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If you've noticed a bulge in your stomach area, you might be wondering whether you're dealing with diastasis recti or an umbilical hernia. These two conditions often get mixed up because they can both cause your belly to stick out, but they're actually quite different problems. Diastasis recti happens when your abdominal muscles separate, while an umbilical hernia occurs when tissue pushes through a weak spot near your belly button. Understanding which one you have makes all the difference when it comes to treatment options. Getting the right diagnosis early can save you from unnecessary worry and help you choose the best path forward for your health.
What Is Diastasis Recti?
Diastasis recti occurs when your stomach muscles split down the middle of your belly and a gap forms between the left and right sides of your abdominal muscles. Think of it like a zipper that's split open—the muscles that would normally be side by side have moved away from each other. During pregnancy, when your expanding baby stretches the tissue connecting these muscles, this separation happens most frequently. You'll see a visible bulge or ridge that runs directly down the middle of your stomach, particularly when you sit up or engage your core muscles. Approximately 60% of pregnant women experience diastasis recti, and it can linger long after giving birth if you don't address it.
What Is an Umbilical Hernia?
An umbilical hernia occurs when your intestine or fatty tissue protrudes through a weak area in your stomach wall close to your belly button. Unlike in diastasis recti where muscles simply separate, an umbilical hernia actually punctures the muscle wall itself. This weakness allows internal tissues to bulge outwards, creating a visible lump or bump near your belly button area. Umbilical hernias can occur at any age but are particularly prevalent in babies and adults over the age of 65. In babies, such hernias tend to correct themselves as their stomach muscles strengthen, but adults typically require medical intervention to avert complications such as tissue getting trapped or losing blood supply.
How Can You Tell The Difference Between Diastasis Recti And A Hernia?
Telling diastasis recti and an umbilical hernia apart means examining a few important factors, ranging from physical appearance to when you touch each condition, and how it feels. Though both may result in bulging in your stomach area, they each have unique characteristics that allow you to tell which condition you're facing.
1. Check the Shape and Location of the Bulge
Diastasis recti causes a vertical ridge or dome that goes down the middle of your whole abdomen, often from your ribcage down to your pubic bone. An umbilical hernia is a localized, rounded bulge in the area around your belly button. The bulge of the hernia is often more pronounced and circular in nature, whereas the diastasis recti appears as a wide, linear separation.
2. Feel the Area With Your Hands
When you palpate on the diastasis recti, you will notice a soft gap in between your muscles without any solid edges or borders. An umbilical hernia is a definite lump or mass that you can sometimes push back into your belly temporarily. The hernia also has defined edges where the tissue pushes through the opening of the abdominal wall.
3. Notice When the Bulging Becomes Visible
Diastasis recti is most noticeable when you are performing actions that involve your core muscles, such as when you sit up from a lying position or when you cough. Umbilical hernias are usually noticeable at all times, but they can be more noticeable when you strain, cough, or stand.
| Comparison Factor | Diastasis Recti | Umbilical Hernia |
| Shape | Vertical ridge down the center of abdomen | Round bulge around the belly button |
| Size | Wide separation, several inches long | Localized lump, typically 1-3 inches |
| Touch sensation | Soft gap between muscles | Firm, defined mass with edges |
| Reducibility | Cannot be pushed back in | Can often be pushed back temporarily |
| Visibility | Most visible during core engagement | Usually visible at rest |
4. Pay Attention to Accompanying Symptoms
Diastasis recti typically causes lower back pain, poor posture, and difficulty with core stability during everyday activities. Umbilical hernias may cause sharp or aching pain around the belly button, especially when lifting, bending, or coughing. Hernias can also cause nausea or vomiting if tissue becomes trapped.
5. Consider Your Risk Factors and Medical History
Diastasis recti most commonly develops during pregnancy due to hormonal changes and abdominal stretching, though it can also result from improper exercise or rapid weight gain. Umbilical hernias can be present from birth due to incomplete abdominal wall development, or develop later in life due to increased abdominal pressure from obesity, pregnancy, or chronic coughing.
How Do I Know If I Have Diastasis Recti And Umbilical Hernia?
Identifying whether you have diastasis recti, an umbilical hernia, or both requires specific self-examination techniques and knowing what warning signs to look for. You can perform simple tests at home to check for these conditions, though professional medical evaluation is always recommended for accurate diagnosis.
