How to Tell If You Have Diastasis Recti

You’ve done the crunches. You’ve "eaten clean." You’ve waited for your body to just "bounce back" after pregnancy. But you still have a soft, rounded belly — sometimes called a "mommy tummy" or "pooch" — that wasn't there before.

It can be incredibly frustrating. You might feel disconnected from your own core, weak when you try to lift your baby, or just plain confused about why your body looks and feels so different. If this sounds familiar, you could be dealing with something called diastasis recti. And the good news is, you're not broken, and you're not alone.

So let's take the mystery out of it. We're going to break down what diastasis recti actually is, how to check for it yourself at home, and most importantly, what to do about it.

What Is Diastasis Recti, Really?

First things first: diastasis recti is not a tear. Your abs haven't ripped apart.

Let's get a quick anatomy lesson. You have two parallel bands of abdominal muscles (the rectus abdominis, or "six-pack" muscles) that run down the front of your belly. They are joined together in the middle by a thin band of connective tissue called the linea alba. During pregnancy, as your uterus expands, this connective tissue has to stretch to make room for your growing baby. It's a brilliant and necessary adaptation.

Diastasis recti is simply the thinning and widening of that linea alba. Imagine a zipper that has been stretched out. The zipper itself isn't broken, but the fabric on either side is further apart than it used to be. For many people, this tissue regains its tension and recoils naturally in the first few months postpartum. But for a significant number — a 2016 study showed it affects up to 60% of people at 6 weeks postpartum — that separation remains.

This isn't just a cosmetic issue. When the linea alba is too lax, it can't create the tension needed to support your core, your organs, and your back. This can lead to a whole host of other symptoms. It can be hard to know where to start, but you can always take our 2-minute quiz for some personalized insight.

How to Tell If You Have Diastasis Recti: A Self-Check

You don't need a fancy ultrasound to get a basic idea of what's going on with your core. A simple self-check can give you valuable information.

Here’s how to do it, step by step:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, just like you're about to do a crunch.
2. Place the fingertips of one hand on your midline at your belly button. Your fingers should be pointing down toward your pubic bone.
3. Gently press your fingers down into your abdomen.
4. Lift your head and shoulders just slightly off the floor. Don't come all the way up into a full crunch. You just want to engage your ab muscles enough to feel their edges.
5. Feel for the two firm ridges of your rectus abdominis muscles on either side of your fingers. You're assessing two things here: the width of the gap and the depth/tension.

What to feel for:

• Width: How many fingers can you fit in the gap between the muscle ridges? A separation of 1-2 finger-widths is very common and not always a problem if there's good tension. A separation of more than 2-2.5 fingers is generally considered a significant diastasis.
• Depth and Tension: This is arguably more important than the width. When you lift your head, does the tissue under your fingers feel firm and shallow, like a trampoline? Or does it feel soft and deep, like you can sink your fingers in with little resistance? A deep, soft gap indicates poor tension in the linea alba, which is a key sign that your core isn't functioning optimally, regardless of the width.

Repeat this check an inch or two above your belly button and an inch or two below it, as the separation can be different along the length of the linea alba.

Beyond the Gap: Other Signs of Diastasis Recti

The finger-width measurement is only one piece of the puzzle. Functional diastasis recti is less about "closing the gap" and more about restoring tension and function to the entire core system.

You might have a functionally problematic diastasis recti if you also experience:

• Coning or doming: When you sit up or engage your core, do you see a cone, ridge, or football-shape pop out down the midline of your belly? This is a classic sign of poor pressure management in the abdomen.
• Low back pain: Your core muscles are a huge part of supporting your spine. When they aren't working well, your back muscles often have to work overtime, leading to aches and pain.
• Pelvic floor dysfunction: The core is a canister. The diaphragm is the top, the pelvic floor is the bottom, and the abs and back muscles are the sides. If one part isn't working, it affects the others. Leaking urine when you cough or jump, a feeling of heaviness in your pelvis, or pain with sex can all be linked to an uncoordinated core system.
• Poor posture: Feeling like you're constantly slumping or that it's hard to stand up straight can be related to a weak deep core.
• A belly "pooch" that gets worse throughout the day or after meals.

If any of these sound familiar, it's a strong sign that your core could use some expert attention, even if your "gap" isn't very wide.

The Biggest Mistakes People Make When Treating Diastasis Recti

When you’re trying to fix your core, it’s easy to get bad advice. The internet is full of "flat belly" workouts and quick fixes that often do more harm than good.

The most common mistakes we see are:

• Jumping into crunches and sit-ups. These traditional ab exercises can actually make the "coning" worse by putting too much forward pressure on the already-stressed linea alba.
• Endless planking... with poor form. A plank is a great exercise, but only if you can maintain proper core engagement. If your back is sagging or your belly is bulging downward, you're not helping.
• Using a waist trainer or binder. While a binder can offer some temporary support in the very early postpartum days, it's a crutch. It doesn't teach your muscles how to work on their own. Lasting change comes from building strength from the inside out, not from external compression.
• Focusing only on closing the gap. As we mentioned, function is more important than separation. Some people will always have a small separation, but they can create a strong, functional core with incredible tension that supports their body perfectly. The goal isn't a measurement; it's getting back to life without pain or limitation.

So, How Do You Actually Heal Diastasis Recti?

Healing diastasis recti is about retraining your entire core system to work together. It’s about coordination, breathing, and pressure management.

At Revelle, our approach is about finding the root cause. We teach you how to reconnect with your deep core muscles—specifically the transverse abdominis (TVA), which acts like a natural corset, and the pelvic floor. It starts with your breath. Learning to do a "360-degree breath" where your rib cage expands in all directions is the foundation for managing pressure correctly.

From there, we build a progressive plan that layers in safe, effective exercises. We teach you how to engage your TVA before you move, how to lift your baby without straining your back, and how to eventually get back to running, jumping, and lifting heavy without symptoms. It's a whole-body approach that respects where you are and gives you the tools to build a core that is resilient and strong for the long haul.

When to See a Pelvic Floor PT

It's never too late to address diastasis recti. Whether you are six weeks postpartum or ten years postpartum, physical therapy can help.

You should consider seeing a pelvic floor PT if:

• You performed the self-check and found a gap wider than 2 fingers.
• You feel a deep, soft gap with poor tension, regardless of the width.
• You see coning or doming with any core activity.
• You have persistent back pain, pelvic pressure, or urinary leakage.
• You feel weak, disconnected, or frustrated with your progress.

A trained physical therapist can give you a definitive diagnosis and create a plan tailored specifically to your body and your goals. If you're ready for expert guidance, our doctors of physical therapy at our clinics in Atlanta, Alpharetta, and Denver are here to help. You can schedule a visit to get a clear path forward.