Although diastasis recti can occur during pregnancy, most women don’t notice any symptoms until after delivery. About 60 % of women experience the condition postpartum, but it often resolves itself as the body heals. Unfortunately, about 40% of women who experience the condition still have diastasis recti six months after delivery and may experience symptoms that include:
The symptoms of diastasis recti in men are the same as those in women with one exception: men don’t experience painful intercourse as a result of the condition. They can, however, experience erectile dysfunction. Other symptoms are the same as above.
There is a simple test you can do at home to check and see if you have diastasis recti:
Your doctor can confirm your diagnosis and may use an ultrasound to determine precisely how big the gap between your abdominal muscles is.
Diastasis recti itself is not painful, but some of its side effects can be. Although you won’t feel pain in your abdomen where the muscle separation has occurred, you could experience pain in your back, hips, and pelvis.
Some people do experience trouble breathing because of diastasis recti, but this is not a common symptom. People take both deep and shallow breaths. Shallow breaths happen in the chest but deep breathing lifts and expands the abdomen, which can be painful when you have diastasis recti. The best way to correct the problem is to concentrate on taking deep belly breaths to work the muscles and build them back up. If your breathing problem is severe, however, you should contact your doctor immediately.