Diastasis recti — the separation of the two columns of rectus abdominis muscles down the centre of your belly — affects virtually all pregnancies in the third trimester. Your uterus pushes the muscles apart to make room. After birth, most separations close on their own within eight to twelve weeks. Some don't, and that's where targeted rehabilitation comes in.
The good news: knowing whether you have a persistent diastasis is not complicated. You can check at home. The better news: even significant separations can improve substantially with the right exercises and time.
What you're checking for
Two things matter when assessing diastasis: width (how far apart the two muscle columns are) and tension (how firm the connective tissue between them feels). Width is what most people focus on — but tension matters more. A two-finger-wide gap that feels firm and supportive is far less concerning than a one-finger gap that feels soft and spongy.
The self-check
Wait until at least six weeks postpartum before you check, and skip the check entirely if you've had a C-section and your wound hasn't fully healed. Here's how:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Relax your abdomen completely.
- Place two or three fingertips horizontally just above your belly button, fingers pointing toward the side of your body.
- Lift your head and shoulders just slightly off the floor — as if starting a small crunch. Don't push hard. You're not trying to do a sit-up; you're trying to engage the abdominal muscles enough to feel them.
- With your fingers still pressed gently into your midline, feel for the gap between the two muscle columns. Note how many fingers fit between them, and how the tissue feels: firm and tense, or soft and spongy?
- Repeat the check three centimetres above the belly button, at the belly button, and three centimetres below.
What's normal, what isn't
A gap of one to two fingers with good tension at six weeks is within the range of normal recovery. You can support that healing with gentle core work — diaphragmatic breathing, transverse abdominis activation, pelvic tilts.
A gap of three or more fingers, or any gap with poor tension (the connective tissue feels soft, like you could push your fingers down into your abdomen), warrants assessment from a women's health physiotherapist. This isn't an emergency — but it's a reason to seek targeted rehabilitation rather than guessing.
What to avoid while you heal
Until your diastasis is closing well, avoid:
- Sit-ups, crunches, and any movement where your belly visibly cones or domes
- Full planks (modified planks on the knees may be OK; ask a physio)
- Heavy lifting before the gap has narrowed
- Holding your breath during exertion (this increases intra-abdominal pressure and stresses the connective tissue)
- Twisting movements with weight
What helps
Recovery work for diastasis focuses on rebuilding the deep core muscles — particularly the transverse abdominis (your "internal corset") — and the pelvic floor. Together, these muscles create the pressure system that supports your spine and abdominal contents.
Helpful starting exercises:
- Diaphragmatic breathing: lying on your back, hands on your lower belly, breathe deeply into your belly so it rises on the inhale and falls on the exhale.
- Pelvic tilts: gently tilt your pelvis to flatten your lower back into the floor, then release.
- Heel slides: from the same position, slowly slide one heel along the floor until your leg is straight, then bring it back.
- Dead bugs: arms straight up, knees bent at 90 degrees, slowly lower opposite arm and leg without arching your back.
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