1. Perform the Diastasis Recti Self-Test
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your fingers horizontally above your belly button and slowly lift your head off the ground as if doing a small crunch. If you can fit two or more finger widths into a soft gap between your abdominal muscles, you likely have diastasis recti. Repeat this test at your belly button, above it, and below it to check the entire length of your abdominal muscles.
2. Check for Umbilical Hernia Signs
Stand in front of a mirror and look for a round bulge or lump around your belly button area that becomes more prominent when you cough, strain, or stand up. Gently press on the area—if you feel a firm mass that you can push back into your abdomen temporarily, this suggests an umbilical hernia. The bulge may disappear when you lie down but return when you stand or increase abdominal pressure.
3. Monitor Your Symptoms Throughout the Day
Monitor when you feel discomfort, pain, or noticeable changes in your abdomen. Diastasis recti commonly leads to lower back pain, poor posture, and a sensation of core weakness with activities of daily living. Symptoms of umbilical hernia are stabbing or aching pain around the belly button, particularly with lifting, bending, or coughing, and the pain can become more severe over the course of the day.
4. Test Your Core Strength and Stability
Attempt to do some basic exercises such as planks, sit-ups, or standing up from a chair without using your hands. If you find these difficult or if you notice that your abdomen is doming outward when you move, you might have diastasis recti. Individuals with umbilical hernias tend to avoid particular movements instinctively since they produce pain around the belly button region.
5. Look for Warning Signs That Require Immediate Medical Attention
Go to the emergency room if you have severe, sudden pain near your navel, nausea, vomiting, or if a hernia bulge becomes firm, red, or cannot be pushed back in. These are signs of a strangulated hernia, a medical emergency. For diastasis recti, consult with a physician if the gap does not get better after some months of proper exercise or if you have ongoing back pain and functional issues.
6. Consider Professional Evaluation
Whereas self-tests can provide initial information, a medical practitioner is able to take actual measurements of width and depth of muscle separation for diastasis recti and ascertain whether an umbilical hernia needs surgery. They are also able to see if you have both conditions at the same time, as it happens in certain instances and would need alternative treatment methods.
How To Treat Diastasis Recti And Umbilical Hernia
Treatment for diastasis recti and umbilical hernia works differently because these are two separate problems. Diastasis recti often gets better with exercise, but umbilical hernias usually need surgery to fix them properly.
1. Diastasis recti treatment options: Exercise and physical therapy are the main ways to treat diastasis recti. You'll need to do special core exercises like deep breathing, pelvic tilts, and easy planks that work your deep stomach muscles without making the gap worse. Stay away from regular crunches, sit-ups, and hard planks because these can make your muscle separation bigger. A physical therapist who works with women's health issues can create an exercise plan just for you that slowly brings your muscles back together over a few months.
2. Non-surgical ways to help mild cases: For mild diastasis recti, doing the right exercises every day along with moving your body correctly can really help. Wear a belly support band when you do activities that stress your core, and learn how to lift things properly by tightening your deep stomach muscles first. Products like the Momcozy Ergowrap Postpartum Belly Band can provide targeted abdominal compression and lower back support during recovery, which is especially helpful for new mothers dealing with weakened core muscles. Keep good posture all day and don't do things that make your belly push outward, like lifting heavy things or doing tough stomach exercises
3. Umbilical hernia treatment methods: Most umbilical hernias in adults need surgery because they don't heal by themselves and can cause serious problems if you don't treat them. The most common surgery is hernia repair with a mesh patch, which can be done with regular surgery or through small cuts using a camera. Small hernias that don't hurt might just be watched by your doctor, but surgery is usually needed if the hernia gets bigger, hurts, or shows signs of problems.
4. When both problems happen together: If you have both diastasis recti and an umbilical hernia, your surgeon might be able to fix both during one surgery. This combined treatment can repair the hernia and bring your separated stomach muscles back together at the same time. But this needs careful checking by a good surgeon to see if this type of surgery is right for you.
5. Getting better after treatment: Keep doing your core exercises for a long time to keep your muscles strong and stop the problem from coming back. After umbilical hernia surgery, you can't lift heavy things or do hard activities for 4-6 weeks while your stomach wall heals. Slowly go back to normal activities when your surgeon says it's okay, and keep a healthy weight to reduce pressure on your stomach wall.
