How do you know if your stomach muscles have seperated?

[CatRash]

Just that really - how can you tell? Or how do you know that they're seperating? Is there any way to tell?

I'm 36+2 and my stomach is really tender in a line above and below my belly button and I was wondering if this was an indicator.

TIA

I have got this separation, lay on your back and than lean forward and try to sit up. Look at your stomach and it goes in to a cone sort of shape, like there's a hill running down it.
Also if you place your fingers below and above your belly button you can feel where the muscles have separated, mine is quite large, I can fit 4 fingers in the ridge, hope that helps

As pp said you will see doming of your stomach if you lie on back and lift your head as if to sit up. It is hard to tell how much seperation during pregnancy as often baby will be in the way of trying to feel a separation between the muscles. It can't really be rectified during pregnancy but if you do get the doming make sure you are rolling on to your side before getting up to avoid putting extra strain on the muscles

I had this when I was pregnant, he's 9 weeks old now and I still have it. I only noticed when I was in the bath and I pulled myself up instead of pushing up with my arms, my stomach would literally go in a pyramid/cone shape. If it is sore, don't do what most google searches say to do and press in too feel if it's soft or not because that will make it hurt more (I made that mistake) x

There are plenty of simple exercises postpartum to fix it and depending on how wide the separation is a postpartum girdle may help.