How to Heal Diastasis Recti After Pregnancy: A Postpartum Core Guide

March 7, 2026

If you're postpartum and you've noticed a gap or ridge down the centre of your abdomen, especially when you lift or strain, you may have diastasis recti. It's more common than most people know, affects around 60% of women at some point after birth, and yet it's barely spoken about in mainstream postpartum fitness advice.

This article explains what diastasis recti actually is, how to check for it, what exercises help (and which ones make it worse), and how to start rebuilding your core in a way that actually heals rather than compensates.

What Is Diastasis Recti?

Diastasis recti (DR) is the separation of the rectus abdominis, the two vertical columns of muscle that run down the centre of your abdomen, along the linea alba, the connective tissue between them. During pregnancy, as your uterus expands, the linea alba stretches. In many women, it doesn't fully recoil after birth.

The result is a gap, a softness, or a visible dome or ridge down the centre of your stomach when you contract your core. It's not a vanity issue. It's a functional one. When the linea alba is compromised, you can't generate the intra-abdominal pressure needed for stable, efficient movement. That leads to: back pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, a feeling of weakness and disconnection in your trunk, and a core that looks unchanged no matter how many crunches you do.

Crunches are, in fact, one of the worst things you can do with an unaddressed DR, more on that shortly.

How to Check for Diastasis Recti at Home

You can do a simple self-check:

Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
Place your fingers horizontally across your navel (pointing toward your feet).
Slowly lift your head and shoulders off the floor as if starting a crunch.
Feel along the midline of your abdomen.

A gap of two or more finger-widths along the linea alba is commonly considered a marker of DR, though width alone doesn't tell the whole story. Tension and depth matter too. If you feel your fingers sinking into a soft, unsupported channel, that's worth noting regardless of width.

If you're unsure or experiencing significant symptoms (back pain, pelvic pressure, leaking when you sneeze or cough), see a women's health physiotherapist before starting a rehabilitation programme.

The Exercises That Help, and the Ones That Don't

Avoid These in Early Recovery

Crunches and sit-ups, they create the exact kind of intra-abdominal pressure that pushes on and widens the linea alba.
Double-leg lifts, too much load on a compromised midline.
Planks and push-ups, only when you've established core connection and tension; too early and they may worsen separation.
Heavy lifting without breath mechanics. Valsalva-style breath-holding increases IAP and puts load through the midline.

The Exercises That Rebuild

The goal in early DR recovery isn't strength, it's tension and connection. You're restoring the ability of the linea alba to transmit load, and training your deep core (transversus abdominis, pelvic floor, diaphragm) to work together.

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing

Start here. Lie on your back, place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Inhale slowly through your nose, letting your belly rise and your ribs expand laterally. Exhale fully through your mouth, feeling your belly gently draw in. Repeat for 5–10 breaths. This resets the pressure system in your trunk before you add any movement.

2. TVA Activation (Belly Draw-In)

In the same position, on your exhale, gently draw your navel toward your spine, not a sucking-in, but a gentle lift and narrowing. Hold for 5–10 seconds while breathing, then release. You're training the transversus abdominis to engage on demand. Do 10 reps.

3. Dead Bug (Modified)

Lie on your back, arms extended toward the ceiling, knees bent at 90 degrees in the air (table-top position). Exhale to engage your core. On the exhale, slowly extend one leg out (keeping it a few inches off the floor) while keeping your low back flat on the mat. Return. Alternate sides. The goal is to keep your back flat and your core connected throughout.

Start with a small range of motion and only progress when you can do it without your lower back lifting or your midline doming.

4. Heel Slides

Lie on your back, knees bent. Engage your core with an exhale. Slowly slide one heel along the floor until your leg is extended. Return. Switch sides. Minimal load, maximum core connection practice.

5. Supported Bridge

Lie on your back, feet flat, hip-width apart. Exhale, engage your core, and slowly lift your hips until you're in a bridge position. Hold for 3–5 seconds, breathing normally. Lower slowly. This trains posterior chain and core stability without loading the midline directly.

6. Clamshells with Resistance Band

Side-lying, knees bent at 45 degrees, a light loop band just above your knees. Keeping your feet together, lift your top knee, like a clamshell opening, then lower with control. This targets the glutes and lateral hips, which stabilise the pelvis and reduce load on your compromised core during everyday movement. Do 15–20 reps each side.

A Sample Postpartum Core Routine (20 Minutes)

This is appropriate for women cleared for exercise postpartum (typically 6–8 weeks for vaginal birth, 10–12 weeks for C-section) who have confirmed or suspected DR. Always check with your healthcare provider first.

Warm-up (3 min): Diaphragmatic breathing, 10 reps. Gentle cat-cow (on hands and knees), 8 reps. Gentle hip circles.

Core sequence (14 min):

TVA activation, 3 sets of 10
Dead bug modified, 3 sets of 8 each side
Heel slides, 2 sets of 10 each side
Supported bridge, 3 sets of 8
Clamshells with band, 2 sets of 15 each side

Cool-down (3 min): Child's pose. Supine figure-four hip stretch. 5 final diaphragmatic breaths.

Aim for 3–4 sessions per week. Progress is measured in weeks, not days. The markers that matter: your gap narrowing (check monthly), less doming during TVA activation, improved ability to complete the sequence without compensating.

When Can You Progress to More?

The criteria for progressing beyond early DR rehabilitation are:

Less than two finger-widths separation, or clear tension across the midline even with separation
No doming or coning during core exercises
No pelvic floor symptoms (leaking, pressure, heaviness)
Ability to complete the routine above with stable breath mechanics throughout

At that point, you can gradually introduce planks (starting from incline), bird-dog, and loaded lower body exercises. Crunches and sit-ups can come back much later, or not at all. They're not necessary for a strong core.

What Equipment Supports This Recovery

You don't need much. What you do need to perform well:

A quality mat, enough grip and cushion to protect your back and hips during floor work. The mats in the RIVI Maternity Kit are 6mm NBR with sufficient grip for the breathing, dead bug, and bridge sequences above.
Resistance bands, light loop bands for clamshells and progressed glute work. The RIVI kit includes three resistance levels, which covers early rehabilitation through to strength phase.

The Maternity Kit is built specifically for this phase: mat, loop bands, long resistance band for mobility work, and a strap. Everything you need for the routine above, nothing you don't.

If you want to go further, the Maternity Kit includes a reform ball and additional equipment to support you as you progress beyond early rehabilitation into strength training.

One More Thing

Recovery from diastasis recti is slower than most postpartum content prepares you for. Progress at 12 weeks can feel invisible. This is normal. The linea alba is connective tissue, it heals on connective tissue timelines, not muscle timelines. Consistency with low-load, high-connection work is what moves the needle.

You're not broken. You're rebuilding from the inside out.