How to Check for Diastasis Recti
This simple self-check for diastasis recti will not only guide your healing, but will give you important insights for your postpartum fitness plan.
It probably comes as no surprise that after growing a baby for the better part of a year, your core muscles have gone through a lot. Your abs, in particular, have stretched and shifted to accommodate the baby — all while working overtime to help protect your back, carry additional weight, manage pressure on your pelvic floor, and navigate a changing center of gravity.
Because of all this, diastasis recti abdominis (or DRA, as you might hear it called) is an extremely common condition in the postpartum period. DRA is defined as an increased separation between the two sides of the rectus abdominis (aka: your six-pack muscles) and a weakening and thinning of the connective tissue at your midline, also known as the linea alba (1).
Diastasis recti is an acquired condition that results from weakened abdominal tissues coupled with a long-term increase in intra-abdominal pressure (which could be caused by obesity, poor posture, or a growing baby, for instance). And while DRA can happen to anyone, pregnancy (especially multiple pregnancies) is one of the main risk factors for the condition (2).
Before you dive into your postpartum fitness routine, it’s important that you know how to check yourself for diastasis recti. Certain exercises like planks, crunches, and rotational movements can worsen diastasis if you don’t know how to properly engage your core while working out. Performing routine self-checks for diastasis will help you monitor your progress as you’re healing, so you know when it’s safe to begin introducing these exercises into your workouts.
How to self-check for diastasis recti
Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat.
With one hand, hold 2-3 fingers together. Place your fingertips perpendicular to the midline of your body, just above the belly button and press down gently.
Tuck your chin and lift your head off the floor, trying not to round the shoulders or spine forward. You will feel the two sides of your abdominal wall engage and firm up against your fingers.
Notice how many fingers you can fit horizontally in the gap between the two sides of your rectus abdominis and how deep your fingers sink.
Repeat this process roughly three finger widths vertically above your belly button, and roughly three finger widths below your belly button. For most people, the gap will be wider in certain spots along the midline;, while it will be narrower elsewhere.
Now, remember: the linea alba is made of connective tissue, and the two sides of the abdominal wall will never (and should never!) close completely. There will always be some degree of a gap between the two sides of the recti.
According to the research, a clinical diagnosis of diastasis recti is often classified as a gap that is greater than 2 cm in any of the three areas you assess (3). How big is 2 cm? Well, a good rough estimate is around 2 finger widths.
But the depth to which your fingers sink is also important to note, because this tells us about the integrity of your connective tissue. If your finger sinks to a depth equal to or greater than the first knuckle (at the tip of your finger), the tissues are still thinned and weakened. Giving your body time to adjust to your changing hormones will help enhance the strength and tension of these tissues.
How common is diastasis recti in the postpartum period?
Research about diastasis recti in postpartum women is still evolving, but recent studies estimate DRA occurs in about 90–95% of women in the early postpartum period. At six months postpartum, it’s estimated that between 39–45% of women still have diastasis. At 12 months postpartum, 32–39% of women still experience diastasis (4, 5).
While some degree of healing happens spontaneously in the first 6–8 weeks after giving birth, there are also a lot of new demands on your body that can limit your ability to heal without intervention. Carrying a heavy car seat, sitting for extended periods, holding a baby with your hips thrust forward and your ribs dropping back as you sway and bounce, and postural changes from cradling your baby during feeding can all contribute to diastasis, or make it worse.
When should I start checking for diastasis recti?
In general, you can check for diastasis recti as early as 1- week postpartum, so long as it’s not painful to do so. If you have had a C-section, avoid pressing on or palpating your incision until it’s fully healed.
That said, it’s important to remember that up until about 6-8 weeks, nearly all women will have an increased separation at the midline of their abdominals. Likewise, you will probably feel that your tissues are weaker (in other words, your fingers sink deeper into your belly) in the early weeks when you self-check.
Still, if you begin to self-check early in the postpartum period, you’ll have a greater understanding of how much healing has happened week to week, and you’ll hone your ability to recognize when your abdominals are drawing in, which is the first step in gaining back your core strength.
Most of all, remember to be patient. Rehabilitating postpartum DRA takes time, especially as your body adjusts to changing hormone levels and recovers from the laxity brought on by pregnancy. If you don’t notice much difference week to week, don’t despair. Stick with your repair plan and you’ll see a big difference over time.
When should I start exercises to repair my diastasis recti?
One study reported that it’s ideal to begin repairing DRA prior to the 8-week mark postpartum, as your body is also working to heal itself. After 8 weeks, there may be a plateau effect that slows your rehabilitation, and if no action is taken to help heal your diastasis, the condition may persist in the long-term (6).
Age, weight gain, poor posture, a sedentary lifestyle, multiple pregnancies, and certain types of exercise or activities can all make it harder to heal diastasis properly. And, if left untreated, diastasis may lead to symptoms like low-back pain (7), the appearance of protruding abdominals (8), or incontinence (9).
That said, when you begin deep core exercises, it’s important to follow the advice of a physical therapist or postpartum exercise specialist to ensure that you choose exercises that are safe and appropriate for your current state.
What to expect from diastasis recti exercises
Before you receive clearance to work out, the exercises you will use to strengthen your core and heal the diastasis are gentle. Most of what you’ll do in the early postpartum period focuses on deep core engagement, re-activating the transverse abdominis by trying to draw your abdominals inward. You’ll use your breath and postural cues to maximize the contraction in your deep abdominals.
For a lot of people, these rehabilitative movements feel less like traditional exercise, and more like breathing exercises. I like to call it mindful movement, because what you do now, intentionally, will set the stage for a deeper, stronger, and more functional abdominal contraction later on.
Think of this period as rebuilding the foundation that will support you in the long term — even when you’re not consciously aware of it. When you return to more vigorous exercise and need to rely on your muscle memory to support your movement, your core will be trained to hold a functional contraction in a wide variety of positions and activities.
The bottom line
Learning how to self-check for diastasis recti will give you important insights into your postpartum healing, and it provides a guideline for when to begin challenging your core muscles with greater forces.
Stay patient with your body as it heals, and remember that the time you invest now will lead to better form and function in the long run. Training the deep abdominals in the postpartum period is a marathon, not a sprint. But with consistent practice, you’ll develop a greater strength that will support you for decades to come.
Author Bio:
Saralyn Ward, NASM-CPT, is an award-winning writer, personal trainer, TV host, and wellness advocate whose passion is to inspire women to live their best life. She’s the founder of The Mama Sagas and the Better After Baby mobile app, offering postpartum workouts and a digital village of postpartum and pediatric experts, in the palm of your hand. Saralyn published The Guide to Survive Motherhood: Newborn Edition, teaches Pilates, is the senior fitness editor at Healthline, and has worked in fitness for almost 20 years. When she’s not falling asleep at her computer, you’ll find Saralyn climbing the Rocky Mountains and skiing down with 3 kids in tow.