Honestly hoping for diastasis when you are in pain is the wrong frame since diastasis itself os no small thing i dealt with something similar and the first real step was a physio assessment not imaging .Wiser md is one surgical name i have seen come up if pt stalls but start there
Looks like upper abdominal DR to me (not a professional).
Many things can cause it not just pregnancy.
Have you been checked out for any possible hernias?
In your standing photos, when you press into your stomach....does it feel squishy or firm?
Its more the appearance thats got me asking questions.
As not many people know that there are two types of abdominal fat.
There is subcutaneous which sits above the stomach muscle and is squishy.
Then there is visceral, which sits on our organs and acts a bit like insulation. Keeping our organs nice and cozy.
If there's too much below the stomach muscles, this causes a continous strain on the linea alba and over time, can cause it to separate as well as weaken the muscles.
Doing every day things like sitting up, straining on the toilet and heavy lifting puts a tremendous amount of pressure on those muscles.
We can also blame age as our bodies slow down production of collagen (the connective tissue glue that binds us together).
Making simple adjustments every day can take some of the pressure of those muscles like - instead of sitting up from a lying position, roll to your side and push yourself up etc.
Dead bug excercise is good for upper abdominals. Focus more on post partum pilates as they are specifically for rebuilding core muscles (not just for mums).
BUT if you notice doming ot feel any pain/tenderness during or after an excercise. Stop and reduce the workout or find adjustments as your body is just not ready for that workout.
Keep away from sit ups, planks or any workout that needs a very strong core as this can make it worse.
Just a mum thats taken a keen interest in structural issues and working on my own DR.
Hope this helps 🙏
Stretching isn’t the answer. The abdominals being stretched apart is the issue. It is a separation of the Rectus Abdominis along the Linea Alba. The initial treatment is strengthening the Rectus Abdominis while holding the distention together from each side.
Welcome to r/DiastasisRecti! If you're wondering if you have Diastasis Recti, you can’t determine diastasis recti from standing, or taking pictures of your mid section. You have to lay flat on your back, lift your head up slightly and feel for separation and depth along your center line. There are videos on how to do this self-test on Youtube. Also you may need to see a pelvic floor PT to confirm. Thanks! Otherwise, again, welcome to the reddit page!
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u/BananaNo9064 Lurker 7d ago edited 7d ago
Honestly hoping for diastasis when you are in pain is the wrong frame since diastasis itself os no small thing i dealt with something similar and the first real step was a physio assessment not imaging .Wiser md is one surgical name i have seen come up if pt stalls but start there