Healthy LivingSwimsuit shopping can be challenging for any woman–but especially for those with a diastasis recti! The condition can cause a bulging mid-section, producing the appearance of pregnancy. The good news is that you don’t have to let a mummy tummy keep you out of the pool this summer. Keep reading to find out my top picks for swimsuits to hide diastasis recti!
It’s national diastasis recti awareness month, and since it’s a condition I’ve become a lay “expert” in over the past half decade, I’ve decided to write a series of posts to help educate you on this common but little-known ailment that many women suffer from but don’t even know it.
Never heard of a diastasis recti? Beth Learn, diastasis expert and founder of Fit2B (an online, tummy-safe fitness studio and community) summarizes it this way:
“It’s a split in your abs that’s wider than normal, and it causes great dysfunction all throughout your body, not just within your core. It also gives you that “mummy tummy” but not always.”
To read more about this condition (and to find out if you have it), check out Beth’s guest post on my site, “Do You Have a Diastasis?”
The first post in this series is a fun one–my review of several swimsuits to hide a diastasis recti!
While I’ve been working hard to lose weight over the past 6 months through the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan, I still have a functional diastasis that definitely lends itself to the pregnant look or mummy tummy if I’m not intentional about my clothing choices.
When I started looking for swimsuits this season, I had a hard time finding any posts on the best suits to conceal a diastasis. I decided to order nine swimsuits on Amazon (yes–9!), where I knew I could return them for free.
I highly recommend doing this, as you can try on swimwear (or anything, really!) in the comfort of your own home. Just be sure to double check that the seller you buy from allows for free returns.
To give you some frame of reference for how these swimsuits fit, I am 5’5″ tall and weighed around 155 pounds when I took these pictures. My diastasis was around 2 1/2 inches wide.
When I began my swimsuit search, I was discouraged that so many of the ladies who modeled them were super skinny and had likely never carried a baby in their lives–much less four!
In order to give you the best picture of how these will fit and conceal your mummy tummy (if you have one!), I’m publishing some pretty unflattering pictures of myself–even pointing out where my tummy bulges. I hope that will encourage you that you aren’t the only one with a large mid-section.
My babies were big. My youngest was a whopping 10 pounds and 4 ounces. Big babies can make a diastasis worse, so I have definitely had my work cut out for me when it’s come to getting back into shape and healing my core.
(I started out 2019 at 181 pounds–the largest I’ve ever been. I was 103 on my wedding day, y’all! My weight loss journey has been slow and steady this year, and I hope to lose an additional 10 to 20 pounds before I hit my final goal weight.)
Without further ado, check out my swimsuits review for…
Swimsuits to Hide Diastasis Recti
To give you some quick references for the best way to conceal a mummy tummy in a swimsuit, try to focus on:
- features that distract–like ruffles, flounce, and flowy tops
- dark colors
- patterns
- cuts that accentuate your other features
- ruching (sometimes)
As you will see in my reviews, most of the suits I tried had all or some of these features.
MARINAVIDA Women’s Two-Piece Bathing Suit: Ruffle Top, Retro Printed Tankini High Waist Swimsuit, Tummy Control Swimwear
Available at Amazon.com
I love this swimsuit!
While I initially went into this swimsuit search thinking I would stay away from ruffles (because I’m just over them!), I ended up really liking how they help conceal the diastasis with this suit (and the other tankini I kept).
The vibrant colors of the floral pattern against the dark background also helps to distract from the mummy tummy, and I love the illusion of a waistline that the solid stripes in the middle give.
It had been years since I had worn a swimsuit with regular swimsuit bottoms. I’ve been wearing skirts, but these bottoms are high waisted and have lots of tummy control, which make me feel comfortable and slimmer.
They also have a low-cut “bikini area,” so I feel well covered.
I’ve always been on the smaller end when it comes to chest size, and, sadly, I’ve noticed my breasts shrinking back to my pre-kid size since my youngest weaned seven months ago. This suit comes with padding in the bra area, which I appreciate. The straps are adjustable, and you can remove them as well for a strapless look.
