Can Pilates help diastasis recti?

What diastasis recti is

It's common for the two muscles that run down the middle of your stomach to separate during pregnancy, usually by about two finger widths, as your growing womb pushes them apart. It's called diastasis recti, or divarication. The NHS says the gap will usually go back to normal by the time your baby is 8 weeks old.

How to check the gap

The NHS suggests this check after the birth, done regularly to see that the gap is getting smaller:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift your shoulders slightly off the floor and look down at your tummy.
3. With your fingertips, feel between the edges of the muscles above and below your belly button, and count how many fingers fit in the gap.

What helps, and what to avoid at first

• Regular pelvic floor and deep stomach muscle exercises, which the NHS says can help reduce the gap.
• Standing tall and paying attention to your posture.
• Leaving sit-ups, planks and high-impact exercise until later, and avoiding straining on the toilet and heavy lifting.

Where Pilates fits

Postnatal Pilates starts where the NHS does: breathing, the pelvic floor and the deep stomach muscles, before anything harder. From there I add strength for your back, hips and upper body, and leave sit-ups, planks and high-impact work until you're ready for them.

Pilates supports your recovery. It doesn't replace medical care.

When to see your GP

If the gap is still obvious 8 weeks after the birth, contact your GP. The NHS says you may be at risk of back problems, and some women have tummy pain or discomfort. The GP can refer you to a physiotherapist for specific exercises, and our sessions can then support the plan they give you.

How sessions with me work

Before your first session you complete a postnatal health questionnaire. Each session is 60 minutes, one-to-one, in my private studio room in South Kensington or, for women, at home, and works alongside any advice from your GP or physiotherapist.