Participants who register for this course have the option to attend the course live and/or watch the recorded sessions later. The recording will be available to all registrants for a 2-week period after the course/each session. This allows participants who may not be able to attend the live sessions to still benefit from the course content. To facilitate attendance tracking, please indicate on your registration form if you won't be attending live.
Course Description:
Cesarean births make up approximately one third of childbirth deliveries in Canada. However, there remains limited and often conflicting post-operative guidance for patients which can leave them feeling unsure of how to navigate their recovery following a Cesarean section. Insufficient guidance on when and how to return to exercise as well as appropriate exercise progression can be overwhelming and often result in patients (or practitioners!) doing too much too soon OR avoiding exercise unnecessarily. Physiotherapists and rehab professionals have much to offer in supporting individuals through this journey and help bridge the gap in current care practices.
This course will provide the practitioner with a practical overview of the Cesarean birth experience as well as evidence-informed tools & approaches to help patients optimize recovery. We will also explore a wide variety of exercise ideas through all stages of recovery.
Objectives:
- learn what a Cesarean birth is (and is not!)
- review post-operative restrictions & red flags
- review evidence-informed recommendations for enhancing recovery after surgery
- learn early post-op pain management techniques & protective strategies
- exposure to evidence-informed use of modalities in cesarean recovery
- understand differences in post-operative complications & dysfunction between modes of delivery (vaginal & cesarean)
- explore a variety of exercise ideas (including for runners and weight lifters) throughout all stages of recovery
- 0-6 weeks postpartum
- 6 week ‘clearance’ and beyond
- be exposed to medical considerations for future births (e.g. VBAC)
- explore the role physiotherapy can play in preparing patients for Cesarean birth or VBAC
- explore prevalent biopsychosocial impacts:
- impact of C-Section on breastfeeding
- emotional & psychological impacts; birth trauma
- explore barriers to recovery and advantages of implementing Telehealth in this population
Practical review and demonstration of:
- cesarean scar management, mobility and de-sensitization techniques.
- breastfeeding positions after a Cesarean birth
- protective strategies in the first 6 weeks postpartum
- “exercise” ideas for the first 6 weeks after birth
- exercise at 6 weeks and beyond
- case example for the telehealth platform
Audience: Open to all healthcare and wellness professionals.
Prerequisites: None
Registration Form
Schedule
Date/Time: June 16, 2025, from 5:00pm – 9:00pm ET (Toronto). Please convert to your local time zone
Delivery Format
Live attendance is not mandatory for this online course. Enjoy a 2-week window to access and review the course recording, which is sent out on the next business day. We understand that life can be busy, which is why we offer you the freedom to access the course recording(s) during the time-limited viewing period.
Instructor
Jaclyn Seebach, PT, MScPT
Jaclyn is a mom of 4 Cesarean born children as well as an orthopaedic & pelvic health physiotherapist. Through the process of building her young family, Jaclyn developed a passion for educating women and practitioners about Cesarean birth including the potential impacts it can have on physical function and QOL. She believes physiotherapy has an important role to play in helping individuals prepare and recover more optimally from a Cesarean birth.
Jaclyn graduated with a Masters of Science in Physiotherapy from Dalhousie University in 2009. Prior to that, she completed an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at McMaster University. She currently works out of London, ON at Rebirth Wellness Centre, a multidisciplinary centre with a passionate focus on prenatal and postnatal care. Jaclyn is also an avid believer that rural and small-town communities deserve improved access to services like pelvic health physiotherapy. As such, she also runs a small private practice in St. Marys, Ontario.
You can connect with Jaclyn through her website, www.jaclynseebachpt.com, or on Instagram, @jaclynseebachpt.