When should I see a pelvic floor physiotherapist in pregnancy?

Any time you notice leaking, pelvic or back pain, or pressure, and ideally once in the second trimester even if nothing feels wrong. That visit gives you a baseline and a plan for labour. Then come back after six weeks postpartum.

Do I need a referral?

No. You can book with a Body Co physiotherapist directly. Many extended health plans cover physiotherapy, so check your plan's coverage. We direct bill most insurance companies. When we can't, we give you an itemized invoice to submit yourself.

Is the internal exam required?

No. It's the most accurate way to assess your pelvic floor muscles, and it's only done with your consent. You can decline it, stop it at any time, or leave it for a later visit.

How do I compare pelvic floor physios in Toronto?

Ask whether the physio has postgraduate pelvic health training, how often they see pregnant and postpartum clients, how long the first visit is, and whether they assess internally. A physio who can coordinate with birth education, fitness and mental health support also saves you from repeating your story to five people.

I had a C-section. Do I still need pelvic floor physio?

Often, yes. Pregnancy itself loads the pelvic floor, so leaking and pelvic pain show up after C-sections too. We also treat C-section scars that feel tight, numb or sore.

How do I check a physiotherapist's registration in Ontario?

Every physiotherapist in Ontario must be registered with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. You can look anyone up on the College's public register.

Where are you, and do you see clients from outside the Junction?

We're at 3093 Dundas Street West in the Junction, and most of our clients come from the Junction, High Park, Roncesvalles and Bloor West Village. If getting to Dundas West isn't realistic that week, we also offer virtual pelvic floor visits.

Perinatal Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Toronto

At a glance

Body Co Health & Wellness is a perinatal pelvic floor physiotherapy clinic in Toronto's Junction neighbourhood, at 3093 Dundas Street West. Our team of pelvic floor focus physiotherapists support pregnancy and postpartum concerns. They work on the same team as a childbirth educator, registered kinesiologists who teach pre and postnatal strength, a registered social worker and a naturopathic doctor.

Body Co has cared for more than 15,000 clients over nearly 13 years on Dundas West, with a 4.9 Google rating from 187 reviews.

Leaking when you cough, sneeze, run or lift your baby out of the car seat

Heaviness or a dragging feeling low in your pelvis by the end of the day

Pelvic girdle or pubic bone pain in pregnancy that makes stairs and getting dressed hard

A gap down the middle of your belly that hasn't closed since birth (diastasis recti)

Sex that hurts after birth, or that you've been avoiding because you're scared it will

C-section scars that feel tight, numb or pulled months later

Wanting to run again and not trusting your body to hold

Pelvic floor care in pregnancy is about more than the birth. Much of the load on your pelvic floor builds through the pregnancy itself, so the earlier we see you, the more we can do.

We'll check how your pelvic floor is working (it's often more tense than weak, and Kegels can make that worse). We'll treat pelvic and back pain so you can keep moving and sleeping, and we'll prepare you for labour with breathing, pushing and positions you've practised on your own body.

Many of our pregnant clients also train with Lucy or Pieta in Prenatal Fitness too, and your physio can talk with them directly.

Your six-week check with your OB or midwife usually doesn't include an internal assessment of your pelvic floor muscles. That's where we start, any time after six weeks, whether your baby is two months old or your youngest just started school.

We look at strength, coordination, your abdominal wall and your scar, and then build a plan around the life you're actually living. That might mean carrying a car seat up the stairs, getting back to Postnatal Running, or simply not planning your day around bathrooms.

Your first appointment is 60 minutes, one on one, in a private room. Your physio will take a full history and talk through what you've noticed. With your consent, they may do an internal vaginal or rectal exam.

It's the most accurate way to see what your pelvic floor muscles are doing, and you can say no, stop or ask questions at any point.

If an internal exam isn't right for you that day, we still have plenty we can assess and treat. Babies are welcome at postpartum visits, and virtual pelvic floor visits are available too.

Birth education with our Certified Childbirth Educator
Prenatal and Postnatal Fitness and Women's Strength with our registered kinesiologists and perinatal certified personal trainers
Postpartum mental health support with our Registered Social Worker
Naturopathic medicine with our Doctor Of Naturopathic Medicine
Pregnancy massage therapy with Registered Massage Therapists using supportive props and pregnancy pillows
Paediatric osteopathic techniques for babies with our Osteopathic Manual Practitioner

Pelvic floor physiotherapy for pregnancy and postpartum, in Toronto's west end

What brings women in

During pregnancy

After birth, vaginal or C-section

What happens at your first visit

One team, from pregnancy to postpartum

Your pelvic floor physiotherapists

Nicole Newediuk

Tara Campbell

Nikita Gaud

You don't have to wait until it gets worse