I ordered a size large (12-14), and it fits me perfectly. (As a reminder, at this writing I am between a size 8-10 with regular clothes–5’5″ and around 155 pounds). I typically size up one size in swimwear.
This swimsuit is a WINNER for being diastasis friendly!!
You can find it on Amazon here.
Joyaria Womens Ruched One Piece Swimsuit Tummy Control Slimming Bathing Suit Retro Vintage Swimwear
Available at Amazon.com
When I began my search for diastasis-friendly swimsuits, I kept finding suggestions to choose suits with ruching.
I had never worn a suit with ruching before and had gravitated toward concealing with ruffles instead. I love the look of ruching, so I ordered quite a few swimsuits with it.
However, I found that while ruching may help hide fat, it doesn’t necessarily slim the bulge that a diastasis can create.
A diastasis is different from fat. Yes, excess fat can sometimes surround a diastasis, but a diastasis is an injury to the muscles in the mid-section. Slim women with very little body fat can suffer from this condition just as much as overweight women.
So, sometimes ruching can help hide a diastsis, but oftentimes it won’t.
If you’re really sensitive to pregnancy questions (since that is the look that a diastasis often produces), be sure to always view how a swimsuit makes you look in the front and on both sides.
As these images show, my diastasis is actually worse on my right side than on my left. It was important to me that the swimsuits I chose were flattering on all sides and not just on the front.
I was disappointed in this swimsuit. That’s not to say that it wouldn’t work for another person, but there were several reasons why it just didn’t work for me.
As you can see in these images, the ruching and cut of this swimsuit produced a nice, slimming look in my front. However, I definitely look like I’m sporting a baby bump in the side views.
As well, even though the swimsuit has a padding in the bra area, the cut is not flattering for a small-chested woman with a mummy tummy! There’s nothing worse than the look of my stomach extending past the breasts, and that is exactly the look that this suit gives. It might work for a larger-chested woman whose breasts are a little more proportionate to the rest of her body, but the cut of this suit didn’t do me any favors in that area.
I ordered a size large (12-14), and it fit me fine. (As a reminder, at this writing I am between a size 8-10 with regular clothes–5’5″ and around 155 pounds). I typically size up one size in swimwear.
This swimsuit is iffy for being diastasis friendly. If you have a very small diastasis or mostly tummy fat (as opposed to a diastasis) and are large chested, this suit may work for you.
You can find it on Amazon here.
Joyaria Womens Ruched One Piece Swimsuit Tummy Control Slimming Bathing Suit Retro Vintage Swimwear
Available at Amazon.com
This is actually the same swimsuit as the green one above–but in blue and in a smaller size (medium/8-10). Surprisingly, I felt like the suits fit exactly the same. I didn’t keep this one for the same reason I didn’t keep the green one.
I decided to try the smaller size in this one because I am currently between a size 8 and a size 10 in regular clothes, which makes it difficult to choose swimsuits to try because they are usually sized in 8-10 or 12-14. I always size up in swimsuits, so a suit in a size 10-12 (which doesn’t exist) would be the best bet for me. However, since I like my swimsuits to be a little roomier, I chose to order the larger size in almost all of these, and I’m glad I did.
Again, this swimsuit is iffy for being diastasis friendly. If you have a very small diastasis or mostly tummy fat (as opposed to a diastasis) and are large chested, this suit may work for you.
You can find it on Amazon here.
Hilor Women’s One Piece Swimsuits Tummy Control Swimwear Ruffle Swimdress with Built in Swim Brief
Available at Amazon.com
I thought this swimsuit was so cute when I saw it on Amazon.
It looks like a vintage, 1940s style on the site, but I didn’t feel comfortable in it when I tried it on! Maybe it’s just me and my husband, but we both felt like this style looked more like a negligee than a swimsuit.
As you can see in the pictures, this swimsuit also boasts ruching to help conceal the tummy. But just like with some of the others, that doesn’t always work with a diastasis.
Not only did my tummy pooch on the sides, but with this style swimsuit, it also pooched a little in the front!
I did like the chest area of this swimsuit better than the Joyaria ones.
