Two good options, two very different price tags
One is a polished monthly app built by a nurse and a trainer. The other is a one-time guide you keep forever. Here is how to tell which suits your body and your budget.
Quick answer
Expecting and Empowered is a well-made subscription app created by a labour-and-delivery nurse and a personal trainer, with structured pregnancy and postpartum strength phases and a large, supportive community. Mumma Glow is not an app. It is an affordable, one-time digital guide (individual guides from $15, the full bundle $50, no subscription and no recurring fee). If you want ongoing app-based programming and don't mind a monthly or annual bill, Expecting and Empowered is a strong pick. If you want a simple, gentle, keep-it-forever plan for diastasis recti and deep-core recovery without a subscription, Mumma Glow is the budget-friendly alternative.
Choosing a postpartum program is genuinely hard when you are running on broken sleep. Two names that come up a lot are Expecting and Empowered and Mumma Glow. They are built very differently, so the right answer depends on what you actually need. Below is an honest, mum-to-mum comparison, with each program's real strengths first. Note upfront: Mumma Glow is not affiliated with Expecting and Empowered, and this is general education, not a personal recommendation.
Before you spend a cent on any program, it is worth knowing where your core is right now. Our step-by-step guide on how to check for diastasis recti at home takes about two minutes and helps you match a plan to your actual gap.
What is Expecting and Empowered?
Expecting and Empowered is a subscription fitness app founded by two sisters, one a registered labour-and-delivery nurse and one a certified personal trainer. That founder story is a real strength: the workouts are structured by trimester and by postpartum phase, the app is well produced, and there is a large, active community of mums working through the same stages. For women who like app-based coaching, follow-along videos, and a broad strength focus that carries on well beyond the early weeks, it is a polished, credible product.
The trade-offs are honest ones. It is a recurring subscription rather than a one-time purchase, the programming is fitness-led and general rather than narrowly focused on diastasis recti, and like any app it assumes you will keep opening it. None of that is a flaw. It is simply a different model from a short, targeted guide.
What is Mumma Glow?
Mumma Glow takes the opposite approach. Instead of an ongoing app, it sells focused, one-time digital guides for postpartum recovery: diastasis recti and deep-core rebuilding, pelvic floor, C-section recovery, belly and glute strength, and new-mum energy. You buy once, download, and keep it for good, so a plan you use after your first baby is still there after your second. Individual guides start at $15 and the full bundle is $50, with no subscription attached.
The honest positioning: Mumma Glow is the affordable, no-subscription option, the budget alternative to bigger programs like MUTU System. It will not give you a live app, push notifications, or an endless workout library. What it gives you is a simple, gentle, evidence-informed core plan you own outright.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Expecting and Empowered | Mumma Glow |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Subscription app | One-time digital guides (PDF) |
| Pricing model | Recurring monthly or annual fee | One-time, from $15; bundle $50 |
| Ongoing cost after month 1 | Keeps billing | $0 – you own it |
| Main focus | Broad pregnancy and postpartum strength | Targeted core, diastasis and pelvic-floor recovery |
| Founders' background | Nurse and personal trainer | Postpartum-recovery content team |
| Community | Large in-app community | None – self-guided |
| Best for | Mums who want app coaching long-term | Mums who want a simple, affordable, keep-forever plan |
Whichever route you pick, the underlying recovery timeline is similar, because the tissue heals on its own schedule. In one widely cited study, abdominal separation was still present in a meaningful share of women months after birth.
of women had diastasis recti at 6 weeks postpartum (Sperstad et al., 2016)
still had a separation at 6 months postpartum
at 12 months postpartum – showing gaps often narrow gradually
Which one should you choose?
There is no single winner, because these products are built for different mums. Think about what you will actually use.
- Choose Expecting and Empowered if you love app coaching, want a big workout library and community, plan to train through a future pregnancy too, and are comfortable with a recurring fee.
- Choose Mumma Glow if you want a gentle, targeted core and diastasis plan, prefer a one-time payment over a subscription, and like the idea of owning it forever. It pairs well with a quick look at what fixing diastasis recti usually costs.
The honest verdict
Expecting and Empowered is a strong subscription app if you want ongoing coaching. Mumma Glow is the affordable, one-time, no-subscription option for mums who mainly want to rebuild their core gently and keep the plan for good. Different mums, different fit – and your budget is allowed to be part of the decision.
Rebuild your core without a subscription
The Core Reconnect Program is a one-time, gentle, step-by-step plan for diastasis recti and deep-core recovery. Use code GLOW20 for 20% off – you buy once and keep it forever.
Frequently asked questions
Is Expecting and Empowered good for diastasis recti?
It includes core and postpartum work and many mums use it during recovery, but it is a broad strength app rather than a diastasis-specific program. If a separation is your main concern, a targeted core plan may feel more focused. Always progress gently and stop any move that causes doming.
Is Mumma Glow a monthly subscription?
No. Mumma Glow guides are one-time digital purchases. You pay once, download, and keep them, with no recurring charges.
Which is cheaper overall?
Over time, a one-time guide is almost always cheaper than a subscription, because a subscription keeps billing every month or year. A single Mumma Glow guide starts at $15 with nothing after that.
Can I use both?
Some mums do – a one-time core guide for gentle diastasis work plus an app for broader fitness later. There is no rule against combining a focused plan with general strength training once you are ready.
How do I know which my body needs first?
Start by checking your gap at home and noticing your symptoms. If you have a clear separation, pelvic-floor symptoms, or pain, see a women's health physiotherapist, who can tailor either route to you.
Sources: Sperstad JB et al., "Diastasis recti abdominis during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth," British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016; NHS and ACOG guidance on postnatal recovery and exercise.
This article is general education, not medical advice, and Mumma Glow is not affiliated with Expecting and Empowered, MUTU System or any other named program. Recovery varies from mum to mum. Please see your GP, midwife or a women's health physiotherapist for advice tailored to you.