Maybe you noticed it when you sat up in bed: a ridge or a soft dip running down the middle of your belly. Maybe someone online told you to never do a crunch again. Diastasis recti is surrounded by fear and confusing advice. The truth is more reassuring. It’s a normal adaptation to pregnancy, it’s very common, and there’s a lot you can do to rebuild a strong, functional core.
What is diastasis recti?
Your “six-pack” muscle, the rectus abdominis, has a left and a right side. They’re joined down the middle by a band of connective tissue called the linea alba. As your baby grows, the belly has to expand, so the linea alba stretches and thins and the two sides of the rectus move apart. That widening is called diastasis recti abdominis (DRA).
This isn’t a tear or an injury. It’s your body making room. For many women the gap narrows significantly in the months after birth. For others, some separation remains, and that’s where thoughtful rehab comes in.
How common is it? Very.
One of the most useful studies on this question is Sperstad and colleagues’ 2016 paper in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The researchers followed 300 first-time mothers in Norway from pregnancy to one year after birth, checking for a separation of more than two finger widths.
Another study, by da Mota and colleagues (2015), found some degree of separation in every woman they measured at 35 weeks of pregnancy. In other words, a gap during late pregnancy is the rule, not the exception. Interestingly, Sperstad’s team did not find that women with DRA were more likely to have lumbopelvic pain at 12 months than women without it. A gap alone isn’t a diagnosis of dysfunction.
Evidence note: it’s not only about the gap
Research by Lee and Hodges (2016) suggests that the tension of the linea alba may matter as much as the width of the gap. When women gently engaged their deep abdominal muscles before a curl-up, the gap sometimes narrowed less, but the tissue in the middle was more taut and distorted less. That’s an important shift: the goal isn’t necessarily to “close the gap” completely. It’s to build a core that can manage pressure and load well.
How to do a gentle self-check
A pelvic floor physical therapist or your provider can assess DRA properly, often with measuring tools or ultrasound. A home check can give you a rough idea and help you notice changes over time.
The DRA self-check
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Place the fingertips of one hand flat across your midline, at your belly button, fingers pointing toward your feet.
- Exhale and gently lift your head and shoulders just an inch or two off the floor.
- Feel for the edges of the rectus muscles on either side of your fingers. Note how many finger widths fit in the gap.
- Notice the depth too. Does the tissue feel firm like a trampoline, or do your fingers sink in softly?
- Repeat about 2 inches (4–5 cm) above and below your belly button.
What it may mean: A gap of more than about two finger widths is often used as the threshold for DRA. A soft, deep midline, or doming that doesn’t improve with deep-core engagement, is worth having assessed by a pelvic floor PT.
Signs worth watching for during exercise
- Doming or coning: a ridge that pops up along your midline when you lift your head, sit up, or strain
- A feeling that your core “can’t hold” during lifts or carries
- Low back or pelvic pain that isn’t improving
- Pelvic floor symptoms like leaking or heaviness
- A bulge at or near the belly button, which may be an umbilical hernia and should be checked by your provider
What does the research say about exercise for DRA?
We want to be honest here: the research is still developing. A systematic review by Benjamin and colleagues (2014) concluded that the quality of evidence on exercise for DRA was limited. A randomized trial by Gluppe and colleagues (2018) found that a postpartum pelvic floor muscle training program on its own did not reduce DRA. That doesn’t mean exercise is pointless. It means there’s no single magic exercise that “fixes” the gap, and a well-rounded, progressive approach makes more sense than a list of forbidden moves.
What most pelvic health experts agree on is a graded, whole-body approach: start with breath and deep-core awareness, build strength progressively, and let symptoms (not fear) guide how you advance.
A progressive core rebuild plan
These phases are guidelines, not deadlines. Some women move through them in a few weeks and others take months. Move on when the current phase feels easy and symptom-free, meaning no doming you can’t control, no pain, no leaking, and no heaviness.
Phase 1: Reconnect (early weeks)
Goal: breathe well, find your deep core and pelvic floor, and move gently.
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest | Coaching cues |
|---|---|---|---|
| 360° breathing | 1 × 6 breaths | — | Breathe wide into your ribs and back. Let the belly and pelvic floor soften on the inhale. |
| Deep-core connection | 2 × 8 | 30 sec | On the exhale, gently lift the pelvic floor and draw your lower belly toward your spine, about 30% effort. Release fully. |
| Heel slides | 2 × 6 each side | 30 sec | Exhale, engage gently, and slide one heel away without the pelvis rocking. Inhale to return. |
| Walking | 10–20 min | — | Gradually build time. Stand tall and let your arms swing. |
Phase 2: Build control
Goal: keep that deep-core connection while your arms and legs move.
