What is diastasis recti?
During pregnancy, the linea alba, the central seam of the abdomen, thins out in order to accommodate the growing uterus, says physical therapist Patricia Ladis PT, CBBA, co-author of
The Wise Woman s Guide to Your Healthiest Pregnancy and Birth. In some cases, it doesn t resolve after pregnancy, Ladis tells
Health. You can feel a bulge, doming, or may see a gap between your right and left abdominal wall muscles.
While 100% of pregnant women experience this stretching, and most of them find that it resolves without intervention (sometimes as early as 12 weeks postpartum), about 30% of women have a diastasis problem after pregnancy, Ladis says.