If your tummy still looks rounded months after birth, or you’ve noticed a ridge or doming down the middle when you sit up, you may have come across the term “diastasis recti.” It sounds alarming, but it’s extremely common and, in most cases, part of normal recovery. Understanding what it is, and, just as importantly, what helps and what to avoid, takes the worry out of it and points you toward healing. This guide covers how to check for it, which movements support recovery, which to hold off on, and when to get expert help.
What Is Diastasis Recti?
Running down the middle of your abdomen are two bands of muscle (the “six-pack” muscles), joined by a strip of connective tissue called the linea alba. As your baby grows, that tissue stretches and the two muscle bands move apart to make room, a completely normal adaptation. Diastasis recti is when that separation remains wider than usual after birth. It’s very common in the later stages of pregnancy and in the early postpartum weeks, and for many women it gradually narrows on its own over the following months as the tissue recovers its tension.
How to Check for It
You can do a gentle self-check from around a few weeks after birth. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Place your fingers just above your belly button, pointing down toward your toes, then slowly lift your head and shoulders a little off the floor as if starting a small curl-up. As you lift, feel for a gap between the two muscle bands, how many fingers wide it is, and whether it feels shallow or deep. Check just below and above the belly button too. A small gap is normal, especially early on; what matters more than the exact width is whether it improves over time and whether you can generate some tension across it. If you’re unsure, a women’s health physiotherapist can assess it properly.
Did you know? Some degree of abdominal separation is present in most women by the end of pregnancy, it’s a normal adaptation, not an injury. For many, it narrows significantly in the first few months after birth.
Exercises That Help
Gentle, targeted movement is the mainstay of recovery, and the goal is to rebuild deep-core support rather than to “close the gap” by sheer effort. Reconnecting with your deep tummy muscles and breathing is the starting point: gentle exercises that draw the lower belly softly inward on an out-breath, pelvic floor exercises (the two work as a team), and slow, controlled movements that keep the belly flat rather than bulging. As you progress, gradually building deep-core and whole-body strength under guidance helps restore function. Consistency and good technique matter far more than intensity, and progressing at the right pace, ideally with a physiotherapist’s input, gives the best results.
What to Avoid Early On
Some movements put strain across the midline and can make doming or bulging worse while the tissue is still recovering, so it’s worth easing off them in the early weeks and months. Traditional sit-ups, crunches and full planks, heavy lifting, and anything that makes your belly bulge or “tent” upward down the middle are best avoided until your core is ready. When you get up from lying down, roll onto your side and push up with your arms rather than curling straight up. This isn’t forever, it’s about not overloading the area before it’s rebuilt, and a physiotherapist can guide when to reintroduce more challenging exercise.
When to See a Physiotherapist or Provider
Most diastasis recti improves with time and gentle exercise, but it’s worth seeking assessment if:
● the gap is wide, deep, or not improving over several months;
● you notice a bulge or doming along the midline with everyday movements;
● you have back pain, poor core strength, or a feeling of instability;
● you’re unsure how to check it or which exercises are right for you;
● you notice a bulge that’s tender or doesn’t reduce when you lie down, which should be checked to rule out a hernia.
A women’s health physiotherapist can assess the separation, guide a tailored programme and advise on returning to fuller exercise, and in most cases, function improves well with the right support.
Myth vs. Fact
Myth: “Diastasis recti means something has gone badly wrong.”
Fact: It’s a normal adaptation of pregnancy and very common. For many women it narrows on its own with time and gentle exercise.
Myth: “Sit-ups and crunches will fix it.”
Fact: Those can actually worsen doming early on. Gentle deep-core and pelvic floor work, done well, are what help.
Myth: “If it hasn’t closed completely, I’ve failed.”
Fact: The aim is restored function and support, not a perfect gap measurement. Many women regain good core strength even with some separation remaining.
A Gentle Reminder
A softer, rounded tummy and some muscle separation after birth are signs of a body that stretched to grow a baby, not signs of failure. Recovery here is slow and steady, built on gentle, consistent movement rather than punishing workouts or comparison. Be patient with your core, get expert guidance if you’re unsure, and trust that steady effort, over months, is what brings strength and function back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is diastasis recti serious?
Usually not, it’s a common, normal adaptation of pregnancy. For many women it narrows on its own, and gentle exercise helps restore core function.
How do I check for diastasis recti?
Lie on your back with knees bent, place your fingers above and below your belly button, and gently lift your head to feel for a gap between the muscle bands. A physiotherapist can assess it properly.
What exercises help?
Gentle deep-core and pelvic floor work, and slow controlled movements that keep the belly flat. Progress under guidance, and avoid sit-ups and crunches early on.
What should I avoid?
Sit-ups, crunches, full planks, heavy lifting and anything that makes your belly bulge or dome, until your core is rebuilt.
When should I see a physiotherapist?
If the gap is wide or not improving, you notice doming, you have back pain or instability, or a bulge that’s tender or doesn’t reduce when lying down.
Key Takeaways
● Diastasis recti is a common, usually harmless separation of the tummy muscles.
● For many women it narrows on its own in the months after birth.
● Gentle deep-core and pelvic floor exercises help, technique over intensity.
● Avoid sit-ups, crunches, planks and heavy lifting early on.
● A women’s health physiotherapist can assess and guide recovery.
● The goal is restored function and support, not a perfect measurement.
Continue Reading
Continue through the fourth trimester with these evidence-based guides from Motherhood Academy by Gege Club:
● Pelvic Floor Recovery After Birth
● Your Body After Birth: The Changes Nobody Warns You About
● The First 6 Weeks After Birth: Recovering in the Fourth Trimester
● Returning to Exercise After Birth: How to Rebuild Safely
● C-Section Recovery: Caring for Your Body After a Caesarean
References
This article is based on current clinical guidance and scientific evidence from internationally recognised organisations, including:
● American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Postpartum Recovery and Exercise.
● Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). Recovering Well After Birth.
● National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Postnatal Care.
● World Health Organization (WHO). Recommendations on Postnatal Care of the Mother and Newborn.
● NHS. Your Body After the Birth; Keeping Fit and Healthy With a Baby.
● Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy (POGP). Abdominal Separation.
About the Author
Krista Winter is the Lead Content Editor at Motherhood Academy by Gege Club, where she creates evidence-based educational resources on fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding and early parenthood. Every article is developed using trusted international clinical guidelines and current scientific evidence to provide compassionate, practical and reliable support for women and families.
Medical Disclaimer
This article is intended for educational purposes only and should not replace personalised medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If your abdominal separation is wide or not improving, you notice doming or a tender bulge, or you have back pain or core weakness, contact your healthcare provider or a women’s health physiotherapist for individual advice.