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Diastasis Recti: Abdominal Separation After Pregnancy

Many people have a gap between their tummy muscles after pregnancy. Learn how to check for it, what helps and when to see a physiotherapist.

Before you use this guide: This is general educational information, not an individual medical assessment. We do not identify a clinician reviewer on this page, so please confirm personal health decisions with your doctor, midwife or paediatrician.

Diastasis recti, also called abdominal separation, is when the two sides of the long muscle at the front of your tummy (the “six-pack” muscle) move apart. The tissue between them stretches as your womb grows. Most people have some separation by the end of pregnancy. In many it narrows over the first eight weeks or so after birth, and in some it stays wider for longer. It is not a tear and it is not dangerous in itself.

Signs you may notice

• A ridge or dome running down the middle of your tummy when you sit up, lift your head or strain
• A soft, squashy gap above or below your belly button
• A tummy that still looks pregnant long after birth
• Lower back ache, or a feeling that your core is weak
• Leaking urine, constipation or a heavy feeling in the pelvis, which can happen alongside it

How to check yourself

It is best to wait until at least a few weeks after birth, because the gap often closes by itself.

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Place your fingertips just above your belly button, pointing towards your feet.
• Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the floor, as if starting a gentle sit-up.
• Feel for a gap between the two edges of muscle, and note how many fingers fit and how deep it feels. Repeat at the belly button and a few centimetres below it.

A gap of two or more finger widths is often called diastasis recti, but the width alone does not tell the whole story. What matters is whether the tissue between the muscles feels firm and holds tension when you lift. A physiotherapist can assess this properly.

What helps

• Time. Much of the improvement happens in the first two months after birth.
• Gentle breathing and deep core activation. Breathe out slowly and draw your lower tummy in gently, as if you were zipping up trousers. Our pelvic floor guide explains how to connect these muscles.
• Rolling onto your side to get out of bed, instead of sitting straight up.
• Good posture when feeding and lifting your baby, and avoiding heavy lifting or straining in the early weeks.
• Building up exercise slowly. See our guide on returning to exercise after birth.

Exercises to be careful with

Crunches, sit-ups, full planks and heavy lifting while holding your breath put extra pressure on the tummy wall. If you see a ridge or dome forming down the middle of your tummy during an exercise, ease off, choose a gentler version and ask a physiotherapist for advice. Exercise is not forbidden. It just needs to be introduced gradually.

When to see a professional

• You still have a visible bulge or noticeable gap 8 to 12 weeks after birth
• You have lower back or pelvic pain, leaking urine, or a dragging or heavy feeling in the pelvis. A pelvic health physiotherapist can help, and in many countries your doctor or midwife can refer you.
• You notice a painful lump near your belly button or in your tummy that does not go away when you lie down, which could be a hernia and should be checked

Surgery is rarely needed, and only considered when separation persists despite proper rehabilitation. Many people find that a supervised programme of gentle strengthening makes a real difference.

This content is for general information only and is not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every baby is different. Always talk to your doctor, midwife or paediatrician about your own situation, and seek urgent care if you are worried.