You lie back, lift your head, and a soft ridge pushes up along the middle of your belly. After pregnancy, this is one of the most common things new mothers notice, and it is usually followed by a lot of conflicting advice about what to do and what to avoid.
Diastasis recti is a widening of the gap between the abdominal muscles caused by pregnancy stretching the midline. Many women see it narrow over the first months, but a weak core can persist. Physiotherapy focuses on breathing, deep core activation and progressive strengthening, because how well your core controls load matters more than the gap width. Surgery is only for severe cases.
What Diastasis Recti Is
During pregnancy, the connective tissue running down the midline of the abdomen, the linea alba, stretches to make room for the baby, and the two sides of the rectus abdominis move apart. This is a normal response, and some separation is expected in late pregnancy.
For many women the gap narrows naturally over the first weeks and months. It matters when a ridge or doming persists, the belly feels unsupported, or you have back pain, pelvic heaviness or leaks.
The width of the gap tells you less than how well your core handles load. Function is what we retrain.
Why Function Matters More Than the Gap
Two women with the same gap can have very different core control. What predicts how you feel is whether the deep abdominals, diaphragm and pelvic floor work together to manage pressure, which is why assessment also considers pelvic floor function and your lower back, as in our back pain guide.
Gap width alone should not decide whether you exercise or how.
What Physiotherapy Involves
Treatment starts with breathing and gentle deep core activation, then adds progressive strengthening of the core, glutes and legs. Supervised clinical pilates is well suited because load can be adjusted precisely as control improves. Exercises that make the belly dome early on are modified rather than forced, and running and heavy lifting return in stages.
Timing depends on your delivery and recovery, so start when you feel ready and get an assessment if you are unsure.
When Surgery Is Considered
Surgery to repair the midline is considered only for severe cases with a hernia or symptoms that have not responded to a proper rehabilitation programme.
Book a Postnatal Core Assessment at Sevens Physiotherapy
At Sevens Physiotherapy in HSR Layout, Bangalore, we assess your core function, explain what is normal and build a graded plan for returning to the activities you care about. Book at hello@sevensphysiotherapy.com or call +91 99009 01958.
