Why Is There Still a Gap in My Abs After Pregnancy?

You're months postpartum — maybe longer. You lie on your back, lift your head, and feel it: a soft gap between the two sides of your abdominal muscles, right down the center. You press your fingers into it and they sink in rather than meeting firm resistance. Something isn't reconnected, and you're not sure if this is normal healing or a problem that needs attention.

This is diastasis recti abdominis — a separation of the rectus abdominis muscles (the "six-pack" muscles) at the midline connective tissue called the linea alba. It's common enough that prevalence estimates in postpartum women range from 30% to as high as 68% depending on the study and when it's measured.[^1] But here's the part that trips a lot of women up: the gap itself may not be the most useful thing to focus on.

Diastasis recti is a widening of the inter-recti distance at the linea alba, extremely common postpartum. Research shows that structured exercise programs do reduce the gap measurably, and that starting early — within the first three months postpartum — produces the best results. However, recent systematic reviews have also found that the average reduction from exercise alone is relatively modest, and that functional recovery — core strength, stability, and the ability to return to activity without symptoms — may be a more meaningful goal than obsessing over whether the gap closes completely.

Here's what the current evidence actually says, including what it doesn't promise.

Why Is There Still a Gap in My Abs After Pregnancy?:

What's Actually Happening Structurally

During pregnancy, the growing uterus stretches the linea alba — the connective tissue running vertically between the two rectus abdominis muscles — to accommodate the baby. This stretching widens the gap between the muscles, sometimes substantially.

After delivery, this tissue needs to recover and regain tension. For many women, it does so partially on its own over the first several weeks and months. For others, significant separation persists, leaving a gap that can be felt (and sometimes seen) during activities that engage the abdominals.

Clinically, an inter-recti distance greater than about 2.5 centimeters — roughly two finger widths — at the level of the belly button is generally considered the threshold for a clinically significant diastasis.[^2] But even that number is somewhat arbitrary, and researchers have noted that inter-recti distance alone doesn't reliably predict who has symptoms and who doesn't.

What Research Shows Exercise Can (and Can't) Do

This is where honesty matters, because the internet is full of programs promising to "close your diastasis" completely, and the evidence is more nuanced than that.

A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that structured exercise programs do produce a statistically significant reduction in inter-recti distance compared to no treatment. However, no significant difference was found between specific types of training — one exercise approach didn't clearly outperform another.[^3]

Importantly, this same review found that while exercise reduces the gap measurably, the anatomical improvement didn't translate into superior functional recovery as measured by disability scores within the observed timeframes.[^3] In other words: the gap gets smaller, but that change alone doesn't automatically mean someone functions better.

A separate review found moderate-certainty evidence that abdominal exercise leads to a mean reduction in inter-recti distance of roughly 0.4 cm — statistically significant, but relative to a starting diastasis of over 2.2 cm, unlikely to be clinically dramatic on its own.[^4]

What does matter more than gap measurement alone: the ability of the linea alba to generate tension during movement, overall core strength and endurance, and whether symptoms (back pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, visible bulging during exertion) are present and improving.

Why Timing Matters Significantly

One finding from the research that is more clear-cut: starting early produces better results. The meta-analysis found that exercise initiated in the immediate postpartum period — within the first three months — showed substantially greater inter-recti distance reduction than later intervention.[^3]

This doesn't mean it's "too late" if you're further out from delivery. But it does mean that women who receive guidance and begin appropriate exercise early in the postpartum period tend to see better structural and functional outcomes than those who wait months or years before addressing it.

What About Curl-Ups and Sit-Ups? Are They Safe?

This is a genuinely important question because a lot of postpartum advice specifically warns against curl-ups and sit-ups, suggesting they'll worsen the separation. The research tells a more nuanced story.

A randomized controlled trial examining curl-up exercises in women with postpartum diastasis recti found that curl-ups improved abdominal muscle strength without worsening inter-recti distance.[^5] This doesn't mean aggressive sit-ups are the first exercise to start with — but it does challenge the blanket prohibition against any rectus abdominis loading that persists in a lot of popular postpartum fitness advice.

The more accurate guidance: exercise selection should be based on individual assessment of what's happening with your specific diastasis, not on generic rules about which exercises are universally "safe" or "unsafe."

What Assessment Actually Reveals

Evaluation goes beyond just measuring how many fingers fit in the gap — though that's part of it. We assess the quality and tension of the linea alba itself (a wide gap with firm connective tissue behaves very differently than a wide gap with no tension), overall core muscle function and coordination, whether the pelvic floor is involved (diastasis recti and pelvic floor dysfunction frequently coexist), and what specific activities or movements provoke symptoms like bulging, pressure, or pain.

This information determines whether treatment should focus on improving linea alba tension, rebuilding general core strength, addressing pelvic floor contributions, or some combination — which is almost always more useful than a one-size-fits-all "diastasis recti program."

