One of the biggest questions I hear from new moms is: “How can I avoid or fix diastasis recti?”
It’s something so many women become aware of after having a baby. You might notice a gap down the middle of your stomach, feel like your core isn’t working the way it used to, or start hearing about diastasis recti everywhere and wonder if it’s something you should be worried about.
Diastasis recti is incredibly common during pregnancy and in the months after birth. Having some abdominal separation doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong.
As your belly grows, your abdominal wall naturally stretches to make room for your baby. The two sides of your rectus abdominis (your “six-pack” muscles) move apart, and the connective tissue between them, called the linea alba, stretches too.
After your baby arrives, your body doesn’t immediately go back to where it was before. The tissue needs time to recover, and your core needs time to reconnect and rebuild.
In one study of 300 first-time mothers, 60% had some degree of diastasis recti six weeks after giving birth. That number dropped to 45.4% at six months and 32.6% at 12 months, and most cases were mild.
So if you’ve found yourself pressing your fingers into your stomach and wondering Is this normal? How big is the gap? Should I be doing more core work? Can I exercise? You’re definitely not the only one.
So let’s talk about what diastasis recti means, how you can check for it, and how Pilates can support your core after pregnancy.
What Is Diastasis Recti?
During pregnancy, the linea alba, stretches as your belly grows. Diastasis recti refers to a wider-than-usual separation between the two sides of your abdominal muscles, often noticed during pregnancy or after birth.
You may see 2.7 cm, or roughly two finger widths, used as a measurement when researching diastasis recti. But there isn't one universally agreed-upon measurement, so try not to get too caught up in a specific number.
How your core feels and responds is important, too.
Can I Avoid Diastasis Recti?
This is where I think there’s a lot of unnecessary fear.
You can’t necessarily prevent your abs from stretching during pregnancy, they’re supposed to stretch.
Your body needs to make room for your growing baby, so some separation is a normal part of pregnancy. What you can do is support your body throughout pregnancy by staying active, maintaining strength and learning how to connect your breath, core and pelvic floor. Keeping your core strong and connected during pregnancy can also give you a good starting point for recovery after birth.
That’s one of the reasons I created the T — F Baby Prenatal Plan, to help you stay strong and connected to your body throughout pregnancy, with workouts designed to change with you as your pregnancy progresses.
Then, after your baby arrives, you can gradually build that connection and strength back up. So rather than trying to stop your body from changing, think about supporting your body through those changes.
How Do I Check For Diastasis Recti?
If you’re curious about what’s happening with your core, you can do a simple check at home.
Just remember this isn't a diagnosis, it’s just a way to get a better sense of what you’re feeling. Your body is also still changing in the early weeks after birth, so there’s no need to rush checking this immediately.
A few tips before your self-check:
- Check before eating: Avoid checking when you’re bloated or within about an hour of eating.
- Exhale as you lift: Start your exhale just before the small head lift.
- Keep it small: Lift your head only about an inch, no full crunch.
- Use the same pressure: Keep your finger pressure consistent so you can compare what you feel.
1. Lie on your back.
Bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. When you're ready to get up, roll onto your side first and use your arms to push yourself up.
2. Check your stomach at rest.
Place your fingertips along the middle of your stomach, starting just below your breastbone and slowly moving down past your belly button.
Notice how the area feels underneath your fingers.
3. Take a big breath in, then exhale as you gently lift your head about an inch.
Don't do a full crunch, just a small lift.
4. Check the middle of your stomach again.
Slowly move your fingers down the same line, checking above, at and below your belly button.
Notice:
- Width: How many fingers fit between the two sides of your abs?
- Depth: Does the area feel relatively firm and springy, or soft and deeper?
- Tension: Does the area feel different when you gently lift your head compared with when you're at rest?
The change between rest and the head lift can be helpful to notice, too. If you feel the tissue become firmer or more taut when you gently lift your head, that means your abdominal muscles are creating tension through the linea alba, which is good! If you feel very little change, there may be less tension being generated through the tissue.
The widest point is often around the belly button, but not always, so it's worth checking the whole area.
The depth of the separation can also tell you more than width alone. A gap that feels relatively shallow and springy, with some resistance under your fingers, suggests more tension through the linea alba than a gap that feels very soft and deep. Width is only one part of the full picture.
Does Diastasis Recti Heal On Its Own?
Your body is incredibly good at recovering after pregnancy. With time, the abdominal wall can continue to heal and your core can regain strength in the months after birth.
So if you notice a gap, don’t be afraid of it. You don’t need to rush to close it or jump straight into intense ab exercises.
Instead, give your body time to recover and gradually bring core-focused movement back in. Breath work, pelvic floor connection and simple core exercises can all help you reconnect with your core and build strength as you go.
Pilates For Your Postpartum Core
This is where I love Pilates. It brings your breath, core, pelvic floor and the rest of your body into the movement, giving you a way to gradually rebuild strength and control.
Here are four simple movements from the T — F Baby Postnatal Plan to get started:
1. Breath + Pelvic Floor
A simple starting point for reconnecting your breath, core and pelvic floor.
2. Bird Dogs
Build core stability while your arms and legs move independently.
3. Bear Claw Hold With a Pilates Ball
Challenges your core while you work on control and full-body stability.
4. Glute Bridges With a Pilates Ball
Works your glutes while bringing your core and pelvic floor into the movement.
These are just a few of the movements we use throughout the plan.
From Core Recovery To Strengthen
The T — F Baby Postnatal Plan is 12 weeks, split into three phases that gradually progress as you get stronger.
Core Recovery — Weeks 1–4
Reconnect with your core, breath and pelvic floor while building your foundation.
Rebuild — Weeks 5–8
Start challenging your body more as you gain strength and confidence.
Strengthen — Weeks 9–12
Progress into more challenging, full-body Pilates workouts and continue building your strength.
You don’t need to rush it. Start where you are and build from there.