Diastasis recti is one of the most searched postpartum topics and one of the most over-promised. Here is what studies actually show, in plain language.
Diastasis recti is the widening of the space between the two sides of your abdominal muscles. It happens because your body made room for your baby, which is to say, it is a sign your body did exactly what it was built to do.
How common is it?
Very. In a study that followed 300 first-time mothers, 60% had diastasis recti six weeks after birth. By six months it was 45%, and by twelve months about a third. Many cases ease with time.
The same study found something reassuring: women with diastasis were no more likely to report lower back or pelvic pain than women without it.
What the research says helps
A 2023 review of 16 randomized trials looked at exercise, binding, and other non-surgical approaches. Its honest conclusion: these approaches produce only small changes in the measured gap. A 2025 analysis comparing the two found that guided abdominal exercise did more than binding alone.
So the most useful steps are usually these:
- Ask your provider to check your abdomen at your postpartum visit.
- Consider seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist, who can build a plan for your body.
- Return to movement gradually, and give it time. A year is a normal timeline, not a slow one.
Where a support garment fits
No garment closes diastasis recti, and we won't tell you ours does. What a well-made band or pair of postpartum support leggings can offer is what mothers describe to us again and again: comfort, confidence, the feeling of being held, and an easier time moving through the day while your body does its own work.
Think of support as company for your recovery, not a substitute for it.
How MADRE approaches support
The Restore Legging pairs a premium high-waisted postpartum legging with a built-in band you adjust as your body changes. The Restore Band gives you that same adjustable support on its own, under whatever you already love to wear.
Sources
- Sperstad et al., 2016. Diastasis recti abdominis during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth. Br J Sports Med.
- Benjamin et al., 2023. Conservative interventions for diastasis of the rectus abdominis in postnatal women. Physiotherapy.
- Abdullah et al., 2025. Abdominal exercises and abdominal binding for diastasis recti. Physiother Res Int.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. MADRE makes apparel, not medical devices. Please follow the guidance of your own healthcare provider.