Diastasis Recti After Pregnancy: What Every New Mum Should Know

Noticing a gap, bulge or “doming” down the middle of your tummy after having a baby? It could be diastasis recti — but it doesn’t necessarily mean that anything is wrong.

You’ve had your baby. The weeks have passed, perhaps months.

You’re eating well, starting to move more and gradually getting back into your normal routine. But your tummy still doesn’t quite look or feel the way you expected.

Maybe you’ve noticed a soft area down the middle of your abdomen. Perhaps you see a ridge or dome when you sit up, cough or lift something. Or maybe your tummy simply feels different when you’re moving, exercising or carrying your baby.

If you’ve wondered whether this could be diastasis recti, you’re certainly not alone.

Abdominal separation is extremely common during pregnancy. For many women, it gradually reduces after birth without needing specific treatment. For others, changes in the abdominal wall can persist and may be associated with symptoms such as reduced abdominal strength, discomfort or difficulty returning to certain activities. (The Pog P)

And importantly, having a diastasis doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong.

At Family Osteopathy Hammersmith, we can assess your abdominal wall and overall musculoskeletal presentation as part of appropriate postnatal care, including a Mummy MOT where clinically appropriate.

What Is Diastasis Recti?

Diastasis recti, also called diastasis rectus abdominis or abdominal muscle separation, refers to widening and thinning of the linea alba — the connective tissue running down the middle of the abdominal wall between the two sides of the rectus abdominis, often called the “six-pack” muscles. (The Pog P)

During pregnancy, your abdominal wall stretches as your uterus grows.

As this happens, the two sides of the rectus abdominis move further apart and the linea alba changes in width and tension.

This is a normal adaptation to pregnancy, rather than an injury.

The amount of separation varies considerably between women, and the abdominal wall can continue to change during the months after birth.

So if you’ve been told you have diastasis recti, the first thing to know is:

You haven’t failed to recover. Your body has adapted to pregnancy, and recovery is individual.

Is Diastasis Recti Normal After Pregnancy?

Yes.

Some degree of abdominal separation is extremely common during pregnancy.

For many women, the separation reduces naturally during the early postnatal period. The NHS notes that abdominal separation commonly improves by around eight weeks after birth, although this doesn’t mean every woman’s abdominal wall will look or feel exactly the same at that point. (nhs.uk)

If you can still see or feel a separation after this stage, it doesn’t automatically mean that you need treatment.

What matters is the whole picture.

We can consider:

• How your abdominal wall functions

• Whether you have any symptoms

• How you manage everyday movements

• Your confidence returning to exercise

• Whether you have associated pelvic or lower-back symptoms

• Your pregnancy and birth history

• What you want to be able to do again

A gap measured in isolation doesn’t tell us all of that.

What Does Diastasis Recti Look or Feel Like?

Everyone’s experience is different.

You may notice:

• A ridge, bulge or “doming” along the middle of your abdomen

• A soft or less firm feeling through the midline

• A visible change in your abdominal shape when sitting up or performing certain movements

• A feeling that your abdominal muscles aren’t working as they used to

• Reduced confidence when lifting or exercising

• Difficulty returning to particular activities

• Abdominal discomfort in some cases

You may also have no symptoms at all.

That’s important.

Diastasis recti isn’t automatically a problem simply because it can be seen or measured.

Likewise, if you have lower-back pain, pelvic pain or pelvic-floor symptoms, diastasis may be one factor worth considering, but it shouldn’t automatically be assumed to be the cause. Research hasn’t established a simple relationship where a larger abdominal separation directly produces back pain or pelvic-floor dysfunction. (The Pog P)

Does Diastasis Recti Cause Lower Back Pain?

This is one of the most common questions we hear.

The short answer is: not necessarily.

Some women with diastasis recti experience lower-back or pelvic symptoms, but that doesn’t mean the separation itself is responsible.

Your abdominal wall is part of a much larger system involving your trunk, pelvis, hips, breathing and movement.

Your symptoms may be influenced by several factors at once.

For example, after having a baby you may suddenly be:

• Carrying your baby for several hours a day

• Lifting a car seat

• Feeding in the same position repeatedly

• Getting up during the night

• Returning to exercise

• Spending less time recovering between activities

An assessment can help determine what is actually relevant to your symptoms rather than assuming the abdominal separation is the answer.

How Can You Tell If You Have Diastasis Recti?

You can sometimes notice abdominal separation yourself.

The NHS describes a simple self-check where you lie on your back with your knees bent, gently lift your shoulders and feel along the midline of your abdomen above and below the belly button. (nhs.uk)

However, it’s important not to become fixated on measuring the gap with your fingers.

