Diastasis Recti: How to Tell If You Have It & What to Do

If you finished a pregnancy with a belly that still looks a few months along — or a 'pooch' that won't go away no matter how many sit-ups you do — there's a good chance you have diastasis recti. It's incredibly common (about two out of three women have it at six weeks postpartum), it's not your fault, and almost all of it can be improved with the right work. The wrong work, unfortunately, can make it worse.

What diastasis recti actually is

Your "six-pack" muscle — the rectus abdominis — is actually two long muscles that run side by side down the front of your belly, joined in the middle by a strong band of connective tissue called the linea alba. During pregnancy, the linea alba stretches and thins to make room for the baby. After delivery it usually tightens back up, but in many women it stays soft and wider than it should — that gap and that softness together are diastasis recti.

The problem isn't really cosmetic, though that's what brings most women in. The problem is that a stretched linea alba can't transmit force across the front of the abdomen, which means the deep core can't generate the pressure it needs to support the spine, the pelvic floor, and everyday lifting. So diastasis often shows up alongside low back pain, hip pain, leakage, or a sense that your core "doesn't connect."

The 30-second self-check

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
Place your fingers horizontally just above your belly button, palm facing your face.
Lift your head and shoulders slightly — like the start of a crunch — and gently press your fingers down into your belly.
Feel for a soft channel between two firm muscle ridges. How many fingers fit side-by-side? Now check just below the belly button and at the bottom of your sternum.

A gap of 1 finger width or less is normal. 2 fingers is mild diastasis. 3+ fingers is moderate to severe and worth getting evaluated. Just as important as the gap is what you feel at the bottom: a firm, springy floor means the connective tissue is doing its job. A soft, doughy bottom that your fingers sink into is the bigger problem — and the thing therapy targets most.

What helps (the order matters)

The biggest mistake I see is jumping straight to ab exercises. The deep system needs to be retrained first; the visible muscles come second. Here's the sequence I use with almost every postpartum patient:

1. Diaphragmatic breathing — every day

Lie on your back, knees bent. Inhale through your nose, letting your belly and ribs expand 360 degrees (sides and back too, not just forward). Exhale slowly through pursed lips and feel your belly gently draw in toward your spine. Five minutes, twice a day. This is the foundation; nothing else works without it.

2. The transverse abdominis "draw-in"

Same position. Exhale and gently draw your lower belly in and up — imagine pulling your hip bones toward each other. You should feel a deep tightening below the belly button, not a bulge outward. Hold for 5 seconds while breathing normally. 10 reps, twice a day.

3. Heel slides with a connected core

Lying down, draw the lower belly in (step 2), then slowly slide one heel away from your bottom until the leg is straight, then back. The challenge is to keep the lower belly engaged the entire time without letting your low back arch. 8 per side, 2 sets.

4. Bird-dog

On hands and knees, draw the belly in, and slowly extend the opposite arm and leg. Hold for 3 seconds, return. The goal is for your hips and shoulders to stay perfectly level — no rocking. 8 per side, 2 sets.

What to avoid until you've rebuilt the deep system

Crunches, sit-ups, full planks — they generate exactly the kind of forward pressure that bulges the linea alba outward.
Heavy lifting with breath holding — exhale on the effort instead, and brace gently rather than maximally.
Front-loaded yoga poses like full upward dog or boat pose, until you can keep the belly drawn in throughout.
Sitting straight up out of bed — roll to your side and push up with your arm.

When to see a pelvic floor therapist

A gap of 3 fingers or more, or a soft, doughy floor at the linea alba
Any visible doming, coning, or "tenting" in the middle of your belly when you sit up
Leaking with sneeze, cough, or jumping
Pelvic heaviness or pressure
Persistent low back or hip pain that started during or after pregnancy
You're 12+ weeks postpartum and your belly still looks pregnant
You're hoping to return to running, lifting, or high-intensity exercise

What to expect from therapy

A first visit is a long, fully-clothed conversation, an external assessment of your posture, breathing, and abdominal wall, and — if and only if you consent — an internal pelvic floor exam. Most diastasis patients I see are significantly better in 8 to 12 visits over 10 to 14 weeks. Doming reduces, the floor firms up, and the gap usually closes meaningfully — though even when a small gap remains, the tissue quality improves enough that strength and function return fully.

Diastasis recti is not something to live with quietly. If anything in this article sounded like you, call us at (248) 208-7492 to schedule a confidential evaluation. No referral required in Michigan.