissue is actually more important than the depth, so that’s why it’s important to check for that, too. You can have a gap that’s not wide but deep, and it can still cause issues.
Once you’ve done this self-assessment, you’ll have a better understanding of whether you have diastasis recti. This knowledge is meant to empower you, not discourage you, to seek out proper care.
Remember, diastasis recti is not something you need to live with, and a physical therapist can help you get back to feeling like yourself.
What Problems Can Diastasis Recti Cause?
Diastasis recti isn’t just about aesthetics. I know that as a mom, the body changes you’re seeing in the mirror can often overwhelm you. This is normal, and you are far from being the only mom out there who feels this way.
However, aside from the visual aspect of it, diastasis recti can lead to several functional problems if left untreated, especially if the core muscles and connective tissue remain weak or overstretched:
- Core weakness: Reduced abdominal strength and stability, trouble with lifting and twisting, and a feeling that your core just isn’t working right.
- Lower back pain: Weak abdominal muscles shift more load to your lower back, and poor posture can worsen over time.
- Pelvic floor dysfunction: Your pelvic floor muscles often weaken alongside your abdominal muscles, leading to urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, or pelvic floor pain and pressure.
- Poor posture: A separated core can’t support proper alignment, which may cause slouched shoulders, tilted pelvis, or exaggerated spinal curves.
- Hernias: With severe diastasis recti, the abdominal wall becomes so thin that internal organs may bulge through, potentially requiring surgery.
If you have a weak core, this ab workout is something you can do from the comfort of your home to start feeling strong again.
How Long Does It Take for Diastasis Recti to Heal After Pregnancy?
The time it takes for diastasis recti to heal after pregnancy varies greatly from mom to mom.
Your body does some natural healing in the first 6 to 8 weeks after birth as your hormones settle down. Mild separations (1 to 2 finger widths) might start closing on their own and aren’t ‘officially’ considered diastasis recti.
However, starting gentle core rehab early on will still be helpful even for mild separations.
Research shows that more than 89% of women still have diastasis recti 42 days after giving birth, and over 30% of them still deal with it a year later.
In other words, don’t wait around for it to fix itself. While your body will do some healing on its own, you need pelvic floor rehab to fully close the gap and restore your core strength.
Can You Heal Diastasis Recti Naturally?
Yes, you can heal diastasis recti naturally without surgery. Even if you’re not a new mom and have lived with ab separation for a long time, it’s still possible to fix diastasis recti years later.
You should seek the help of a pelvic floor physical therapist, who’ll help you retrain and rebuild your deep core muscles through gentle, consistent, and targeted exercise.
If juggling appointments, childcare, and travel time to see a pelvic floor therapist feels overwhelming, you can also join Strong Core Mama, my online program.
You’ll get the same education and exercises I share with patients in the physical therapy clinic, but online and with access to me to ask questions!
Exercises for Diastasis Recti
1. 90/90 Hip Lift with Balloon
This exercise activates your deep core.
- Lie on your back with your feet up on a chair, with a ball between your bent knees.
- Inhale through your nose and feel your ribs and belly expand outward. You should be breathing into your side and back ribs, not just the front of your belly (360-degree breathing).
- Exhale through pursed lips like you’re blowing a balloon, and draw your hip bones together to engage your deep core.
2. Quadruped Transversus Abdominis Activation
This exercise targets your transversus abdominis, the deep abdominal muscle that acts like a corset, supporting your spine and closing the abdominal gap.
- Start on your hands and knees with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
- Take a deep breath into your side and back ribs, letting your belly gently relax downward.
- As you exhale, draw your hip bones together.
- Hold the engagement for 3-5 seconds while breathing normally.
3. Sidelying Trunk Lift
This exercise helps strengthen your obliques and transversus abdominis while keeping pressure off the linea alba.
- Lie on your side with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your elbow underneath your shoulder.
- Inhale to expand your ribs and belly, then exhale while drawing your hip bones together.
- Use your side muscles to lift your hips and trunk off the floor, making a rounded position.
- Hold for 4-5 breaths, then slowly lower back down while keeping your core engaged.
When Is It Too Late to Fix Diastasis Recti?