There is no universally agreed finger-width measurement that determines whether you have a clinically significant diastasis, and finger-width measurements are not particularly precise. Research and professional guidance increasingly emphasise that the width of the separation is only one part of the picture. (The Pog P)

So rather than asking:

“How many fingers is my gap?”

a more useful question is:

“How is my abdominal wall functioning, and am I experiencing any symptoms or difficulties?”

That’s the information that can actually help guide your recovery.

Should You Be Doing Abdominal Exercises?

In most cases, progressive exercise is an important part of postnatal recovery.

But there isn’t one magic diastasis exercise, and there isn’t a universal list of exercises that every woman with abdominal separation should avoid.

You may have seen advice online telling you never to do crunches, planks or other abdominal exercises if you have diastasis recti.

It’s more nuanced than that.

Some movements may currently be uncomfortable, difficult to control or produce pronounced doming. That doesn’t necessarily mean the exercise is permanently harmful or forbidden.

Instead, rehabilitation should be graded to your current ability.

You might begin with:

• Breathing and gentle abdominal control

• Pelvic-floor exercises where appropriate

• Walking and general movement

• Basic functional strengthening

• Gradual resistance exercises

Then progress towards more challenging movements as your strength, control and confidence improve.

The goal is not to protect your abdominal wall from movement forever.

It’s to help you build the capacity to move, lift and exercise confidently again.

Professional guidance supports graded exercise and individualised rehabilitation for women experiencing symptoms associated with abdominal separation. (The Pog P)

What About Getting Out of Bed and Lifting Your Baby?

You may have been told that sitting straight up from bed is “damaging” your diastasis.

That’s too simplistic.

However, if getting up that way causes discomfort or pronounced doming, rolling onto your side before pushing yourself up can be a comfortable alternative, particularly during the early stages of recovery.

Likewise, when lifting your baby, it can help to:

• Bring the load close to you

• Use your legs and hips rather than repeatedly bending through your lower back

• Breathe normally rather than holding your breath

• Build lifting strength gradually

These aren’t rules designed to protect a fragile abdominal wall forever.

They’re practical ways of making everyday activities more comfortable while you’re rebuilding strength.

Can Diastasis Recti Be Repaired Without Surgery?

For most women, management is conservative rather than surgical.

The focus is generally on exercise, rehabilitation and improving abdominal-wall function, rather than trying to physically “close the gap” through hands-on treatment.

This is an important distinction.

You don’t necessarily need the gap to completely disappear for your abdominal wall to function well.

The current evidence around assessment and conservative management is still developing, and there isn’t one universally agreed measurement or rehabilitation protocol that applies to everyone. (The Pog P)

If you have significant symptoms or functional difficulties that persist despite appropriate rehabilitation, your GP or another appropriate healthcare professional can advise whether further assessment is required.

How Can Family Osteopathy Hammersmith Help?

If you’re concerned about diastasis recti after pregnancy, an osteopathic assessment can be useful as part of looking at the wider musculoskeletal picture.

At Family Osteopathy Hammersmith, we don’t simply measure a gap and tell you whether it’s “good” or “bad”.

We want to understand you.

Depending on your symptoms and circumstances, your assessment may include looking at:

Your abdominal wall

We can assess the abdominal wall and consider the width and feel of the midline, as well as how the abdominal wall responds during different movements.

Your movement

How does your abdominal wall behave when you:

• Get up from lying down?

• Lift your baby?

• Bend down?

• Squat?

• Walk?

• Exercise?

Functional movement can tell us much more than a measurement alone.

Your lower back, pelvis and hips

As an osteopath, we’ll also consider your wider musculoskeletal presentation.

If you’re experiencing lower-back or pelvic pain, we’ll assess those symptoms rather than automatically attributing them to diastasis.

Your pregnancy and birth history

Your pregnancy, type of birth, previous injuries, recovery and current activity levels all matter.

Your goals

Perhaps you want to return to running.

Maybe you want to get back to weight training.

Perhaps you simply want to be able to lift your baby without worrying about your tummy.

Your rehabilitation should be built around what you want to get back to doing.

What Is the Role of a Mummy MOT?

If clinically appropriate, a Mummy MOT can provide a more structured postnatal assessment as part of your care.

At Family Osteopathy Hammersmith, your Mummy MOT will sit alongside your osteopathic care rather than replacing it.

The assessment can look at aspects of postnatal recovery including the abdominal wall, musculoskeletal function, movement and pelvic-health symptoms.

If you have symptoms such as urinary leakage, pelvic heaviness, pelvic pain or pain during sex, these are important to mention.

Where a detailed pelvic-floor assessment or specialist rehabilitation is indicated, we may recommend working with a specialist pelvic-health physiotherapist. NICE recommends that pelvic-floor muscle training is supervised by a healthcare professional with appropriate expertise in pelvic-floor muscle training. (Nice)

Good postnatal care isn’t about doing everything in one appointment or pretending one profession can do everything.

