300 - 1688 152nd Street South Surrey, BC V4A 4N2 Ph: 604 538 8338 Fax: 604 538 3277 info@dianelee.ca twitter.com/dianeleept facebook.com/DianeLeeAssocPhysio

Every year millions of women deliver babies and go on to lead pain free functional lives; however, there are many who do not. Some continue to have persistent low back or pelvic pain while others fail to regain their urinary continence. And there are some Moms who 'appear' to recover, only to suffer a recurrence of back or pelvic girdle pain with or without incontinence/organ prolapse years later.

While most women experience a separation of their abdominal wall (diastasis rectus abdominis) during the third trimester of their pregnancy, almost all will close naturally in the early postpartum period (three months), but what about those that don't? Who should consider surgery to correct their abdominal wall and who can get better with exercise training?

Most women take prenatal classes during their first pregnancy to learn about what's ahead for them with respect to their delivery, but very few take a postpartum class to learn about things they should do to get their body back after having their baby and why this is so essential for their long-term health.

Diane Lee has been passionate about empowering women through their pregnancies and postpartum experience to understand more about the changes that occur to their bodies and what they should watch for and do to prevent future complications.

Together, Rachael Corbett, Diane Lee and Tyla Schlender spearheaded the development of an educational brochure in association with the physiotherapists at Women's Hospital and the Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia to inform ALL women of key things to consider and watch for in the early postpartum period. The intent was to inform women as to when they should consult a physiotherapist for rehabilitation after delivering their baby. This brochure is now being introduced to all hospitals in British Columbia and is available on this page as a free downloadable PDF file. PLEASE, if you have had a baby, have a quick look at this brochure, do the simple tests and come see us if any of the tests are positive.

At Diane Lee & Associates, we have developed a postpartum screening visit (one 1 hour session), which will help you decide on the next best steps for your health and fitness. Following this examination, we will let you know if you require a complete evaluation for your abdominal wall (including decisions around how to best treat your diastasis rectus abdominis, if you still have one) and/or pelvic floor before returning to your fitness class/routine (Yoga, Pilates, Boot Camp etc). Just call the clinic (604 538 8338) and ask to book a one-hour Postpartum screening appointment. Please complete the Postpartum screening questionnaire and bring it with you to your appointment.

Pregnancy and delivery can significantly alter the anatomy and function of the abdominal wall and pelvic floor. To compensate, women often develop non-optimal habits for standing, sitting and lifting. These habits can further overload the joints, muscles and organs and lead to complications in the years to come. By restoring function early, we hope to decrease the number of women who will go on to experience back and pelvic pain as well as incontinence and organ prolapse.