The internal organs in the abdomen are covered by two large muscle sheets (known as 'Recti muscles'). These muscles cover the belly and run from the rib cage, down to the pubic bone. They meet in the middle of the abdomen, in line with the belly button. Towards the end of the pregnancy, it is normal for these abdominal muscles to separate, to allow the belly to accommodate your growing baby. Most women are unaware of this separation happening, although some will feel discomfort in the last weeks of pregnancy, (usually as a stretching or 'splitting' sensation), which generally eases within a few days.
If you have a Caesarean birth, the surgeon needs to pull these abdominal muscles to each side, in order to access the uterus and deliver the baby. This can accentuate abdominal muscle separation. If your baby was born premature, you may not experience any abdominal muscle separation.
Image 12-11 shows both normal and separated abdominal muscles.
Abdominal muscle separation can usually be detected if you lie on your back, with your knees bent, lifting your head slightly (like a small 'sit-up' exercise). This tenses the abdominal muscles, and emphasises the soft and spongy space between them (usually about 1 to 5 centimetres in width, in a vertical line above and below the belly button). Your caregiver may check your abdominal separation soon after the birth, and/or at your routine medical check, about 6 to 8 weeks after the birth.
Image 12-12 shows a woman checking her abdominal separation.
If you want to quickly check your own abdominal separation, you can: