What’s That Weird Shape My Pregnant Belly Makes During a Workout? (And What to Do About It)

Understanding doming, coning, and how to use your core safely during pregnancy

You’re 20-something weeks pregnant. You’re doing a plank or getting out of bed or lifting weights. And suddenly you notice your belly is making a weird shape.

Like a dome. Or a cone. Sticking up right down the middle of your belly.

You think: Is that normal? Should I be worried? Am I hurting my baby?

This happened to one of my students recently. She was getting out of bed in the morning, lifting herself straight up from lying down, and her belly made this strange bulging shape. She asked me: “Is this okay?”

The short answer: No, it’s not technically okay. But it’s also fixable.

That weird shape is called “doming” or “coning.” And it’s your body sending you a very clear signal that the movement you’re doing is creating too much pressure for your core to handle right now.

Let me explain what’s actually happening, why it matters for your postpartum recovery, and what you should do instead.

What Is Doming or Coning?

Doming (also called coning) is when your pregnant belly bulges or pushes out in a dome or cone shape down the centre during certain movements.

You might notice it during:

• Planks or push-ups
• Getting out of bed or up from lying down
• Crunches or sit-up movements
• Lifting heavy objects
• Certain yoga poses
• CrossFit, boxing, or high-intensity workouts

Here’s what’s physically happening:

During pregnancy, your abdominal muscles stretch and separate down the middle to make room for your growing baby. This separation is called diastasis recti, and it’s completely normal and necessary.

Between these two columns of muscle is connective tissue called the linea alba. During pregnancy, this tissue softens because of the hormone relaxin.

When you do a movement that creates too much intra-abdominal pressure (like a crunch, a plank, or lifting yourself straight up from lying down), and your stretched, separated abdominal muscles can’t manage that pressure, the pressure has to go somewhere.

It pushes OUT through the weakest point, the middle line where your abs have separated and the connective tissue is soft.

This creates that dome or cone shape.

Your body is literally telling you: “This movement creates too much pressure for me to handle right now.”

Why Doming Matters (Especially for Postpartum Recovery)

You might think: “Okay, it looks weird, but is it actually a problem?”

Yes. Here’s why:

During pregnancy: Doming puts stress on that already-softened connective tissue. It’s stretching it beyond what’s necessary just for your growing baby.

Long-term: If you repeatedly do movements that cause doming throughout your 40ish weeks, you’re making the abdominal separation wider than it needs to be.

Postpartum: After your baby is born, your body needs to heal that separation. Your abdominal muscles need to come back together, and that connective tissue needs to regain its tension and strength.

If you’ve spent nine-ten months making the gap wider through movements that cause doming, you’re making your postpartum recovery harder and longer.

Many women struggle with diastasis recti postpartum. And while some separation is normal and will heal on its own, excessive separation caused by too much pressure during pregnancy makes recovery more difficult.

You might experience:

• A visible bulge in your belly that doesn’t go away
• Difficulty engaging your core effectively
• Lower back pain
• Pelvic floor dysfunction
• A longer, more frustrating recovery process

The good news: You can prevent this by modifying movements that cause doming during pregnancy.

What Movements Cause Doming?

Every body is different, but these movements commonly cause doming during pregnancy:

Getting out of bed the wrong way:

• Lying flat on your back and lifting straight up using your abs (like doing a sit-up)

Core-focused exercises:

• Traditional crunches or sit-ups
• Long plank holds
• Boat pose in yoga
• Toe touches
• Any exercises that involve lying on your back and lifting your legs

High-intensity movements:

• Heavy overhead lifting
• Burpees
• Box jumps or high-impact jumping
• Intense CrossFit or HIIT workouts without modifications

Certain yoga poses:

• Full chaturanga (low push-up position)
• Upward dog if your belly sags toward the floor
• Full wheel or deep backbends
• Any pose where you see that dome appear

Daily activities:

• Lifting heavy objects without engaging your core properly
• Carrying a heavy toddler while pregnant
• Pushing a stroller up a hill

The key is to watch your belly. If you see that dome or cone shape appear during any movement, that’s your signal to modify or stop.

How to Modify (Not Eliminate) Your Workouts

Here’s what I want to be really clear about: Doming is not a sign to stop exercising.

It’s a sign to modify how you’re moving.

You can still be active. You can still be strong. You can still do CrossFit, yoga, running, strength training. You just need to adapt.

Instead of traditional crunches or sit-ups:

• Do standing side bends
• Do gentle standing twists
• Practice cat-cow on hands and knees
• Always roll to your side to get up from lying down (never lift straight up)

Instead of long plank holds:

• Do plank on your knees
• Do elevated plank against a wall
• Hold for shorter periods and watch for doming
• Try side plank with modifications

Instead of heavy overhead lifting:

• Lower the weight significantly
• Focus on breathing out as you lift (never hold your breath)
• Switch to exercises that don’t require overhead movement

Instead of high-impact jumping:

• Do step-outs instead of jump-outs
• Replace box jumps with step-ups
• Choose low-impact cardio alternatives

In yoga:

• Modify boat pose with knees bent, hands behind thighs
• Do gentle bridge instead of full wheel
• Back off any pose where you see doming

The talk test for CrossFit, boxing, and running:

Can you hold a conversation while you’re exercising? If you’re too breathless to talk in complete sentences, you’re working too hard. Your body needs oxygen for you and for baby.

The key principle: Can you breathe smoothly through the movement without holding your breath? Does your belly stay relatively smooth without that dome appearing?

If yes, you’re probably fine. If no, modify.

What Your Core Actually Needs During Pregnancy

There’s a lot of confusing advice out there about “core engagement” during pregnancy.

You might have heard:

• “Don’t use your abs at all”
• “Pull your belly button to your spine all day”
• “Engage your transverse abdominis constantly”
• “Do planks to keep your core strong”

No wonder you’re confused.

Here’s the truth: Your core needs to be responsive, not rigid and not completely switched off.

Think of your core as a 360-degree pressure system:

• Front: Abdominal muscles
• Back: Back muscles
• Top: Diaphragm (breathing muscle)
• Bottom: Pelvic floor
• Sides: Obliques

All of these work together. When you create too much pressure (like constant “engagement” or breath-holding during exercise), that pressure has to go somewhere. It goes DOWN to your pelvic floor and OUT through that weakened linea alba.

Your core should:

• Create appropriate tension when you need it (lifting groceries, holding a yoga pose)
• Release and expand when you need it (breathing, resting, making space for baby)

Focus on your breath: Exhale on the effort. Breathe out as you lift. Breathe out as you stand up. This naturally engages your core without you having to think about it.

What to Do Instead: Preparing for Birth AND Recovery

How you move during pregnancy directly affects your postpartum recovery. So let’s talk about what you should be doing.

Breath coordination: Full exhales on exertion. This is your natural core support.

Pelvic floor release (not just kegels): Birth requires your pelvic floor to open and stretch, not squeeze tight. Practice:

• Deep squats (malasana in yoga)
• Child’s pose with wide knees
• Cat focusing on the exhale
• Pigeon pose

Functional strength:

• Squats (you might want to go into labour in a squat!)
• Lunges
• Hip circles
• Gentle standing twists

Positions that create pelvic space and mobility:

• Wide-leg squats
• Goddess pose
• Pigeon pose variations
• Supported squat holds

And the non-negotiables:

• ALWAYS roll to your side to get up from lying down
• Move slowly and mindfully
• Breathe through every movement
• Watch for red flags: doming, pelvic pressure, leaking, pain, breath-holding

Signs You Need to Modify (Beyond Doming)

Doming isn’t the only signal. Watch for:

• Pressure or heaviness in your pelvic floor
• Leaking urine during exercise, coughing, or sneezing
• Pain in your pubic bone, lower back, or hips
• Breath-holding to get through movements
• Feeling like you need to hold on really hard to stay stable

These are information, not failure. They tell you when to modify.

Why You Shouldn’t Do This Alone

Here’s the problem: You can’t see yourself.

You can’t see your belly when you’re in a plank. You can’t see if you’re doming. You can’t assess yourself from the inside.

This is why having a teacher who can see you is essential.

At Krish Yoga Studio, all of our prenatal classes are LIVE online. Not recorded videos. Live.

That means:

• We can see you through your camera
• We can tell you in real-time when to modify
• We can catch doming before you even notice it
• We’re in constant communication
• You can ask questions immediately

Having eyes on you isn’t a luxury. It’s essential for safe practice.

The Bottom Line

That weird dome shape in your pregnant belly during workouts is called doming or coning. It’s a signal that the movement you’re doing creates too much intra-abdominal pressure for your stretched, separated abdominal muscles to handle.

It matters because repeatedly causing doming throughout pregnancy makes your abdominal separation wider and your postpartum recovery harder.

But you don’t have to stop exercising. You just need to modify.

Watch your belly. If you see doming, modify the movement. Roll to your side to get up. Breathe through every movement. Use the talk test during cardio.

And get eyes on your practice. You can’t see yourself.

Want to learn exactly how to practice safely?

Join my free live workshop: The Prenatal Yoga Upgrade: 5 Shifts for a Safe & Strong Practice

April 13, 2026, 6:30 PM CET – Completely Free

I’ll teach you five simple shifts so you can practice with total confidence, build strength for birth, and feel amazing in your changing body.

Register here and save your spot

And if you have questions about moving safely during pregnancy, send them to me to hello@krishyoga.com

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