Your Ab Gap and Your Pelvic Floor Are Talking to Each Other
Treating diastasis recti and a weak pelvic floor as separate problems is why so many mums stall. Here is how they connect.
Quick answer
Yes, your pelvic floor and diastasis recti are closely connected. Both are part of one pressure-managing system often called the deep core or "core canister," made up of your diaphragm at the top, transverse abdominis wrapping the front and sides, deep back muscles behind, and the pelvic floor at the base. When one part is weak or poorly coordinated, the others compensate, so a wide ab gap and symptoms like leaking or heaviness frequently appear together. That is why women's health physiotherapists rebuild them together, starting with breathing and gentle deep-core activation rather than crunches.
Many mums are handed two separate labels, "you have a bit of a gap" and "do your Kegels," and never told the two are linked. In reality they share the same plumbing. Understanding that connection changes how you train and, for a lot of mums, is the missing piece that finally makes progress stick.
Meet your deep core canister
Picture a soft cylinder in the middle of your body. The lid is your diaphragm, the breathing muscle. The walls are your transverse abdominis, the deep corset-like muscle that sits under the six-pack layer. The back wall is formed by deep spinal muscles. And the floor of the cylinder is your pelvic floor, a hammock of muscle slung between your pelvic bones. For a plain-language tour of the front wall, see our explainer on what the transverse abdominis is.
These four surfaces work as a team to manage the pressure inside your abdomen every time you breathe, lift, cough, or laugh. When they coordinate well, pressure is shared and controlled. When they do not, pressure gets pushed where it should not go, out through the abdominal wall, or down onto the pelvic floor.
So how does diastasis recti fit in?
Diastasis recti is a widening of the gap along the linea alba, the connective tissue running down the midline of your abdomen. It is extremely common in the months after birth and does not close for everyone on its own. Because the transverse abdominis and pelvic floor are part of the same canister, a poorly coordinated deep core often shows up as both a lingering gap and pelvic-floor symptoms. If you are not sure whether you have a gap, our simple diastasis recti self-check walks you through it.
60%
45.5%
32.6%
Source: Sperstad et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016.
connected surfaces make up your deep core canister, pelvic floor included
of mums still have diastasis recti a year after birth (Sperstad et al., 2016)
crunches needed to start reconnecting the system, breathing comes first
Why the connection matters for what you do next
If the two are linked, training only one is like fixing a leaky roof but ignoring the cracked wall. Endless Kegels without teaching the whole canister to coordinate often disappoints, which is exactly why we wrote why Kegels alone are not enough. The more effective approach is to retrain the system as a whole: breathe well, gently engage the deep core on the exhale, and build from there. Our guide to the pelvic floor beyond Kegels goes deeper on that.
This also explains a symptom that catches many mums off guard: leaking when you sneeze, run, or jump. When the canister cannot manage pressure, the pelvic floor takes the strain. If that sounds familiar, here is why you leak when you sneeze postpartum, and it is common, not something to feel embarrassed about.
Gentle first steps that train both at once
1. Start with connected breathing
Lie down comfortably. As you inhale, let your ribs and belly expand and your pelvic floor soften. As you exhale, gently draw the pelvic floor up and the lower belly in, as if zipping up from the base. This one drill fires the diaphragm, transverse abdominis, and pelvic floor together.
2. Add gentle deep-core engagement
Once the breath feels natural, use that same exhale-and-engage pattern during small movements, like a heel slide or a gentle knee lift, keeping the belly flat rather than bulging or coning.
3. Progress slowly and watch the signs
Doming down the midline or a feeling of heaviness or leaking are signals to ease back a step. Progress is not linear, and results vary from mum to mum.
The bottom line
Your pelvic floor and diastasis recti are two ends of the same connected core. Train them as a team, lead with breathing, skip the crunches early on, and you give both the best chance to recover together. If progress stalls, a women's health physiotherapist can assess how well your canister is coordinating.
Want a plan that trains the whole system?
Mumma Glow's Core Reconnect Program is an affordable, one-time digital guide that rebuilds your deep core and pelvic floor together, gently and at home, with no subscription and no equipment. Use code GLOW20 for 20% off. Not sure which paid program suits you? Our honest Baby Bod review and alternatives compares your options.
Frequently asked questions
Can a weak pelvic floor cause diastasis recti?
Not directly, but they share the same deep-core system, so poor coordination of that system can contribute to both a lingering gap and pelvic-floor symptoms. That is why physiotherapists assess and train them together.
Should I fix my pelvic floor or my diastasis recti first?
You do not have to choose. Connected breathing and deep-core engagement train both at the same time, which is why it is usually the recommended starting point rather than isolating one.
Will Kegels close my ab gap?
Kegels can help strengthen the pelvic floor but do not, on their own, retrain the whole canister that supports the abdominal wall. A coordinated approach that includes breathing and transverse abdominis work tends to be more effective. Results vary from mum to mum.
Is leaking a sign of diastasis recti?
Not always, but leaking and diastasis recti often appear together because both reflect how well your deep core manages pressure. Persistent leaking is worth raising with a women's health physiotherapist.
How long does it take to feel a difference?
Many mums notice better core awareness within a few weeks of consistent practice, but full recovery varies widely depending on your body, your birth, and your consistency. There is no fixed timeline.
Sources: Sperstad JB et al., "Diastasis recti abdominis during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth," British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016; NHS, "Your body after the birth" and pelvic floor exercise guidance; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), postpartum exercise; Cleveland Clinic, diastasis recti and pelvic floor overview.
This article is general education, not medical advice. Results vary from mum to mum. Please see your GP, midwife, or a women's health physiotherapist before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have had a caesarean, prolapse symptoms, or a complicated birth.