If you are ready to take the next step in your Diastasis Recti recovery, this blog will guide you through how to strengthen your core and regain function without surgery. Recovery is not just about exercises or losing weight; it involves breathing, pelvic floor work, posture, and understanding how your whole body moves.

With the right approach, most women can see improvement and feel confident returning to everyday activities and exercise.

Postpartum woman doing core rehabilitation exercises to improve abdominal strength

Breathing and Core Pressure

During pregnancy, your diaphragm moves higher and your ribs shift to accommodate your growing baby. This can change how you breathe and how your core muscles engage.

In rehabilitation, learning to breathe correctly is key. Focus on:

  • Expanding your ribs wide instead of forcing your belly out
  • Letting your diaphragm move fully
  • Coordinating your breath with movement

This type of breathing helps the core and pelvic floor work together, creating stability and support for your spine and pelvis.

Breathing technique for core and pelvic floor coordination during Diastasis Recti recovery

Coordinating Your Muscles

Your diaphragm at the top of your abdomen and your pelvic floor at the bottom need to work in harmony. When you exhale, gently lift your pelvic floor while your diaphragm rises. This coordination helps you manage abdominal pressure and move safely.

By retraining these muscles to work together, you restore the foundation for your core strength and improve function in everyday activities.

Pelvic Floor Health

The pelvic floor can be affected by pregnancy and childbirth. It may be weak, tight, or even injured. For recovery, your pelvic floor should be able to:

  • Lift and contract with control
  • Relax fully
  • Work in coordination with your breathing

This is an important part of Diastasis Recti treatment, because a well-functioning pelvic floor supports your core and protects your back.

Exercise Technique Matters

Doing the right exercises with correct form is crucial. While exercising:

  • Keep your rib cage stacked over your pelvis
  • Avoid arching your lower back or flaring your ribs
  • Keep your neck aligned with your spine
  • Move your shoulders back and down

You should also coordinate your breathing and pelvic floor engagement with the hardest part of the exercise. For example, when lifting weights overhead, exhale and gently engage your pelvic floor to protect your core.

Visceral (Organ) Movement

Sometimes, tightness or restrictions in your internal organs and connective tissue can pull on your abdominal wall and affect recovery. A skilled practitioner can assess and address these areas to help your muscles work better.

Recovery Timeline and Support

Healing Diastasis Recti takes time and patience. Most women notice significant improvement within three to nine months. Alongside exercises, supporting your recovery includes:

  • Staying hydrated
  • Eating a balanced diet
  • Maintaining healthy bowel habits
  • Addressing any scar tissue from a C-section

It is important to be consistent and patient, and avoid considering surgery too early, before your body has had a chance to recover functionally.

When Surgery Might Be Considered

Surgery is usually only considered if:

  • You cannot generate core strength after dedicated rehabilitation
  • Pressure management is still compromised
  • Cosmetic concerns remain after functional recovery

Even if surgery is needed, it should come after a full course of rehabilitation and recovery.

Laura Barrett

TMP Collaborator

Laura began her career in women’s health physiotherapy in 2004 after graduating with a first-class honours degree in physiotherapy from King’s College, London. Having initially gained valuable experience working in a large teaching hospital in London, Laura entered the private health sector in the UK in 2008 before moving to Dubai in 2010. 
From 2010 to 2017, Laura held multiple roles at polyclinics in Dubai, including Head of Women’s Health Physiotherapy & Clinical Pilates. Laura then returned to the UK, where she founded a successful Women’s Health Physiotherapy and Pilates business in Surrey and Oxfordshire before deciding to return to Dubai in 2021 with her husband and two young sons.
Having always practised within women’s health physiotherapy, Laura gained additional certification as a Mummy MOT® Practitioner and continues to ensure that pre-natal women are fit and healthy when entering this exciting phase of their lives and that post-natal women are supported in their recovery from pregnancy, through childbirth and into ‘mummy hood’, returning to work and exercise and having the confidence and ability to pursue previous or new hobbies.
Laura has also trained as a Restore Scar Therapy Practitioner offering scar therapy to all in Dubai including women following a c-section birth, mastectomies or gyneacological surgery.

FAQ

1.  What is the best treatment for Diastasis Recti?
2. Can Diastasis Recti be healed without surgery?
3.  How long does Diastasis Recti recovery take?
4. Are Diastasis Recti exercises safe for everyone?
5. What role does the pelvic floor play in recovery?

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