Diastasis recti (DR) — a stretching of the connective tissue between your abs — happens in nearly every pregnancy. What you're feeling for is NOT just 'how many fingers fit.' The two things that actually matter are depth (how bottomless it feels) and tension (whether the tissue springs back). Here's the exact test I run on every postpartum client.
Before you start
- Wait at least 6 weeks postpartum for vaginal birth, 8+ for C-section.
- Empty your bladder. A full bladder distorts the test.
- Warm hands. Cold fingers make everything guard.
The test — 60 seconds
- Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Head resting down.
- Place 2–3 fingers just above your belly button, fingertips pointing down toward your feet.
- Exhale, then slowly lift your head and shoulders about 2 inches off the floor — like the very start of a crunch.
- As you lift, feel the two ab muscles come toward your fingers. Notice: (1) how many fingers fit width-wise, (2) how deep your fingers sink, (3) whether the tissue feels springy or soft.
- Repeat 2 inches above the belly button, at the belly button, and 2 inches below.
How to read your results
- Under 2 fingers wide + firm + shallow → likely closed enough. Focus on breath, load, and returning to activity.
- 2–3 fingers + firm → totally normal at this stage. Rehab focus: core coordination, breath, progressive loading.
- 3+ fingers OR feels bottomless OR the belly domes/cones on lift → get a hands-on assessment. This is fixable, but freelancing YouTube videos usually stalls out here.
Things that are NOT diastasis (but get blamed on it)
- A soft belly pooch that changes size throughout the day — often bloating, breath-holding, or rib flare.
- A belly button that still looks stretched — the skin takes 6–12 months to retract regardless of DR status.
- Lower belly softness — that's usually a pelvic floor pressure-management issue, not the linea alba.
Next step
If your test showed depth, doming, or a 3+ finger gap, the fastest path is one hands-on session with a pelvic floor therapy. We check the whole system — breath, ribs, pelvic floor, and abs — because DR almost never lives alone.
Pelvic floor & postpartum OT in Basking Ridge, NJ
Modern Movement is a women's health and orthopedic occupational therapy practice based in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, serving moms across Somerset County — including Bernardsville, Bedminster, Far Hills, Warren, Bridgewater, Martinsville, Gladstone, and the surrounding Somerset Hills. We work with pregnant and postpartum women on pelvic floor health, diastasis recti, core recovery, low back & hip pain, and return-to-running — in person, one-on-one, for a full hour.
Want a plan built around you?
Book a 1:1 session with Amanda in Basking Ridge for a personalized assessment.