I ordered a size large (which was a 10 in this suit), and it fit me fine. (As a reminder, at this writing I am between a size 8-10 with regular clothes–5’5″ and around 155 pounds). I typically size up one size in swimwear.
This swimsuit is iffy for being diastasis friendly. If you have a very small diastasis or mostly tummy fat (as opposed to a diastasis), this suit may work for you.
You can find it on Amazon here.
Hilor Women’s One Piece Swimsuits Tummy Control Swimwear Ruffle Swimdress with Built in Swim Brief
Available at Amazon.com
This is the same swimsuit as above but in a different print. While I loved the polka dots, I felt like the black made it look even more like a negligee than the solid green did in the other one! Perhaps it’s just me. I am sure the suit would be very attractive on the right person!
I will say that I believe the black and dots helped to conceal the tummy area a little better.
When looking for a swimsuit to hide a diastasis recti, remember that dark solid colors and/or patterns will help conceal better than lighter solids.
Again, this swimsuit is iffy for being diastasis friendly. If you have a very small diastasis or mostly tummy fat (as opposed to a diastasis), this suit may work for you.
You can find it on Amazon here.
Firpearl Women’s Halter One Piece Swimsuits Braid Macrame Ruched Tummy Control Swimwear
Available on Amazon.com
So I haven’t worn a one-piece swimsuit in years, but I actually ended up loving this swimsuit!
Even though I still had little “baby bump” (without the baby–ha!) in my side views, I felt like the ruching in this swimsuit helped hide the diastasis recti much better than the other suits with ruching. While this swimsuit comes in a variety of colors and patterns, I love how slimming the navy is.
As I did with the others, I loved that the suit was low-cut in the bikini area, and the design in the back of this suit is adorable. I didn’t get a good picture of that, but you can see it in the images on Amazon.
I ordered a size large (which was a 10 in this suit), and it fits me perfectly. (As a reminder, at this writing I am between a size 8-10 with regular clothes–5’5″ and around 155 pounds). I typically size up one size in swimwear.
As an added bonus, this was the cheapest of all the swimsuits I reviewed for this post, yet I feel like it’s very well-made for the price!
Although this swimsuit doesn’t conceal the tummy as well as the two tankinis that I chose to keep, I would still consider it as a winner for being diastasis friendly.
You can find it on Amazon here.
Gabrielle-Aug Women’s Bikini Top & Low Waist Shorts
Available on Amazon.com
The ads for this swimsuit kept showing up anytime I was online, so I decided to purchase it. My only hesitation was that this swimsuit is advertised with a tiny bit of skin showing, and I wasn’t too keen on that. I’m short-waisted enough that no skin shows on me at all.
This suit came in a ton of different colors and patterns, and I chose two different ones to try.
While I felt comfortable with the suit on, I didn’t love how I looked in it.
I felt like this style made me look the largest, despite concealing my diastasis pretty well.
The swimsuit is a tankini with high-waisted, low-cut bottoms and a ruffled top. The bottoms have ruching.
Since my diastasis is at its largest at the top of my belly, the ruffles on this suit weren’t very flattering, as they fell right where my diastasis is the largest. I felt like it accentuated it more than hid it! This would not be the case for a woman whose diastasis is larger at the bottom.
I ordered a size large (which was a 10 in this suit), and it fit me fine. (As a reminder, at this writing I am between a size 8-10 with regular clothes–5’5″ and around 155 pounds). I typically size up one size in swimwear.
This swimsuit is iffy for being diastasis friendly. If you have a very small diastasis or mostly tummy fat (as opposed to a diastasis), this suit may work for you. It may also work for you if your diastasis is small or non-existent on the top of your belly but larger on the bottom (where there are no ruffles to draw attention to it).
I will say that my friend ended up trying all of these on as well and kept this one. It looks fabulous on her!
You can find it on Amazon here.
Gabrielle-Aug Women’s Bikini Top & Low Waist Shorts
Available on Amazon.com
This is the exact same swimsuit as the one above in a different pattern.
