Practice these exercises
Pelvic floor muscle exercises
several times each day:
 Flatten or “hollow” your abdomen
as you breathe out. Relax.
Do this 3-5 times, 3 sessions per
day. Try this exercise in sitting,
standing, lying on your side and
lying on your back with your knees
bent.
 Now tighten your abdomen as
above but this time continue to
breathe while keeping the stomach
muscles firm for 2-3 breaths. Relax.

(Kegels); pull up and tighten
inside as if to stop yourself from Diastasis
passing urine or gas.
 Pelvic tilt exercise, ensuring no
Recti
abdominal bulging occurs
Abdominus
(Abdominal Muscle Gap)
Avoid fatigue, breathe holding
and bulging at all times.
For more information please contact:
BC Women’s Hospital
Physiotherapy Department
* Phone: 604-875-2126 *
© 2009 Physiotherapy
BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre Department
Reviewed 2009 with no changes 4500 Oak Street
Vancouver, B.C.
V6H 3N1
BCW419
What is Diastasis Recti Do I have it? How do I correct it?
Abdominus (DRA)? If you find a gap or bulging
To check yourself: between your muscles, you should
avoid straining your abdominal
The rectus abdominus is a muscle that
Lie on your back with your knees bent muscles:
runs from your breast bone to your
and feet flat
pubic bone. It is made up of two long
 avoid holding your breath and
bands of muscle (recti) that are joined
 place your fingers just above your pushing your abdomen out when
in the middle by connective tissue.
belly button lifting (in other words, continue to
breathe)
During pregnancy, as the baby grows
 lift your head and shoulders off
and needs more space, the central
the bed and feel the cord-like  avoid lifting anything heavier than
tissue softens and becomes stretched.
edges of the muscles on either side your baby
This causes a gap between the muscle
bands. More widening can occur
 If the distance between the cords  avoid sit-ups or abdominal
during labour and delivery.
is more than two finger-widths, crunches
you will need to do special
After delivery the rectus abdominus
exercises to help reduce the gap  avoid exercises that involve
usually returns to normal. Some wide
bending, side-bending or twisting
gaps may take longer to heal and new
 you will need to learn ways to
mothers should take extra care when
decrease strain on your Instead you should:
using these muscles.
stomach muscles
 draw in your abdomen and roll
 Sometimes you may see a bulge onto your side like a log, before
in the middle between the muscles getting out of bed
when checking yourself or when
you get up from bed, rise from  draw in your abdomen and bend
sitting or when lifting your baby. your hips and knees when picking
This bulging means there is a gap, up anything from the floor
even if the gap on testing is less
than two finger-widths.  draw in your abdomen each time
you lift your baby
* consult the physiotherapist
if you are not sure  continue to breathe normally when
doing any of the above