What Treatment Actually Involves

Treatment typically includes progressive core strengthening that starts with deep stabilizers (transverse abdominis, pelvic floor coordination, diaphragmatic breathing) and gradually incorporates more superficial muscles as capacity allows. Research supports a comprehensive approach including both deep and superficial muscles, pelvic floor activation, respiratory coordination, and functional exercises.[^6]

For some women, particularly those further postpartum or with more significant diastasis, combining exercise with additional modalities has shown promising results in some newer research — though this is still an evolving area of evidence.[^7]

The overall goal, more than simply closing a gap, is restoring your core's ability to do its job: stabilize your spine, manage intra-abdominal pressure, and support you through whatever activity you want to get back to — whether that's lifting your toddler, returning to running, or getting back to the gym.

Who You'll Work With

All of our clinics have PT's who can treat diastasis recti, especially our pelvic floor therapists. Our new Goodlettsville clinic includes Megan Donovan, PT, DPT, who focuses on female pelvic floor care alongside orthopedic treatment. Since diastasis recti and pelvic floor function are so closely connected — and both respond best when addressed together rather than separately — she's a particularly good fit for this kind of comprehensive postpartum assessment.

When It's Worth Getting This Assessed

Worth scheduling an evaluation if: you can feel a gap between your abdominal muscles that hasn't resolved on its own, you're experiencing visible bulging or "doming" during core-demanding activities, you have back pain or pelvic floor symptoms alongside the separation, or you want individualized guidance on exercise rather than following a generic program.

Common Questions About Postpartum Diastasis Recti

Will the gap close completely with exercise?

Research shows exercise reduces the gap measurably, but complete closure isn't guaranteed for everyone. Functional recovery — how your core actually performs — is often a more meaningful goal than a specific gap measurement.

Is it too late to address this if I'm years postpartum?

No — women further out from delivery can still see meaningful improvement. The evidence does suggest earlier intervention produces better structural results, but "too late" isn't a real cutoff.

Are sit-ups and curl-ups actually dangerous with diastasis recti?

Research has found that curl-ups can improve abdominal strength without worsening the gap, challenging the blanket prohibition. That said, exercise selection should be individualized based on assessment, not based on generic rules.

Does this affect my pelvic floor too?

Frequently yes — diastasis recti and pelvic floor dysfunction often coexist, which is part of why comprehensive assessment that looks at both is typically more effective than addressing either in isolation.

How do I know if what I'm doing at home is actually helping?

Assessment provides a baseline measurement and functional evaluation that allows progress to be tracked objectively rather than relying on how the gap "feels" to your own fingers, which is less reliable than clinical measurement.

Is wearing a belly wrap or binder helpful?

It can provide some external support in the early postpartum period, but evidence for long-term benefit from binding alone is limited — it's generally most useful as a short-term comfort measure alongside active exercise.

Does breastfeeding affect recovery?

Hormonal factors during breastfeeding may influence connective tissue elasticity, but this isn't generally considered a reason to delay treatment — the benefits of early exercise likely outweigh waiting for breastfeeding to end.

Will I need surgery for this?

The large majority of diastasis recti cases respond to conservative treatment. Surgery is generally reserved for significant, symptomatic cases that haven't improved after a genuine trial of appropriate exercise-based rehabilitation.

Why Is There Still a Gap in My Abs After Pregnancy?: Bottom Line

Diastasis recti is common, and exercise does help — but the evidence is honest about what it can and can't promise. The gap typically reduces with consistent, appropriate training, especially when started early postpartum, though complete closure isn't guaranteed. What matters more than gap measurement alone is how your core actually functions: whether you can stabilize, lift, move, and return to the activities you care about without symptoms.

Wondering whether that gap needs attention?

Schedule a Pelvic Floor Evaluation at Nashville Physical Therapy & Performance. You'll get completely 1:1 care with your therapist for the entire visit — no aides, no split attention. We'll assess your diastasis, your core function, and your pelvic floor together and build a plan based on what you specifically need. Available at East Nashville, West Nashville/The Nations, Brentwood, and our new Goodlettsville location, opening October 5 with both orthopedic and pelvic floor services. Call 615-428-9213 or book online at nashvillept.com.

References

[^1]: Diastasis Recti Abdominis Rehabilitation in the Postpartum Period: A Scoping Review of Current Clinical Practice. International Urogynecology Journal. 2024.

[^2]: Impact of Exercise on Diastasis Rectus Abdominus. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04049487.

[^3]: Non operative management of postpartum Diastasis Recti: a systematic review and metanalysis of randomized controlled trials. Hernia. 2026.

[^4]: Conservative interventions may have little effect on reducing diastasis of the rectus abdominis in postnatal women. Journal of Physiotherapy. 2023.

[^5]: Gluppe SB, Ellstrom Engh M, Bo K. Curl-up exercises improve abdominal muscle strength without worsening inter-recti distance in women with diastasis recti abdominis postpartum: a randomised controlled trial. 2023.

[^6]: Diastasis Recti Abdominis Rehabilitation in the Postpartum Period: A Scoping Review of Current Clinical Practice. International Urogynecology Journal. 2024.

[^7]: Physiotherapy with kinesiotherapy and physical agents to reduce postpartum diastasis recti: a randomised trial. PubMed. 2026.