While I loved the lighter look and colors of this suit, I don’t feel like it was the most flattering on me, although I do feel like the pattern all over (instead of just on the top like the other one) lended itself to better hiding the diastasis.
This swimsuit would probably work great on someone else.
Like the other, I’m also wearing a size large in this suit.
This swimsuit is iffy for being diastasis friendly. If you have a very small diastasis or mostly tummy fat (as opposed to a diastasis), this suit may work for you. It may also work for you if your diastasis is small or non-existent on the top of your belly but larger on the bottom (where there are no ruffles to draw attention to it).
You can find it on Amazon here.
Holipick Women 2 Piece Flounce Polka Dot Printed Tank Top with Boyshorts Bottoms
Available on Amazon.com
And I found a WINNER!
While I ended up keeping this swimsuit and this swimsuit as well, my top pick for swimsuits to hide a diastasis recti goes to this one from Holipick.
It combined several features that help conceal the mummy tummy–a flouncy, flowy top with soft ruffles, a pattern (polka dots) on a dark background, and cute bottoms that distract from the mid-section.
I had actually never owned a swimsuit with boy shorts for bottoms because I had previously felt like they made my thighs look huge. I was pleasantly surprised as how comfortbale and confident I felt in these!
I ordered a size large (which was a 12-14 in this suit), and it fit me perfectly. (As a reminder, at this writing I am between a size 8-10 with regular clothes–5’5″ and around 155 pounds). I typically size up one size in swimwear.
This swimsuit takes the prize as being the most diastasic-friendly.
You can find it on Amazon here.
Diastasis Recti Resources
Fit2B: an online fitness studio and community focusing on core healing and tummy-safe exercises. You can pay a monthly membership fee to gain access to all routines and programs, or you can purchase some DVDs and e-courses individually.
Use coupon code humbledhomemaker to get 30% off of memberships + more in the Fit2B shop! Check out Fit2B’s membership options here.
The Tummy Team: This program is more geared toward diastasis rehab as opposed to a fitness program. It is a step up in healing, compared to Fit2B. I will say that the biggest con I see in this program is that you do not have lifetime access and must complete the entire program in 8-9 weeks. So, if you’re going to purchase it, you must be very dedicated and have the personal time to pour into healing. I purchased it a few years ago but I’ve never been able to complete it, so I felt like I wasted my money. That said, those who are committed to completing the program in the allotted time period usually see great results.
MuTu System: If you’re looking to explore all possible options for diastasis recti exercise programs before you make a decision on which one to try yourself, I would be remiss to leave out the MuTu System. I haven’t tried it myself. However, Beth of Fit2B endorses this program as another option for women looking to heal their mummy tummies. Click here to get their FREE download, “10 Things Your Doctor Didn’t Tell You About Your Post-Baby Body.”
The Diastasis Fix Bootcamp’s FREE 5-Day Challenge: I have friends who have had wonderful results with this program. I purchased it but yet to finish it. To me, it feels like a combination of Fit2B and The Tummy Team because it combines both fitness and rehab. As well, this program gives nutritional tips. I love that you get lifetime access when you purchase this program.
Trim Healthy Mama: This is my preferred eating lifestyle. It’s helped me lose nearly 30 pounds (at this writing), and I am committed to eating this way for life! Although losing weight will not heal your diastasis, it definitely helps it because excess weight can make the split in the ab muscles worse.
If you’re pregnant or hoping to become pregnant, check out the Mama Natural Birth Course. A healthy pregnancy and birthing experience can help prevent or minimize a diastasis as well.
Blog Posts on Diastasis Recti
The Best Diastasis Recti Exercise Programs
Hope for Healing a Diastasis Recti
Dressing to Hide the Mummy Tummy
Dori
What a wonderful post. Thanks Erin! You were so real with us and provided helpful tips.
I found a somewhat flouncy suit when I shopped last. However, it didn’t have as many ruffles as the last one reviewed here. And I’m surprised at the good prices on some of these.
Erin
I was pleasantly surprised on the prices as well! I was so pleased!
JHmomma
Thank you for this post! This is a real struggle for me!
Sharon
Thank you for this post!! XO