After having a baby, many women feel frustrated by a lingering belly pooch that won’t go away—no matter how much they diet or exercise. If you’re still looking pregnant months or even years postpartum, the answer may not be extra fat or poor posture. It could be something deeper—like a condition called diastasis recti. Understanding this connection is the first step toward real, lasting change.
What Is a Postpartum Belly Pooch?
That soft bulge below your belly button that makes you still look pregnant? That’s what we call a postpartum belly pooch. It’s incredibly common—and also incredibly misunderstood. Many women assume it’s fat, bloat, or just the new normal after giving birth. But when traditional ab exercises don’t help—or even make it worse—it’s time to look deeper.
How Pregnancy Changes Your Core
During pregnancy, your abdominal muscles stretch to make room for your growing baby. Specifically, the two halves of your rectus abdominis—the "six-pack" muscles—can separate. This stretching is natural, but for many women, those muscles don’t come back together after delivery.
Meet Diastasis Recti: The Root Cause
Diastasis recti is the medical term for that separation of the abdominal muscles. When the connective tissue (called the linea alba) between the muscles becomes stretched and weakened, it creates a gap—and that gap is what causes the bulging belly. Diastasis recti affects 2 out of 3 postpartum women but often goes undiagnosed.
Why the Pooch Doesn’t Go Away on Its Own
Here’s the truth: you can’t diet or crunch your way out of diastasis recti. The issue isn’t fat—it’s connective tissue. And unless you address the integrity of that tissue and the function of your core, the pooch will persist. In some cases, improper exercise can even make the separation worse.
How Real Healing Begins
True healing means closing the gap and strengthening the connective tissue. That’s exactly what the Tupler Technique® is designed to do. By repositioning the muscles, engaging the transverse abdominis correctly, and avoiding harmful movements, this approach rebuilds core strength and flattens the belly safely and effectively.
Common Mistakes That Delay Healing
- Crunches & sit-ups: These exercises increase intra-abdominal pressure and push the muscles apart.
- Planks & push-ups: Without proper core strength, these positions can cause the belly to dome or bulge.
- Poor posture: Sitting or standing incorrectly puts strain on the abdominal wall and connective tissue.
Your Next Steps
If you suspect diastasis recti is behind your postpartum belly pooch, you’re not alone—and you’re not stuck with it forever. Learn how to check for it yourself, and explore the safe, step-by-step way to heal your core from the inside out. Start with our free Introductory Workshop and discover the next best steps for your body.
Explore more about this topic:
- How to Tell If Your Postpartum Belly Pooch Is Actually Diastasis Recti (Coming Soon)
- Exercises That Make a Postpartum Belly Pooch Worse (And What to Do Instead) (Coming Soon)
- Healing the Connective Tissue Behind the Postpartum Belly Pooch (Coming Soon)
