Postpartum Recovery

The six-week check clears you for activity. Not for load.

Postpartum Physiotherapy in Burlington, Ontario

Being told everything looks fine is not the same as being assessed. Leaking when you sneeze, a gap down the middle of your abdomen, heaviness by the end of the day, or a scar that still pulls — none of these are things you have to accept, and none of them reliably resolve on their own.

No referral neededDirect billing to most insurersBabies welcome in the roomInternal assessment is always optional

Book an Assessment What we treat

What we treat

What postpartum physiotherapy covers.

Birth changes the abdominal wall, the pelvic floor, and how the two coordinate under load. Recovery is about restoring that coordination, not just waiting for time to pass.

Diastasis Recti

The gap between the abdominal muscles. What matters is less the width than whether you can generate tension across it — which is trainable, including years later.

Bladder Leaking

With coughing, sneezing, lifting or running. Extremely common after birth, and commonly assumed permanent. It usually is not.

C-Section Scar Recovery

Numbness, pulling, a shelf above the scar, or pain with certain movements. Scar mobilisation and retraining the deep abdominal wall address the tissue and the movement pattern together.

Perineal Tear & Episiotomy Healing

Pain with sitting or intercourse after tearing or an episiotomy. Assessment identifies whether scar tissue, muscle guarding, or both are driving it.

Heaviness & Prolapse Symptoms

Pressure or a dragging sensation, often worse late in the day. Physiotherapy improves symptoms and function, and clarifies what is safe to return to.

Return to Running & Lifting

A graded, tested progression rather than a date on a calendar. We load you and see what your pelvic floor actually does before clearing the next step.

Painful Intercourse After Birth

Frequently a combination of scar tissue, protective muscle tension, and hormonal changes while breastfeeding. All three are treatable.

Our approach

How postpartum recovery actually works.

There is no single postpartum protocol. What you need depends on your birth, your symptoms, and what you are trying to get back to.

The full picture

Your birth, your recovery so far, your symptoms, and your goal — whether that is coughing without crossing your legs or getting back to a barbell.

Assessment of the whole system

Abdominal wall, breathing, hips, scar tissue and how you manage pressure under load. An internal assessment adds detail on pelvic floor tone and strength and is always optional, with a genuine external alternative.

Treatment and progressive loading

Scar work, manual therapy, breathing and coordination retraining, then real strength work that progresses as you do. Not indefinite gentle core exercises.

Tested, not guessed

Before you go back to running or lifting we load you and watch what happens. Clearance is based on what your body does, not on how many weeks it has been.

Your team

Who you'll see.

Both physiotherapists hold Pelvic Health Solutions Level 1, 2 and 3 certification. You will see the same clinician each visit, and you are welcome to bring your baby.

Juhi Israni

Registered Physiotherapist

Mondays & Fridays: 11am – 6pm

MPT — Master of Physical Therapy
Pelvic Health Solutions – Level 1, 2 & 3
Pediatric Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

I take time to know you as a person, not just your symptoms. Every session is one-on-one, unhurried, and built around what actually fits your life.

My approach starts with a thorough assessment to find the driver of your pain — not just where it hurts — followed by hands-on treatment and a progressive exercise plan that evolves as you improve.

Alongside general physiotherapy, I hold advanced certifications in pelvic health, which deepens my assessment of core, hip, and low-back problems.

Devanshi Patel

Registered Physiotherapist

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 9am – 4:30pm

MPT — Master of Physical Therapy
Trauma-informed, biopsychosocial approach to care
Pelvic Health Solutions – Level 1, 2 & 3

My care is one-on-one and patient-centred, grounded in a biopsychosocial, trauma-informed approach. Recovery is rarely only physical — so I pay attention to the emotional and lifestyle factors that shape how you heal, too.

Every plan I build combines hands-on therapy, movement, and education, so the progress you make is meaningful and lasts.

Frequently asked questions

What new parents ask.

How soon after birth can I come in?+

Around six weeks is typical for a full assessment including internal work. You can come sooner if you are in pain, leaking heavily, or worried about a scar — there is a lot we can do with breathing, positioning, scar care and load management before that point.

Is it too late? My youngest is four.+

No. Pelvic floor and abdominal wall function are trainable at any point afterwards. We regularly see people years or decades after birth, and improvement does not depend on having started early.

Can I bring my baby?+

Yes, and most people do. There is space for a car seat or pram and nobody minds feeding or settling mid-session. Bring them rather than skip the appointment.

Will I be told to stop running?+

Not as a default. The goal is to get you back to running properly, which sometimes means a short pause while we build capacity, and sometimes means changing how you are running rather than stopping. You will get reasoning, not a blanket rule.

Do I need an internal exam?+

It gives the clearest read on pelvic floor tone, strength and coordination, and it is often what makes the plan specific. It is entirely optional, explained in full beforehand, requires your explicit consent, and can be declined or stopped at any point. There is a real external pathway if you prefer.

All pelvic health articles →

What to Expect from Pelvic Floor Recovery After Birth in Burlington

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Healing "Mummy Tummy": Understanding and Treating Diastasis Recti

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C-Section Recovery: Why Your Scar Deserves Specialized Care Beyond the Standard 6-Week Mark

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Ready to Run After Baby? Why the 6-Week Checkup Isn't Always a Green Light

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Bladder Leakage After Pregnancy: What''s Normal and When to Get Help

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