Diastasis recti that is not healing

The abdominal wall adapts to pressure and load over time. Repeated straining, breath-holding, constipation, coughing, or returning quickly to demanding exercise can make symptoms persist. Pain, poor sleep, fear of movement, and changes in the pelvic floor can also alter how you use your trunk.

A gap that looks unchanged does not necessarily mean that nothing has improved. Easier transfers, less doming, better breathing, and more confidence with lifting are meaningful signs. Persistent or increasing symptoms may also reflect a hernia or another condition, so they should not automatically be attributed to diastasis recti.

Review the exercise dose and your technique rather than adding more intensity. Practise relaxed breathing, gentle abdominal coordination, and gradual loading in positions you can control. Address constipation and ongoing cough with appropriate medical help, and change tasks that repeatedly provoke pain or pressure.

A [Postnatal Physiotherapy](/treatments/pelvic-floor-and-rehabilitation/postnatal-physiotherapy/) review can identify compensations, check lifting mechanics, and adjust progression. Bring a short record of activities that trigger doming, pain, leaking, or heaviness so the plan reflects daily life.

Arrange prompt medical review for a painful, firm, or enlarging bulge, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, or difficulty passing stool or gas. Seek urgent help for faintness, sudden weakness, or breathing difficulty. If recovery has plateaued despite a consistent, comfortable plan, schedule reassessment rather than pushing through symptoms.

Ask what improvement should look like in your situation, whether pain or a hernia could be contributing, and which activities need modification. Ask how to progress strengthening and how to manage constipation, cough, or pelvic-floor symptoms safely.