You have probably heard the term diastasis recti. Maybe a friend mentioned it, or you noticed something different about your core after having a baby. Maybe you have a visible ridge or dome that shows up when you sit up from lying down. Or maybe your belly still looks pregnant months or even years after delivery and you do not understand why.
As a pelvic floor physical therapist and a mom who has been through four pregnancies, I want to help you understand what diastasis recti actually is, how to check yourself at home, and — most importantly — what to do about it.
What Exactly Is Diastasis Recti?
Diastasis recti is a separation of the rectus abdominis muscles — the “six-pack” muscles that run vertically down the front of your abdomen. These two muscle bellies are connected by a band of connective tissue called the linea alba. During pregnancy, as your uterus grows, this connective tissue stretches and thins to accommodate your baby.
This is completely normal during pregnancy. Every pregnant woman’s linea alba stretches. The question is whether the tissue recovers its tension and function after delivery — and for many women, it does not fully recover without guidance.
Research shows that up to 60% of women have diastasis recti during pregnancy, and about 39% still have it at 6 months postpartum. If you are in that 39%, you are not alone and you are not broken — your tissue just needs the right kind of rehab.
The At-Home Finger Test: Step by Step
This self-check takes about 30 seconds. Here is how to do it:
- Lie on your back on a firm surface with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Place two or three fingers horizontally across your belly, just above your belly button, pointing toward your toes.
- Slowly lift your head and shoulders a few inches off the ground — like the start of a crunch. Keep your lower back on the floor.
- Feel for a gap between the two ridges of muscle. Note how many fingers fit into the space and how deep your fingers sink.
- Repeat at two more spots: right at your belly button, and about two inches below it.
What Your Results Mean
Here is how to interpret what you feel:
Gap of 1 finger-width or less: This is considered normal. Your linea alba has good tension and your muscles are close together.
Gap of 2 finger-widths: This suggests a mild diastasis. It may improve on its own with proper movement patterns, but targeted rehabilitation will speed recovery and prevent it from worsening.
Gap of 3 or more finger-widths: This is a moderate to significant diastasis that will benefit from professional guidance. A pelvic floor physical therapist can assess the full picture and create a rehabilitation plan specific to you.
Why Gap Width Is Not the Whole Story
Here is something most articles about diastasis recti miss: the width of the gap is only one piece of the puzzle. The tension and depth of the tissue in the gap matters just as much.
When you do the finger test, pay attention to what happens beneath your fingers:
- Good tension: Your fingers press against the gap but meet firm, springy resistance — like pressing on a trampoline. The tissue pushes back.
- Poor tension: Your fingers sink deeply into the gap with little resistance — like pressing into a soft pillow. The tissue does not push back.
A woman with a two-finger gap but excellent tension may have better core function than a woman with a one-finger gap but no tension at all. This is why I always tell my patients: do not get fixated on the number. The goal of diastasis recti rehabilitation is restoring function and tension, not necessarily closing the gap to zero.
Warning Signs: The Doming and Coning Test
Another thing to watch for is doming or coning — when the midline of your abdomen pushes outward during effort. You might see this when:
- Getting out of bed (sitting straight up)
- Picking up your toddler
- Doing exercises like planks or push-ups
- Coughing or sneezing
Doming is a sign that your deep core is not managing pressure effectively. It does not mean you are making things worse by living your life, but it is a clear signal that your body would benefit from learning better pressure management strategies — which is exactly what pelvic floor PT teaches.
What NOT to Do
If you suspect you have diastasis recti, avoid these common mistakes:
- Crunches and sit-ups: These create significant intra-abdominal pressure that pushes directly against the weakened linea alba. They can make a diastasis wider and weaker.
- Heavy planks before you are ready: A full plank demands significant core stability. If your deep core cannot manage the pressure, the load goes to the linea alba instead.
- Wearing a belly band as a long-term solution: Bands can help in the early weeks postpartum, but long-term use prevents your muscles from doing their job and can actually weaken your core.
- Ignoring it and hoping it goes away: Some mild cases resolve on their own, but if it has been more than 8 weeks postpartum and the gap is still there, waiting longer without targeted rehab is unlikely to change it.
What a Pelvic Floor PT Actually Does for Diastasis Recti
When you come to me with diastasis recti, here is what the assessment and treatment process looks like:
- Full assessment: I measure the gap width, depth, and tension at multiple points. I look at how your deep core activates, how you breathe, how you move, and how your pelvic floor is functioning — because the pelvic floor and the deep core are part of the same system.
- Breathing and activation retraining: Before any strengthening, we retrain how you breathe and how your deep core engages. This is the foundation everything else builds on.
- Progressive strengthening: We systematically build core strength through exercises that challenge you without creating harmful pressure on the healing tissue.
- Functional integration: We practice the real movements that matter to your life — picking up your kids, getting out of bed, exercising — with proper core strategies.
Most patients see significant improvement within 8–12 sessions. And it is truly never too late — I have worked with women whose youngest child was in elementary school and they still saw meaningful change in their core function.
The Connection to Your Pelvic Floor
Diastasis recti rarely exists in isolation. Your deep core muscles (the transverse abdominis), your diaphragm, and your pelvic floor all work as a coordinated pressure system. When one part is not doing its job, the others compensate — often poorly.
This is why many women with diastasis recti also experience:
- Low back pain that will not go away despite stretching and massage
- Bladder leaks with coughing, sneezing, or exercise
- A feeling of pelvic heaviness or prolapse symptoms
- A core that feels “disconnected” no matter how many exercises they do
This is why treating diastasis recti requires looking at the whole system — not just the abdominal gap. A pelvic floor PT is trained to assess and treat all of these connected issues together.
Your Next Step
Try the self-test. If you feel a gap of two or more finger-widths, or if your fingers sink in with little resistance, consider scheduling an evaluation. Even if you are not sure what you felt, a professional assessment can give you a clear answer and a plan forward.
Remember: diastasis recti is incredibly common, it is not your fault, and it responds well to the right treatment. You do not have to accept a core that does not work the way you need it to.