Seeing Diastasis Recti: Pictures and Insights for Recovery

Welcome to the postpregnancy body. If you are wondering, why do I still look pregnant? My body doesn’t feel good the way it used too. Will I always be so…. squishy? Then this post is for you.

Diastasis Recti is a common condition where the muscles that make up the six pack, your rectus abdominis muscles, separate. It is more common than you might think. At 12 months postpartum, 33% of women still experience DRA (Diastasis Recti Abdominis). This very healable condition is a reason many women lack comfort, stability and confidence in their postpartum body.

As a visual learner myself, pictures have always meant more to me than words. Which is why I put together this visual guide, full of pictures of diastasis recti, to help you understand what it is, how it affects you and give you some idea for beginning your healing journey,

In most cases, that healing journey begins by working with a pregnancy and postpartum focused physical therapist, or through a tailed postpartum program like Every Mother (or both!) But, let’s get you a solid idea of what Diastasis Recti is, so you don’t have to wait for that first appointment to learn more.

If you want a deeper understanding of diastasis recti symptoms and how they affect your life, take a look at this post to find out more.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. I participate in the Amazon associates program . I am an independent Bodi coach and work with other brands I love.

Diastasis Recti Tummy Pictures – This Is What DR Looks Like

Are you wondering what diastasis recti is, with pictures? I know, some things are easier to see. These diastasis recti belly pictures show you exactly what this common condition looks like. Do you see yourself in here?

Diastasis Recti Can Look Like Your Belly Doming In

If you have a gap between your abs when you lay down, and your skin seems to sink down into your body, that is a sign of diastasis recti. This often looks like a sunken in vertical line between your abdominal muscles.

Diastasis recti is generally considered to be present if there is a separation of more than 2 cm (about one finger-width) between the rectus abdominis muscles along the midline of the abdomen. Here’s how it typically breaks down:

• 1-2 cm: This is often considered mild separation. While it may not be a serious concern, it could still contribute to some weakness in the abdominal wall.
• 2-3 cm: This is a moderate separation and can be more noticeable, especially when engaging the core or during certain activities.
• Greater than 3 cm: A separation of 3 cm or more is considered severe diastasis recti and may require more focused intervention to heal the muscles and restore abdominal strength.

You can assess the separation by lying on your back with your knees bent, gently lifting your head, and feeling for a gap between the muscles along the midline. If the gap is greater than 2 cm, it is usually a sign of diastasis recti, and it’s recommended to consult with a physical therapist for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Diastasis Recti Can Look Like Your Belly Coning Out

One sign to identify Diastasis Recti is to take note of your body when you are lying down, versus sitting or standing up. If you feel like your stomach is flat(ish) lying, but when you stand, it almost hangs off of your body, making you look round and loose, you may have diastasis recti.

Here is what this looks like on a person:

Though this person is actually quite thin, her stomach domes, or cones out. Giving it a round, loose look. Almost like it is hanging off of her body.

This diastasis recti picture shows you what people mean when they say the diastasis belly cones out.

This is often even more apparent if a person is doing a core or abdominal exercise. The ab muscles are separated and not really strong enough (yet) to hold the body in it’s usual and proper way.

Often, if you have diastasis, your belly will look like both of these pictures depending on how you are standing or sitting.

Diastasis Recti Is Not An Overhang

Sometimes it is helpful to understand what something is by also understanding what it is not.

This beautiful body is showing an overhang, not a diastasis recti separation. While an overhang might not always be caused by Diastasis Recti, the DRA can exacerbate the appearance of an overhang, especially if there is significant abdominal muscle weakness or if a person has gained weight during pregnancy and the skin hasn’t fully contracted after delivery.

While diastasis recti and an overhang can coexist, they are distinct issues. Diastasis recti involves muscle separation, while an overhang is typically related to excess skin or fat.

If both conditions are present a physical therapist can help develop a plan that targets the muscle separation while also addressing the concerns of loose skin or abdominal fat.

Diastasis Recti Is Not Just Being Postpartum

After having a baby, it takes weeks and months to get back to where you were before. You can follow our postpartum recovery guide to learn more. One thing I wish all moms knew was that it takes a full 6 weeks after giving birth just for the uterus to shrink back to its original size.

While many moms wish to snap back after having a baby, I would encourage moms to cherish this moment in an unfamiliar, new, and equally beautiful body. Spend time in gratitude for the life if built and birthed. Nourish it with foods and soft, healing movement. Listen to it’s new needs, and try to understand what they are.

Still looking a bit pregnant days, weeks or several months after giving birth is something to be expected and nothing to worry about.

What Do We Learn From These Diastasis Recti Pictures?

Every woman is different and her diastasis can appear different. That is because the way your abs separate can be different. But, the good news is that all of these can be healed, and usually can be healed with simple exercises.

In fact, there are several very good diastasis recti exercise programs that are specifically designed to help you heal your mommy tummy. I spent several months trying out different programs after having my last baby and have a comparison of the best ones here.

Using The Every Mother System For Your Own Diastasis Recti Success Story

I would love to sit here and share photo after photo of diastasis recti success stories, but someone has already done that so much better than I can. If you are wondering if diastasis can be healed through gentle movement and exercise, then I’d encourage you to check out these Every Mother Success Stories.

Every Mother is an app where you can create a customized healing program for your own diastasis recti. You can use it on it’s own or in conjunction with physical therapy.

You will start by:

• Answering a quiz about your symptoms, goals and stage of life.
• From which, a daily customized workout program will be created for you.
• You will have access to expert knowledge and evidence-based education around healing
• You can even connect with inhouse Physical Therapists to help if you get stuck.

I know that it takes a lot of faith to move forward with healing your body. But is is possible. You can heal your diastasis even years later.

These moms have done it, or are on their way to doing it, and so can you.

If you are like me, you might want to know what challenges you might face as you are healing. That way you don’t feel disappointed or let down if it takes longer than you expect. I shared some of my own personal challenges with healing my ab separation here. I hope it helps you prepare and commit to your own path to healing. If I can do it, so can you!

Does Your Belly Look Like These Diastasis Recti Pictures?

Why am I so confident that your Diastasis can heal? Simple. When you treat diastasis, you are treating the root cause of why your body looks different than it did before. Pair this with a little nutrition, some good sleep and self care and you are well on your way to transforming your body. Both in how it looks, and how it feels to live in.

If your belly looks like these diastasis recti pictures, you need to know that it is NEVER too late to start healing. If you work through the Every Mother Program, or with a physical therapist, you can expect to see and feel changes right away. Give it 8-12 weeks of support and you will likely feel completely different!

The body is designed for growth, change, healing and adaptation. It is constantly working to restore balance and respond to both internal and external challenges. Regaining proper posture, fixing the flat feet stance, boosting core muscles—you can work on all of this and much more through the Every Mother System, so you can be sure you’re tackling the problem at the center.

Take a few measured steps towards recovery. It is only logical that you will find your full and complete diastasis recti healing.