Checking for a diastasis recti, are you checking for a diastsis recti incorrectly?

By Bella Bellies Owner Anne Martens

Bella Bellies Step-by-step instruction for checking a diastasis recti:

1. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor and legs touching
   
2. Place all four of your fingers over your navel/belly button, with the palm of the hand facing your head and the finger tips touching
3. Relax your abdominal wall, testing should be a passive movement, meaning do not tighten your abdomen
4. Lift the head and tips of the shoulders (not the entire shoulder blade) directly up toward the ceiling and slightly off the floor. You should be looking directly up toward the ceiling and NOT at your breasts. The shoulders should not round-forward and collapse in-toward the mid-line of your body, but rather press back.
5. Touch the fingers against the navel, apply firm pressure down toward the spine. Gently glide your fingers from side-to-side (laterally). If you notice ridges on opposite sides of each other (with a gap in-between) than this is a diastasis recti. Note how far apart the diastase's recti is in finger length, for instance 2 fingers apart, 3 fingers apart, 4...
6. Repeat the above lifting process and round the shoulders forward coming up higher and into a crunch like position, typically the separation / diastasis will begin to narrow, yielding a smaller result.
7. With your fingers, continue pressing directly down toward the spine. Note how far you can press without feeling some resistance from the underlying musculature. Eventually you should feel the musculature underneath the recti, tightening and preventing you from further pressing down. If you have a large enough separation then there will be little to no resistance
8. Measure your fingers against a measuring tape, for accurate results. For instance 2 of my fingers -> 1.5 centimeters
9. Only check your diastasis recti every 2 weeks, especially if you have a separation greater than 2 centimeters. Checking the diastasis recti weekly or more places too much pressure on the soft/weak connective tissue that lies in between the rectus abdominus, making the healing process more challenging.
10. While pressing down, if you notice any lumps which protrude forward, consult your Health Care Provider immediately. If your diastasis rectus is larger than 6-8 centimeters or you are experiencing any discomfort in your core consult your care provider and consider seeking counseling from a physical therapist skilled in postpartum rehabilitation.