Diastasis Recti After Pregnancy: Ab Separation, Exercises and Postpartum Recovery in Glasgow
Have you looked down at your stomach after having a baby and wondered why it still looks rounded, or noticed a ridge appearing along the middle when you sit up? Maybe somebody has mentioned an ‘ab gap’, or you've found yourself searching for diastasis recti after pregnancy and wondering whether you should be doing something about it.
First, your stomach does not need to look a particular way to prove you've recovered from pregnancy. And an abdominal separation does not automatically mean anything is wrong. But if you're noticing a change, struggling with certain movements or simply want to understand what has happened to your body, you deserve a useful answer rather than another list of exercises you're told never to do.
I'm Jenny, founder of Nest, Glasgow's Family Wellness Centre in Bridgeton. I've spent years supporting women through pregnancy and the postpartum years, and I think diastasis recti is one of those subjects that gets made unnecessarily frightening. Here's what it actually means, what to look out for, and how we approach postpartum core recovery and returning to exercise at Nest.
What is diastasis recti after pregnancy?
Diastasis recti, also called abdominal separation or diastasis recti abdominis, is a widening of the space between the two sides of your rectus abdominis muscles. These are the long muscles running down the front of your abdomen, sometimes called your six-pack muscles. The connective tissue between them, the linea alba, stretches as your abdomen grows during pregnancy.
It's important to understand that this isn't the abdominal muscles tearing apart. Your body has adapted to make room for your growing baby. Some degree of widening during pregnancy is expected, and the distance often changes naturally after birth. How that area functions can matter more than a number measured in finger-widths.
You might hear the terms DRA, DRAM or simply ‘ab separation’. They refer to the same general issue. Whatever name you've found online, the useful questions are how your abdomen is functioning, whether you have symptoms and what kind of support would help you return to the things you want to do.
How do I know if I have diastasis recti?
Some women notice a soft gap or dip along the centre of their stomach. Others see a raised ridge, sometimes called doming or coning, when they sit up from lying down or do certain exercises. You might notice your tummy looks different around the belly button, or you may have no visible signs at all.
A rounded postpartum stomach on its own is not a diagnosis. Skin, fat distribution, abdominal tissues and the many changes of pregnancy all contribute to how your belly looks after birth. Equally, a visible gap doesn't automatically tell us how strong or capable you are.
If you're concerned, a pelvic health physiotherapist can assess your abdominal wall and how it responds to movement. An informed postnatal movement teacher can help you with exercise choices within their scope, but a class teacher shouldn't diagnose you by looking at your stomach.
Can I check my abdominal separation at home?
You may have seen instructions online for lying on your back, bending your knees, gently raising your head and feeling along the middle of your stomach for a gap. That kind of finger-width check can give you a rough sense of what you feel, but it isn't a reliable clinical measurement and can't tell you whether you need treatment.
More importantly, I don't want you feeling that you need to spend your postpartum months repeatedly checking whether your gap has closed. A small change in the distance between the muscles doesn't necessarily tell the whole story about abdominal function, strength or comfort.
If you have pain, a new or unusual bulge, leaking, pelvic heaviness, or concerns about recovery after a Caesarean, speak to your GP or a pelvic health physiotherapist rather than trying to work it all out from a self-check. A firm, painful or non-reducing bulge deserves prompt medical assessment.
Is diastasis recti normal after having a baby?
Abdominal separation is very common during and after pregnancy. Exactly how common depends on when women are assessed and how researchers define and measure the separation, which is one reason you'll see different statistics quoted online.
What matters is that having a gap is not automatically a problem, and there isn't a universal deadline by which every woman's abdominal wall must return to a particular measurement. Some separation can remain long after birth without necessarily stopping someone from living an active life.
I think this is particularly important because many mums are already under enormous pressure to ‘get their body back’. Your abdominal wall doesn't need to look exactly as it did before pregnancy for you to be strong, capable and well.
Does diastasis recti cause back pain, leaking or pelvic floor problems?
You may read online that abdominal separation causes back pain, pelvic floor symptoms or poor posture. The relationships are much less straightforward than those headlines suggest. Someone can have a noticeable gap and no symptoms, while another woman may have pain or pelvic health concerns without a significant separation.
Your abdominal wall works as part of a bigger system alongside your pelvic floor, diaphragm and the rest of your body. That's why, when I'm working with a woman returning to exercise, I'm interested in far more than the width of her ab gap.
Do you have pelvic heaviness? Are you leaking when you cough or exercise? Is there pain? Can you lift, move and breathe comfortably under increasing effort? These are useful questions, and symptoms such as leaking or pressure deserve their own assessment rather than automatically being blamed on diastasis recti.
What exercises help with diastasis recti after birth?
For most women, rebuilding strength gradually is more useful than spending months trying to make one measurement smaller. Research suggests that abdominal exercise training can help reduce the distance between the muscles in some circumstances, but there isn't one magical routine that works for everybody.
A thoughtful return to movement often begins with breathing, learning how your abdominal wall and pelvic floor respond to effort, and building confidence with manageable exercises. From there, you can progress into whole-body strengthening and the activities you actually enjoy. The exact starting point depends on your birth, recovery, symptoms, experience and goals.
