Diastasis Recti After Baby: How to Check for It and What Actually Closes the Gap

One of the most common moments I hear about in my clinic goes something like this: you're lying on the couch six months after baby, you glance down at your belly, and there it is — a soft dome, a gap, a belly that still looks four months pregnant. You're not imagining it. And you didn't "let yourself go."

What you may be seeing is diastasis recti — and here's the good news: it's not a mystery, it's not a tear, and it's rarely about how many crunches you've done (or haven't).

It's actually something our body does intentionally during pregnancy, and it's something that we can really help improve. Here's how:

What Is Diastasis Recti, Really?

Diastasis recti is a thinning and widening of the connective tissue (called the linea alba) that runs down the middle of your belly, between the two halves of your "six-pack" muscle. During pregnancy, that tissue stretches to make room for baby and protect our abdominal muscles. Sometimes it snaps back on its own. Sometimes it needs help.

Here's the part nobody tells you: every single pregnancy causes some degree of diastasis. One 2024 study of postpartum women found diastasis was present in roughly 89% of first-time moms at six weeks postpartum. It's not a failure of your body. It's a feature of pregnancy.

It can also happen to men, kids, and people who've never been pregnant — so if you're reading this and you fit any of those, stick around.

How Do I Know If I Have Diastasis Recti?

You can check yourself in under a minute. Here's how I walk patients through it in the clinic:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

2. Place two fingers just above your belly button, pointing down toward your toes.

3. Lift your head and shoulders slightly, like you're starting a crunch.

4. Feel for a gap between the two sides of your rectus abdominis. Note how wide it is and how deep it is.

5. Repeat the check above the belly button, at the belly button, and below it.

Here's what to look for:

• 1.5 finger-widths or less is typical

• 2 or more finger-widths is considered a diastasis

• Depth matters more than width. A shallow 3-finger gap with good tension can be more functional than a deep 2-finger gap that collapses under load.

Also pay attention to doming or coning — that tenting up of the belly when you lift your head. That's your core telling you it can't manage pressure through the midline yet. When you dome and how much you dome becomes signs we use in clinic to help design your rehab routine.

A quick caveat: the finger-width test isn't perfect, especially if it's your first time. It's a great self-monitoring tool or if you're curious. But if it makes you nervous or you're very concerned about the details, give a pelvic health PT or other medical professional a call and we'll guide you through it confidently.

Why Core Exercises Can Make It Worse

I'll save you six months of frustration: if you're doing intense core workouts to "fix" your belly, please stop.

Our abdominal muscles are part of a system - they work with our ability to breathe well. They work with our glutes (which work with our legs and feet), they work with our pelvic floors. They are support arm movements. Intense abdominal exercises often limit how we train the system, and limit their full return to strength. In addition, if they're not responding to all of our activities well, the doming can look worse, we might feel like we're out of breath, or you might even notice you're getting little leaks of pee whenever you sneeze or pick up baby.

Rehabilitating a diastasis takes intention. If you haven't done the ground work yet, let's pause on the following exercises for now:

• Traditional crunches and sit-ups

• Full front planks

• Heavy twisting or oblique work

We'll be able to add these back in, but once we get a strong foundation first.

What Actually Closes a Diastasis?

The short answer: breath and deep core first, then load. You have to rebuild pressure management from the inside out.

Here's the progression I actually use with postpartum patients:

1. Diaphragmatic breathing. 360° breath that reconnects your diaphragm, pelvic floor, and deep abdominal system. This is the foundation and nobody gets to skip it.

2. Deep core activation. Learning to gently engage your transverse abdominis without bracing, bearing down, or sucking in.

3. Functional loading. Heel slides, bridges, bird-dogs, modified dead bugs — all while maintaining that deep core connection.

4. Return to strength. Once the foundation is set, we build from there, customizing it to your goals. Remember - strength is progressive and works as a whole system.

A 2025 systematic review and network meta-analysis in Scientific Reports comparing rehabilitation strategies found that core stability exercise combined with abdominal support was among the most effective approaches for reducing inter-rectus distance. Pilates-based work and suspension training also performed well. The common thread across everything that works? Progressive, intentional loading — not random internet ab workouts.

Can Diastasis Recti Heal on Its Own?

Sometimes, yes — in the first 6 to 8 weeks postpartum. After that, most gaps that are still hanging around need intentional rehab to fully resolve.

I see many women who were told to "give it a year and see." A year later they're back at square one, often with compensations layered on top. Don't wait to see. Start the deep core work early — even a little intentional breath work at 4 weeks postpartum puts you ahead.

Surgery is rarely the answer, and it's only on the table after a real course of conservative care.

When Should I See a Pelvic Floor PT?

Come see me (or another pelvic floor PT) if:

• You still dome with everyday movement — lifting baby, getting out of bed

• You have low back pain, hip pain, or feel "disconnected" from your core

• You're leaking when you cough, sneeze, laugh, or run

• You've been working on it for a few months and nothing is changing

An eval with me is not scary. We talk, we assess how your core and pelvic floor are working together, and we build you a plan that fits your actual life. ACOG's own postpartum guidelines specifically recommend targeted abdominal and pelvic floor rehab for diastasis — this isn't a luxury, it's part of postpartum care.

In most states, you don't need a referral. And you don't have to wait until you're "done having kids." Rehab now makes the next pregnancy easier, too.

Your core is not broken. Diastasis can be improved at 8 weeks postpartum or 8 years. It just takes the right work in the right order.

If you're ready for a plan that actually fits your body, I'd love to see you in the clinic. Book an eval at Protea Physical Therapy & Wellness and let's get your core back online.