It’s NEVER too late to fix diastasis recti. Whether you’re 6 weeks or 6 years postpartum, your body can heal and improve core function and abdominal separation with the right approach. This applies to both vaginal birth and C-section mamas.
In my practice as a pelvic floor physical therapist, I’ve seen moms who have become grandmas do pelvic floor PT for the first time and be amazed by the outcomes they see, even 30+ years after having kids. In my program, Strong Core Mama, there are many moms in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s!
What to Do If You Have Diastasis Recti During Pregnancy?
If you develop diastasis recti during pregnancy (which happens to almost all women in their third trimester), the most important thing is to support your core.
You’re not trying to “close the gap” during pregnancy. It’s a necessary (and amazing!) change that happens to accommodate your growing baby. The goal is to prevent it from becoming severe so that it doesn’t take a long time to heal postpartum. You can:
- Engage your transverse abdominis 3-5x a week with gentle movements
- Practice 360-degree diaphragmatic breathing and core engagement on exhale
- Use good posture: ribs over hips, avoid rib flaring
Doing pelvic floor physical therapy during pregnancy helps you learn safe exercises for each trimester and prevents pain and other issues from developing. Starting early makes your postpartum recovery much more effective.
You can find lots of guidance in Strong Expecting Mama!
What to Avoid If You Have Diastasis Recti?
You may have heard that traditional ab exercises (sit-ups, crunches, V-ups), planks, push-ups, heavy lifting, and twisting movements should be avoided if you have diastasis recti, but that’s not really true.
All of these activities can and should be done with proper form and mechanics.
The most important thing is to learn how to manage intra-abdominal pressure properly, which is something that I teach in Strong Core Mama.
Once you can do this, you can safely perform ab exercises, heavy lifting, and other front-loaded core work. Actually, you need this progressive overload to get stronger and heal your diastasis recti.
However, if your belly bulges down the middle during an activity, it’s a sign that your core can’t manage the pressure. But once you learn how to do that, there really aren’t any activities you must avoid as long as you’re doing them with proper form.
FAQs
Does Having a Strong Core Prevent Diastasis Recti?
Having a strong core before pregnancy can help, but it won’t prevent diastasis recti from happening. The physical changes during pregnancy—your growing baby, shifting hormones, and expanding uterus—cause ab separation in almost all women regardless of how strong their core was beforehand.
However, strengthening your core during pregnancy (with safe exercises) and especially after birth will help you heal much faster postpartum. A strong foundation makes recovery more effective and can prevent diastasis recti from lasting for years. You’ll maintain the brain-body connection to the core, which will make it easier to heal because you haven’t gone 9 months without those muscles working.
Do Belly Bands Prevent Diastasis Recti?
Belly bands don’t prevent diastasis recti, but they CAN be a helpful support tool during pregnancy or postpartum. They provide gentle compression to the abdominal wall, reduce strain on the core, decrease pelvic floor symptoms and pain, and make daily movements more comfortable.
However, they don’t strengthen the core or close the gap, so they should be used together with proper physical therapy exercises. Here are my favorite belly bands!
Can I Lift Weights with Diastasis Recti?
Yes, you can lift weights with diastasis recti, but it’s important to do it with proper form, breathing, and core engagement. Focus on exhaling and gently activating your deep core before and during each lift, avoid holding your breath, and start with light to moderate weights. Watch for any coning or bulging in your midline. If it happens, the movement may be too intense and should be modified!
Why It’s Bigger Than “Diastasis Recti Self-Care”
Diastasis recti isn’t something that needs “self-care.” It’s a medical condition that needs evidence-based treatment. Self-care usually means accepting your body as it is and being kind to yourself. While that mindset is important, diastasis recti is different.
You deserve to love your postpartum body AND live a full, active life symptom-free.
Pelvic floor physical therapy can help you close the gap and heal diastasis recti, and it’s one of the main focuses of my program, Strong Core Mama. Inside, you’ll find:
- Proven physical therapy exercises
- Educational content that teaches you how your body works
- Direct access to me to ask questions
- A fully online program you can do from home on your schedule
Learn more about Strong Core Mama and join!