At Nest, this is how we think about postpartum exercise. It's not about endless tiny movements or promising to ‘fix your mummy tummy’. It's about helping you feel stronger and more confident in your body, and building the capacity to return to Pilates, lifting weights, running or whatever movement matters to you.
Can I do sit-ups, planks and weight training with diastasis recti?
One of the most unhelpful things women are told is that a diastasis means they must never do sit-ups, planks, squats or lift anything heavy again. There isn't a single list of permanently banned exercises that applies to every woman with abdominal separation.
That doesn't mean every exercise is appropriate on day one. You might need to change the range of movement, the load, the amount of effort or how you breathe. If an exercise repeatedly causes pain, troublesome bulging or pelvic floor symptoms, that is information to work with rather than a challenge to push through.
Sometimes a movement that feels too demanding right now becomes completely manageable as your strength and coordination develop. I would much rather help women progress towards something than teach them to fear their bodies.
What does doming or coning during exercise mean?
Doming or coning describes a ridge that appears along the middle of your abdomen during a movement, often when you get up from the floor, lift something or do abdominal work. It can be useful feedback about what is happening at your midline under effort.
But it isn't automatically a sign that you've damaged yourself. Its meaning depends on the movement, how pronounced it is, how you feel, whether you have other symptoms and how your abdominal wall responds when you change the exercise.
If you notice persistent or uncomfortable doming, or you're unsure whether it is safe to progress, get individual advice from a suitably qualified pelvic health professional. The answer is usually more nuanced than ‘never do that exercise again’.
How long does diastasis recti take to heal after pregnancy?
This is probably the question everyone wants a clear deadline for. Unfortunately, there isn't a reliable number of weeks that applies to everybody. Recovery depends on many factors, and the width of the gap isn't the only outcome worth tracking.
Your six-week postnatal check is one point along the way, not a finish line. Some women want to return to higher-impact exercise, while others are simply trying to get through a day of lifting and carrying their baby without discomfort. Both deserve an appropriate plan.
I talk about the postpartum years because it's worth remembering that your recovery, physical confidence and relationship with movement can continue to change long after your baby is six weeks old.
When should I see a pelvic health physiotherapist for an ab gap?
If you're worried about your abdominal separation, experiencing persistent pain, having trouble with movement or noticing symptoms such as leaking or pelvic heaviness, a pelvic health physiotherapist can assess what is happening and guide you. A GP can also help with symptoms and advise about NHS referral options.
A useful assessment looks beyond how many fingers fit into a gap. It considers the abdominal wall, symptoms, movement, strength and what you want to return to doing. If a bulge is painful, unusually firm, cannot be pushed back or is associated with vomiting or feeling unwell, seek urgent medical advice because not every abdominal bulge is diastasis recti.
If you're in Glasgow, speak to your GP about local pelvic health physiotherapy services, or look for a suitably qualified private pelvic health physiotherapist. NHS Inform is also a good place to find Scottish guidance about pelvic health.
Where can I find postpartum core recovery and Pilates classes in Glasgow?
Nest is our Family Wellness Centre at 117 Brook Street in Bridgeton, Glasgow, and supporting women through postpartum recovery is a huge part of why I created it. I wanted mums to have somewhere that understood the physical changes of pregnancy and birth, without treating them as fragile or expecting them to bounce back by six weeks.
Our postpartum movement pathway is designed to help you build up gradually. Post Partum Exercise Foundations focuses on reconnecting with movement and understanding core and pelvic floor function. From there, classes such as Balance, baby-friendly Pilates and Strong offer opportunities to build strength, coordination and confidence at an appropriate level. We also have Buggy Fitness on Glasgow Green for women who enjoy getting outside.
The important bit is that babies are welcome at many of these sessions. You can come to work on your own physical wellbeing without needing to arrange childcare every time you want to exercise. And beyond movement, Nest offers The Village postpartum support group, baby classes and a community of people navigating the same stage of life.
A Nest class isn't a substitute for a pelvic health diagnosis or one-to-one physiotherapy, particularly if you're having symptoms. But it can be part of a considered return to exercise, alongside appropriate clinical support.
Can I start postpartum exercise at Nest if I'm worried about my diastasis?
You don't have to arrive knowing exactly what's happening with your abdominal wall or already feeling fit. In fact, that's one of the reasons we offer different kinds of classes. If you're unsure where to start, get in touch and tell us a little about your recovery and what you hope to do.
If you're dealing with pain, pelvic heaviness, leaking or a concerning bulge, start with an assessment from your GP or pelvic health physiotherapist. If you're ready for group movement, we can help you choose an appropriate starting point based on your experience and needs.
We're based in Bridgeton, just outside Glasgow's Low Emission Zone, with free on-street parking available. Our flexible timetable means you can choose sessions that work around the unpredictable reality of life with a baby.
Your abdominal gap is not the measure of your recovery
I want women to stop feeling that their postpartum bodies need to pass some kind of visual test before they're allowed to feel strong. Diastasis recti is worth understanding, and symptoms are worth assessing, but you don't have to spend the next year monitoring your stomach every time you sit up.
If you're looking for postnatal Pilates, postpartum exercise or core and pelvic floor recovery classes in Glasgow, explore what's on at Nest. We can help you work towards movement that feels good and builds your confidence, while working alongside pelvic health professionals where that extra support is needed.
The goal isn't simply to close a gap. It's to give you the tools, strength and confidence to get on with your life.
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