Abdominal Separation, Doming and Coning: What You Need to Know

You are a few weeks postpartum, you try to sit up from the couch and notice a ridge or bulge running down the middle of your belly. Or maybe you are further out, back in the gym, and you see your abdomen doming upward during a plank or crunch. It looks wrong, it feels strange and the internet tells you a dozen different things about what it means.

Abdominal separation, clinically called diastasis recti abdominis (DRA), is one of the most common and most misunderstood postpartum conditions. Most of what you read online swings between extremes: either panic about permanent damage, or dismissal that it does not matter at all. The reality sits in the middle, and understanding what is actually happening in your body makes a significant difference to how you recover.

What is diastasis recti?

Diastasis recti is a widening of the gap between the two sides of the rectus abdominis muscle (your “six-pack” muscle). These two muscle bellies are connected in the middle by a band of connective tissue called the linea alba. During pregnancy, as the uterus grows, this connective tissue stretches and thins to accommodate the expanding bump. The muscles move apart and the linea alba widens.

This is a normal adaptation. Your body is designed to do this. It is not a tear, not a rupture and not a sign that something has gone wrong. It is your abdominal wall making room for your baby.

How common is it?

Very common. A landmark study by Sperstad and colleagues (2016) tracked 300 first-time mothers and found:

33% had a measurable separation at 21 weeks of pregnancy
60% had a separation at 6 weeks postpartum
45% still had a separation at 6 months postpartum
33% still had a separation at 12 months postpartum

The same study found that women with and without DRA reported the same amount of lumbopelvic pain at 12 months. In other words, having a measurable gap does not automatically mean you will have pain or problems.

What are doming and coning?

Doming and coning are terms used to describe what happens when the abdominal wall cannot manage the load being placed on it during a movement.

Doming is a general outward bulging along the midline of the abdomen during effort. It looks like the belly is pushing forward in a rounded shape when you are trying to contract your core or lift your head.

Coning is a more pointed, ridge-like protrusion along the linea alba. It often looks like a tent-pole pushing up from the inside.

Both are signs of the same thing: the pressure inside your abdomen is exceeding what your linea alba and deep core system can control in that moment. They are not signs of damage. They are feedback. Your body is telling you that the exercise, movement or load you are attempting is more than your system can manage right now.

Is doming or coning harmful?

This is where a lot of the fear comes from. The short answer is: occasional doming or coning is not dangerous and does not worsen your separation. There is no evidence that it causes long-term harm.

What it does tell you is that your core is not yet ready to manage that particular load in that particular position. The practical response is to regress the exercise, not avoid exercise altogether. Reduce the weight, change the position, modify your breathing strategy or choose a less demanding variation. The goal is to find the level where your abdominal wall can control the pressure, then gradually progress from there.

Avoiding all exercise because you are afraid of doming is counterproductive. The abdominal wall needs progressive loading to recover, just like any other tissue in the body.

Does it resolve on its own?

For many women, yes. The Sperstad data shows that the majority of separations narrow significantly in the first 6 to 12 months postpartum without any specific intervention. The linea alba gradually regains tension and the gap reduces.

However, the gap does not always close completely, and in some women it stays wider than pre-pregnancy levels long-term. Research shows that targeted abdominal exercise produces a modest reduction in the gap itself, but the more important point is that function and control tend to improve regardless of whether the gap closes fully (Benjamin et al., 2023).

This is an important shift in thinking. The width of the gap matters less than the ability of the linea alba and surrounding muscles to generate tension and transfer force effectively. You can have a measurable separation and a fully functional core, and you can have a narrow gap with poor control and symptoms.

What actually helps?

The research is clear that exercise helps. A 2025 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine confirmed that abdominal muscle training reduces the separation compared to no exercise (Beamish et al., 2025). A separate network meta-analysis of 21 trials found that exercise on its own makes a difference, and that combining exercise with other approaches produces even better results (Wu et al., 2025).

In practical terms, the most helpful approach involves:

Deep core retraining. Starting with diaphragmatic breathing, transversus abdominis activation and pelvic floor engagement. This is about re-establishing the coordination between the muscles of the inner unit before adding external load.
Progressive loading. Once basic control is established, progressing to more demanding exercises: dead bugs, bird dogs, modified planks, pallof presses and eventually loaded movements. The key is gradual progression using doming as a guide for when to regress.
Load management. Paying attention to how you move in daily life: how you get out of bed, how you lift your baby, how you carry the car seat. These repeated everyday loads add up.
Whole-body strengthening. The core does not work in isolation. Hip strength, thoracic mobility and overall conditioning all contribute to how well your abdominal wall manages pressure.

What about binding or taping?

Abdominal binding (support garments or tubigrip) can provide temporary comfort and proprioceptive feedback in the early postpartum weeks. Some women find it helpful for managing the feeling of instability or lack of support. However, binding alone does not reduce the separation long-term. It is a comfort measure, not a treatment. Think of it as a short-term aid while you build strength, not a substitute for doing so.

When to seek help

Most women can manage DRA recovery with a sensible, progressive exercise approach. Get assessed by a professional if:

Your separation is wider than about 2.5 to 3 finger-widths and not improving after 3 to 4 months of consistent exercise
You have a visible bulge at the midline that concerns you
You have low back pain or pelvic pain that you feel is connected to your core control
You are struggling to progress exercises because of persistent doming
You are unsure whether your technique is correct or whether your programme is appropriate
You have symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction (leaking, heaviness, pressure) alongside the separation

How chiropractic care can help

We regularly work with postpartum women recovering from DRA. Treatment typically focuses on:

Assessment. Checking the width, depth and tissue quality of the separation, assessing how the linea alba responds under load and identifying whether there are contributing factors like thoracic stiffness, pelvic asymmetry or breathing pattern issues.

Exercise prescription. Guiding you through a graduated programme of core retraining that uses doming as a feedback tool rather than something to fear. Progressing you from basic deep core activation through to functional, loaded movements as your system is ready.

Manual therapy. Addressing any contributing factors in the pelvis, thoracic spine or hips that may be altering how pressure distributes through your abdomen. Postural patterns from pregnancy often persist and can keep the core from functioning optimally.

Load guidance. Helping you navigate daily tasks, return to exercise and manage the physical demands of caring for a baby without aggravating your symptoms.

You do not have to fear your core

Abdominal separation is a normal part of pregnancy that resolves or significantly improves for the majority of women. Doming and coning are not signs of damage but feedback cues that help you manage your loading. The goal of recovery is function and control, not a perfectly closed gap. And progressive, well-guided exercise is the most effective tool you have.

If you are postpartum and unsure where to start with your core recovery, or if your separation is not improving despite your efforts, get in touch or book an appointment.

References

ABDOMINAL SEPARATION, DOMING AND CONING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW