How Long Does Diastasis Recti Take to Heal?

If you keep checking your stomach and wondering whether you should be “farther along” by now, you are not alone. This is one of the most common questions women ask after pregnancy.

And honestly, the internet can make it more confusing. One article says six weeks. Another says six months. Another makes it sound like you missed your chance if you are a year postpartum.

That is not how real recovery works.

Your abdominal wall does not heal on a stopwatch. It usually changes little by little as your body adapts after pregnancy, you rebuild strength, and you gradually return to everyday movement and exercise.

The most important thing to remember “Healed” does not always mean the gap fully disappears. Many women make meaningful progress in strength, control, symptoms, and confidence even when some separation remains.

What does the timeline usually look like?

Here is the simple version: diastasis recti often improves gradually, not all at once.

For many women, the first few postpartum months bring natural change as swelling settles, tissues adapt, and everyday movement feels a little easier. But that does not mean recovery is finished by then. Strength, tension, control, and pressure management can keep improving for much longer.

That is why it helps to think about recovery in stages instead of asking for one final deadline.

0–6W

Very early healing

Your body is still recovering from pregnancy and birth. This is not the time to judge your “end result.”

6W–3M

Reconnect

Walking, breathing, and gentle core coordination often become more manageable as recovery progresses.

3–12M

Build strength

This is a big window for improving control, load tolerance, and day-to-day movement confidence.

12M+

Still trainable

You are not out of time. Improvement can still happen well beyond the first year postpartum.

What the research suggests: A well-known prospective study found diastasis recti in about 60% of participants at 6 weeks postpartum, 45.4% at 6 months, and 32.6% at 12 months. That does not mean everyone should be fully “healed” by 12 months. It simply shows that recovery often happens over time and that it can still be present at one year.

If you are very early postpartum and wondering where to begin, start with our guide to when you can start core exercises postpartum.

A simple visual timeline

If you are more of a visual person, this is the easiest way to think about it: the goal is not to rush. It is to keep moving forward.

Infographic showing a simple postpartum timeline for how long diastasis recti recovery may take — Diastasis recti recovery is usually a gradual process. Progress is better measured by strength, control, and symptoms than by the gap alone.

Why does healing take longer for some moms?

This is the part that can feel frustrating: there is no one reason. And it is not just about trying harder.

Your timeline may be affected by how much your abdominal wall stretched during pregnancy, how your body handles load now, whether you have other symptoms going on, and how consistent your recovery plan has been.

Pregnancy history matters Every pregnancy is different. Tissue stretch, multiple pregnancies, and individual anatomy can all change the starting point.

Strength level matters If your body is rebuilding after months away from movement, your recovery path may simply need more time and progression.

Other symptoms matter too Leaking, pelvic pressure, back discomfort, or hernia concerns can affect how you should progress exercise.

Random workouts only go so far A simple plan you can stick with usually works better than jumping from video to video without a progression.

It also helps to know that the size of the gap does not tell the whole story. A wider gap does not automatically mean a “worse” core, and a smaller gap does not automatically mean you are done recovering.

If you are worried that certain habits or workouts are making things worse, read Can You Make Diastasis Recti Worse? 7 Mistakes to Avoid.

How do you know if you are making progress?

This is where I want to make life easier for you: do not judge your recovery by finger-width alone.

Yes, measurement can be one data point. But it should not be the only one. Many women feel discouraged because they keep checking the gap and miss all the other signs that their body is actually getting stronger.

Visual	Sign of progress	What it can look like in real life
	Less doming or bulging	Movements that used to feel awkward or hard to control become easier to manage.
	Better core control	You feel steadier during exercise and everyday tasks.
	Easier lifting	Carrying your baby, groceries, or laundry feels more manageable.
	Improved pressure management	You can breathe through effort instead of automatically holding your breath and straining.
	More endurance	Walking, standing, and workouts feel easier for longer.
	More confidence	You are less afraid of movement and more comfortable progressing exercise.

Do not let the gap become your whole recovery story A smaller gap can be one sign of improvement, but strength, control, symptoms, and function matter too.

What actually helps?

You do not need a fancy or extreme plan. Most women do better with a simple progression they can follow consistently.

1. Start where you are

That might mean walking, breathing work, heel slides, supported core exercises, or very basic strength work. The “best” exercise is the one you can do well right now and build from later.

If you want a gentle place to start, see our safe postpartum diastasis recti exercises for beginners.

2. Progress gradually

If an exercise feels easy and symptoms are manageable, that is usually your cue to build from there. You may increase resistance, repetitions, range of motion, leverage, or complexity over time.

