Core System Assessment
Your doctor evaluates gap size and tension capacity, and how the diaphragm, pelvic floor, and deep abdominals work together. This tells you what actually needs to be addressed rather than guessing.
Diastasis Recti
Diastasis recti is one of the most common and most misunderstood postpartum conditions, and most women are never told what to actually do about it. The right approach isn't crunches or rest. It's restoring how your core functions as a system.
This Is More Common Than You've Been Led to Believe
Up to 60% of women have some degree of diastasis recti during or after pregnancy. Most are sent home from their 6-week checkup without any guidance on how to rehab it, or worse, they're told to just do core exercises that actually make it worse. A proper assessment and structured approach makes a real difference.
Signs and Symptoms
Does Any of This Sound Familiar?
If you’re nodding at more than a few of these, your pelvic floor is asking for attention.
A visible "gap" or ridge down the middle of your belly
Doming or "coning" of the abdomen during sit-ups or crunch movements
Persistent "mommy pooch" that doesn't respond to diet or exercise
Low back pain that won't go away postpartum
Pelvic pain or instability
Leaking with exercise or activity
Feeling like your core is "disconnected" or weak
Difficulty with heavy lifting or high-intensity workouts postpartum
Root Cause
What's Actually Causing It
Diastasis recti is a separation of the linea alba, the connective tissue that runs down the midline of the abdomen. During pregnancy, the growing uterus stretches this tissue to accommodate the baby. After delivery, the gap may not fully close on its own, especially if the loading demands on the core exceed what the connective tissue can handle before it’s recovered.
The gap itself isn’t the whole story. What matters more is how well the linea alba can generate and transfer tension, its “tension capacity.” A small gap with poor tension is more problematic than a slightly wider gap with good function. This is why measurements alone don’t tell you everything, and why many standard “diastasis” exercise programs miss the mark.
Your Treatment
How Pelvic Floor Therapy Helps
Effective diastasis recti rehab is a progressive process, not a list of exercises to avoid. your doctor assesses not just the gap, but how the whole core system (diaphragm, pelvic floor, deep abdominals, and back muscles) is functioning together, and designs a program your tissue can handle and adapt to.
Breath and Pressure Training
Restoring proper breathing mechanics and intra-abdominal pressure management is the foundation of diastasis rehab. Without it, exercises that look correct on paper won't produce real results.Progressive Loading
Gradually increasing the demands on the linea alba to rebuild its tension and function. This is what most generic diastasis programs skip, and it's why they don't produce lasting improvement.Return to Full Activity
Guided return to exercise, lifting, and sport, with the understanding that the goal is getting you back to everything you were doing, not staying restricted indefinitely.
Your Path to Relief
How Treatment Works
A clear, supportive process designed to meet you where you are with guidance every step of the way
Our Services
Pelvic Physical Therapy That Fits Your Lifestyle
We offer a flexible approach to pelvic health that adapts to your life. Each service is designed to address root causes and build lasting strength.
Virtual Pelvic Physical Therapy
One-on-one virtual pelvic floor physical therapy for women who want expert care and accountability from anywhere.
In-Person Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
Hands-on pelvic floor physical therapy in Orange County for those ready to resolve pain, bladder issues, and pelvic dysfunction.
Evidence-based strength and nutrition coaching designed to help you improve body composition and rebuild confidence, without sacrificing your hormones, gut health, or your social life.
Frequently Asked Questions
The classic self-check is lying on your back, lifting your head slightly, and feeling for a gap along your midline. But a proper assessment by a pelvic PT gives you more useful information, including the tension quality of the tissue, which matters more than gap size alone.
For early-stage rehab, high-load flexion exercises (like crunches) can be counterproductive if your core isn’t managing pressure well yet. As you progress through treatment, many exercises that seemed “off limits” become appropriate. The goal is to get you back to everything, not to stay restricted forever.
Most women see functional improvement within 8-12 sessions of structured rehab. Full tissue remodeling takes longer, typically several months of progressive loading. The earlier you start, the better, but there’s no expiration date on treatment.
Not at all. The connective tissue responds to appropriate loading at any stage postpartum. Women see real improvement even years after delivery when they follow the right protocol.
Your Core Can Work Again. Let's Rebuild It.
If your core still doesn’t feel right months or years after having a baby, there’s a reason and it’s fixable. Book a free consultation to find out where to start.