It’s about making sure you receive the right assessment and support for your individual needs.

What Might Treatment and Rehabilitation Look Like?

If osteopathic treatment is appropriate for you, it may form one part of your recovery.

Depending on your symptoms, this could include hands-on treatment for areas of musculoskeletal tension or restricted movement, alongside advice and exercise.

But hands-on treatment isn’t intended to physically “push the muscles back together”.

Exercise and progressive rehabilitation are central to rebuilding strength and function.

Your programme might include:

• Breathing and abdominal control

• Progressive core strengthening

• Functional lifting exercises

• Gradual return to resistance training

• Advice around everyday movement

• Exercise progression based on your goals

The programme should evolve as you get stronger.

You don’t need to spend the rest of your life avoiding movement because you once had a diastasis.

When Should You Have Diastasis Recti Assessed?

You don’t need to wait for a particular number of weeks or months.

If you’re concerned about your abdominal wall, experiencing symptoms or unsure how to return to exercise after having your baby, you can ask for professional advice.

An assessment may be particularly useful if you’re experiencing:

• Persistent abdominal discomfort

• Significant or persistent doming

• Difficulty returning to exercise

• Reduced confidence with lifting

• Ongoing lower-back or pelvic pain

• Urinary or bowel symptoms

• Pelvic heaviness or pressure

• Pain during sex

And it’s never too late to ask for help.

You may have had your baby six months ago, two years ago or several years ago. Your postnatal history is still relevant when understanding your current symptoms.

When Should You Speak to Your GP or Another Healthcare Professional?

Diastasis recti itself isn’t usually an emergency.

However, not every abdominal symptom after pregnancy is related to diastasis.

Speak to your GP or appropriate healthcare professional if you have unexplained or persistent abdominal pain, a new abdominal lump or swelling, significant gastrointestinal symptoms, or anything else that concerns you.

If you’re experiencing significant pelvic-floor symptoms, specialist pelvic-health physiotherapy may be appropriate.

And if you’re unsure whether osteopathy is suitable for your symptoms, we’re happy to discuss that with you before treatment.

Your Postnatal Body Doesn’t Need to Look Like It Did Before Pregnancy

One of the most unhelpful messages new mums receive is that their body should simply “bounce back”.

Your body has changed.

That isn’t a failure.

The goal of postnatal rehabilitation isn’t necessarily to make your stomach look exactly as it did before pregnancy. It’s to help you feel strong, capable and confident in your body and able to do the things that matter to you.

If you have diastasis recti, you don’t need to panic.

You don’t need to spend hours doing hundreds of crunches.

And you don’t need to avoid movement because you’re worried about making your abdominal separation worse.

You need good information, an appropriate assessment and a realistic plan.

At Family Osteopathy Hammersmith, we work with women across Hammersmith, Fulham and West London during pregnancy and after birth.

Where clinically appropriate, your care may include osteopathic treatment, a Mummy MOT assessment, exercise guidance and collaboration with other healthcare professionals.

Your recovery doesn’t have to be about getting your old body back. It’s about helping you feel at home in the body you have now.

If you’re concerned about diastasis recti or unsure how to progress your postnatal recovery, book a postnatal osteopathy appointment or Mummy MOT at Family Osteopathy Hammersmith.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is diastasis recti normal after pregnancy?

Yes. Abdominal separation is extremely common during pregnancy as the abdominal wall stretches to accommodate the growing uterus. For many women, it reduces naturally after birth. (nhs.uk)

How do I know if I have diastasis recti?

You may notice a gap, ridge or doming along the middle of your abdomen, particularly during certain movements. A professional assessment can provide a more useful assessment of the abdominal wall than relying on finger-width measurements alone.

How many fingers should a normal diastasis be?

There isn’t a universally accepted finger-width measurement that determines whether a diastasis is clinically significant. The function and tension of the abdominal wall, your symptoms and your ability to perform activities are also important. (The Pog P)

Can diastasis recti cause back pain?

It may be associated with some symptoms of abdominal or musculoskeletal discomfort, but diastasis recti should not automatically be assumed to be the cause of lower-back pain. Your back, pelvis, abdominal wall and movement should be considered together.

Should I avoid crunches if I have diastasis recti?

Not necessarily forever. Some exercises may currently be difficult to control or may cause pronounced doming or discomfort. Rather than permanently avoiding specific exercises, rehabilitation should generally progress according to your symptoms, strength and function.

Can exercise fix diastasis recti?

Exercise can help improve abdominal strength and function and may reduce the separation in some women. However, there isn’t one exercise or programme that works for everyone, and the aim isn’t necessarily to make the gap disappear completely