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest | Coaching cues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glute bridge | 3 × 10 | 45 sec | Exhale as you lift. Ribs stay down. Don’t overarch at the top. |
| Dead bug (bent knee) | 3 × 6 each side | 45 sec | Lower one foot to tap the floor. Watch your midline and shorten the range if it domes. |
| Bird dog | 3 × 6 each side | 45 sec | Reach long through heel and fingertips. Keep the hips level, like a glass of water on your low back. |
| Side-lying clamshell | 2 × 12 each side | 30 sec | Keep the feet together and the pelvis still. Feel the side of your hip. |
| Wall or incline push-up | 2 × 8–10 | 45 sec | Body in one line. Exhale as you push away. |
Phase 3: Add load
Goal: build real, functional strength for mom life, including lifting, carrying, and twisting.
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest | Coaching cues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8–10 | 60 sec | Exhale on the way up. Keep the weight close, like holding your baby. |
| Half-kneeling Pallof press | 3 × 8 each side | 45 sec | Press the band straight out and resist the twist. Tall spine. |
| Suitcase carry | 3 × 20–30 m each side | 45 sec | Weight in one hand. Don’t lean. Walk tall and slow. |
| Side plank (from knees) | 3 × 15–20 sec each side | 45 sec | Straight line from knees to head. Progress to full side plank. |
| Single-arm row | 3 × 10 each side | 45 sec | Brace gently, pull your elbow toward your hip, and don’t rotate. |
Phase 4: Return to everything you love
Once Phase 3 feels strong and symptom-free, you can gradually reintroduce front planks, heavier lifts, and, yes, even crunch-style exercises if you enjoy them and your midline handles them well. Research like Lee and Hodges’ suggests that curl-ups aren’t automatically harmful when the linea alba is well supported. Running and jumping are a separate step. Build a base of strength first, and consider a pelvic floor assessment before returning to high impact.
Tips that make every phase work better
Exhale on effort so you’re managing pressure instead of holding your breath. Roll to your side to get out of bed instead of sitting straight up. Adjust, don’t avoid: if a move causes doming, lower the load, shorten the range, or change the position rather than giving up on it forever.
When to get help
See your provider if you notice a bulge at your belly button or along the midline, pain that worsens with activity, or a separation that isn’t improving after several months of consistent work. In a small number of cases, surgical repair is discussed, usually after rehab has been tried.
Rebuilding your core is a season, not a sprint. Our women’s exercise programs build on this foundation, and if you’d like the complete, week-by-week version of this plan, with clear coaching cues, progressions, and a clear path back to strength training, our postpartum roadmap is here for you.
Frequently asked questions
Will diastasis recti go away on its own?
For many women, the gap narrows a lot in the first months after birth. In Sperstad’s study, the share of women with DRA dropped from 60% at six weeks to about a third at one year. Some separation can remain, which is where progressive strength work and, if needed, a pelvic floor PT can help.
Should I never do crunches or planks again?
Not necessarily. These exercises aren’t forbidden forever. They’re later-stage exercises. Build your foundation first, then reintroduce them gradually while watching your midline and symptoms.
Is it too late if my baby is already a toddler (or older)?
It’s never too late to strengthen your core. The same principles apply years later: breath, control, progressive load, and patience.
A gentle reminder
This article is educational and is not medical advice. Please check with your healthcare provider before starting postpartum exercise, and consider an assessment with a pelvic floor physical therapist for individualized guidance. See our medical disclaimer.
Sources & further reading
- Sperstad JB, Tennfjord MK, Hilde G, Ellström-Engh M, Bø K. Diastasis recti abdominis during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth: prevalence, risk factors and report of lumbopelvic pain. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016.
- Fernandes da Mota PG, Pascoal AG, Carita AI, Bø K. Prevalence and risk factors of diastasis recti abdominis from late pregnancy to 6 months postpartum, and relationship with lumbo-pelvic pain. Manual Therapy, 2015.
- Lee D, Hodges PW. Behavior of the linea alba during a curl-up task in diastasis rectus abdominis: an observational study. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 2016.
- Benjamin DR, van de Water ATM, Peiris CL. Effects of exercise on diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle in the antenatal and postnatal periods: a systematic review. Physiotherapy, 2014.
- Gluppe SL, Hilde G, Tennfjord MK, Engh ME, Bø K. Effect of a postpartum training program on the prevalence of diastasis recti abdominis in postpartum primiparous women: a randomized controlled trial. Physical Therapy, 2018.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period. Committee Opinion No. 804. 2020.
Mom, designer and founder of Steady & Strong Wellness. Katelyn researches every article from official guidelines and peer-reviewed studies, and always encourages readers to partner with their own healthcare providers.
@steadyandstrongwellness