6. How long it takes and what to expect: Getting better from diastasis recti through exercise usually takes 6-12 months of regular work, with some people seeing improvement in just 8-12 weeks. Wearing a postpartum recovery band can also support your core and potentially contribute to faster results. Recovery from umbilical hernia surgery usually takes 2-4 weeks to get back to normal daily activities and 6-8 weeks for full recovery including exercise and lifting. Both treatments work well for most people when they follow the treatment plan and take care of themselves afterward.
What Happens If Diastasis Recti And Umbilical Hernia Are Left Untreated?
Leaving these conditions untreated can lead to worsening symptoms and serious health complications over time.
Untreated Diastasis Recti Complications
When diastasis recti goes untreated, the muscle separation often gets worse over time, leading to chronic lower back pain and poor posture. You may experience ongoing core weakness that makes daily activities like lifting, carrying, and even walking more difficult. Many people develop pelvic floor problems and digestive issues because the weakened abdominal muscles can't properly support your internal organs.
Untreated Umbilical Hernia Risks
Leaving an umbilical hernia untreated can lead to serious medical emergencies. The hernia may grow larger and become more painful over time. The most dangerous complication is strangulation, where tissue gets trapped in the hernia opening and loses blood supply, requiring emergency surgery. This can cause severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and potentially life-threatening complications if not treated immediately.
Can Diastasis Recti Cause A Hernia?
Yes, diastasis recti can increase your risk of developing a hernia, but it doesn't directly cause one. Diastasis recti weakens your abdominal wall by separating the muscles that normally provide core support and stability. This weakening creates areas of increased pressure and reduced structural integrity, making it easier for hernias to develop at weak points like your belly button or along surgical scars. While diastasis recti itself involves muscle separation rather than tissue pushing through openings, the compromised abdominal wall strength can contribute to hernia formation over time, especially when combined with activities that increase abdominal pressure.
What Hernia Is Associated With Diastasis Recti?
Umbilical hernias are the most commonly associated hernia type with diastasis recti. Both conditions tend to arise during pregnancy when the abdominal pressure is increased and hormonal shifts weaken the structures in the abdominal wall. The same pressures that lead to muscle separation in diastasis recti can also cause weakening around the navel region, resulting in the formation of umbilical hernias. Ventral hernias along the abdominal midline can also appear in individuals with diastasis recti, especially following abdominal surgeries where the compromised muscle structure offers diminished support for adequate healing.
Can You Fix Diastasis Recti With an Umbilical Hernia?
Yes, both diastasis recti and umbilical hernia can often be repaired during a single surgical procedure. Most surgeons can treat both conditions together with a combined technique that closes the hernia and reunites the separated abdominal muscles. The procedure, which is sometimes referred to as abdominoplasty with hernia repair, closes the muscle gap while supporting the hernia area with mesh. Not all patients are good candidates for combined surgery, however, and it is based on variables such as the size of each condition, your general health, and your surgeon's evaluation of surgical complexity and recovery needs.
When Is Surgery Used To Treat Diastasis Recti Or Umbilical Hernia?
Diastasis recti surgery is generally only considered if the muscle separation exceeds 2.7 cm and fails to improve following 6-12 months of conservative management. Umbilical hernia surgery is advised for the majority of adults, particularly if the hernia is painful or enlarges.
For diastasis recti, surgery is needed when exercise and physical therapy are not enough to adequately close the muscle separation, or when the condition greatly affects daily function and quality of life. Umbilical hernias in adults do not usually resolve on their own and can lead to dangerous complications such as strangulation, so physicians typically advise surgery regardless of size. If a hernia becomes rigid, discolored, or produces severe pain with nausea, emergency surgery is needed right away.
Take Control of Your Diastasis Recti and Umbilical Hernia Concerns
Diastasis recti improves with the correct exercises, but umbilical hernias generally require surgical correction to avoid complications. The best part is that both issues can be corrected successfully if properly treated. Don't allow uncertainty or anxiety to hold you back from getting help—if you are experiencing stomach bulging or discomfort, contact a healthcare provider who can provide you with straightforward answers and effective solutions.