3. Pay attention to your whole core system

Your abs do not work alone. Breathing, pelvic-floor support, hips, back, and trunk strength all play a role in how your body manages pressure and movement.

If you are not sure whether you are dealing with a core issue, a pelvic-floor issue, or both, read pelvic floor vs. diastasis recti.

4. Be consistent longer than you think you need to

This is the part many women underestimate. A few scattered workouts do not tell you much. Consistency matters more than perfection.

What if you feel stuck?

First, zoom out.

If your gap has not changed much, but your body feels stronger, steadier, and easier to use, that still counts as progress.

If you really feel like nothing is changing, ask yourself a few simple questions:

Am I following one plan long enough to judge it fairly?
Am I progressing the exercises, or just repeating the same beginner moves?
Are leaking, pressure, pain, or other symptoms limiting what I can do?
Would I benefit from personalized guidance instead of more trial and error?

Sometimes what feels like “no progress” is really a sign that the next step is better coaching, a clearer plan, or a more realistic progression.

When should you get help?

It is a good idea to get individualized help if you have ongoing pelvic pressure, leaking, abdominal or pelvic pain, significant weakness that affects daily life, or a bulge that makes you worry about a hernia.

A pelvic-health physical therapist or other qualified clinician can look at the whole picture—not just the gap. That can be especially helpful if you are not sure whether your symptoms are coming from diastasis recti, pelvic-floor dysfunction, a hernia, or a mix of several things.

A suspected hernia deserves medical evaluation Diastasis recti and an abdominal hernia are not the same thing. If something feels off, especially with pain or a pronounced bulge, it is worth getting checked.

Frequently asked questions

Can diastasis recti heal on its own?

Some abdominal separation decreases naturally after pregnancy, especially in the first postpartum months. But improvement varies, and progressive exercise may help improve abdominal function and may reduce the gap for some women.

Is 6 months postpartum too late to fix diastasis recti?

No. Six months is not too late. Many women are still building strength, control, and confidence at that point.

Can diastasis recti still improve years after pregnancy?

Yes. Being years postpartum does not mean you missed your chance. Strength, endurance, core control, and movement confidence can still improve.

How often should I check my diastasis recti gap?

You do not need to check it every day. Periodic measurements can be helpful, but they should not become your only marker of progress.

Does a smaller gap mean my core is healed?

Not necessarily. A smaller gap can be one encouraging sign, but function, symptoms, tissue tension, and real-life strength matter too.

How long should I do diastasis recti exercises?

There is no fixed number of weeks. The goal is to move from basic coordination work into more functional strength as your body becomes ready for it.

Should the gap be completely closed before I exercise normally?

No, not always. Many women can safely progress exercise before the gap fully closes, as long as movements are appropriate for their current control and symptoms.

How this article was researched

Research & medical references

This article is based on peer-reviewed research and established medical guidance. Diastasis recti research varies in definitions, measurement methods, and exercise protocols, so the article avoids promising one exact timeline or one universal “best” exercise.

Sperstad JB, et al. Diastasis recti abdominis during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth: prevalence, risk factors and report of lumbopelvic pain. Br J Sports Med. 2016. PubMed.
da Mota PGF, et al. Prevalence and risk factors of diastasis recti abdominis from late pregnancy to 6 months postpartum. Man Ther. 2015. PubMed.
Beamish NF, et al. Impact of postpartum exercise on pelvic floor disorders and diastasis recti abdominis. Br J Sports Med. 2025. PubMed.
Skoura A, et al. Diastasis Recti Abdominis Rehabilitation in the Postpartum Period. Int Urogynecol J. 2024. PubMed.
Bixo L, et al. Association Between Inter-Recti Distance and Impaired Abdominal Core Function in Postpartum Women. 2022. PubMed.

Written by Jamie, Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC)

Jamie is a mom of four and a Certified Athletic Trainer with a background in exercise science, injury recovery, movement, and return to activity. She created FitPreferred to help moms sort through postpartum recovery programs, tools, and exercise information with less confusion. Jamie is not a pelvic-floor physical therapist or postpartum medical specialist, so FitPreferred uses primary research and established medical guidance for clinical claims and encourages individualized care when symptoms are persistent, painful, or unclear.

Medical disclaimer: This article is for general education and is not a diagnosis or individualized treatment plan. Consult a qualified healthcare professional about pain, pelvic-floor symptoms, suspected hernia, complications after delivery, or returning to exercise.