If your belly still looks a little pregnant months after birth, or you notice a soft ridge running down your middle when you sit up, you are not alone — and you are almost certainly not doing anything wrong. What you may be experiencing is diastasis recti, and the good news is that it responds beautifully to the right, patient work.

What diastasis recti actually is

During pregnancy, the two bands of your abdominal muscles separate along the midline to make room for your growing baby — a normal, clever adaptation. For many women the gap narrows on its own; for others it lingers, leaving the core feeling weak, the lower back achy, and the tummy stubbornly domed. This is diastasis recti, often nicknamed the tummy gap or mummy tummy.

How to check for it at home

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Place your fingers just above your belly button and gently lift your head and shoulders. If you feel a gap of two fingers or more, or a soft doming pushing up through your fingers, that is a sign of separation. It is a useful indicator — though a proper assessment with a specialist gives you far more to work with.

The do's and don'ts of healing

Avoid the instinct to blast your abs. Traditional sit-ups, crunches and planks too soon can widen the gap and deepen the doming. Instead, healing begins from the inside out: reconnecting your breath, your deep core and your pelvic floor, then layering on gentle, progressive strength that teaches your midline to knit back together and hold under load.

Progress that lasts

With consistent, well-designed training, most women see real improvement — a flatter, stronger, more functional middle, less back pain and a core they can trust again. It rarely happens overnight, but it does happen, and it is worth every session.

Specialist core recovery in Clapham, Battersea and Chelsea

I assess each client's diastasis recti in person and build a safe, progressive programme around it, working with mums across Clapham, Battersea and Chelsea at home or online. If you are unsure where to start, this is exactly what a specialist is for.