Physiotherapy for the Prevention of Maternal Morbidity

Overview

Maternal morbidity, which is prevalent during pregnancy and after childbirth, poses a significant risk of lifelong disability. Consequently, reducing preventable maternal morbidity has become a central focus of health initiatives. Published scholarly evidence increasingly supports physiotherapy’s preventive and essential role in prenatal care.

In this comprehensive 5-part course, Jessica Bergevin, PT, Doctor of Science Candidate in Rehabilitation and Health Leadership, explores five key categories of maternal morbidity in which prenatal physiotherapy plays a powerful preventive role: maternal injury, pain, dysfunction, systemic disease, and childbirth-related trauma. Each topic is examined through a narrative review of the literature, combined with clinical insight and practical application. Open-access research is highlighted to support evidence-based decision-making.

To facilitate clinical implementation, Jessica also shares treatment strategies and frameworks she has developed for the prenatal population and offers access to printable patient resources.

Physiotherapy for the Prevention of Maternal Morbidity aims to promote the use of research in practice and welcomes not only experienced prenatal or pelvic health physiotherapists but also physiotherapy students, assistants, and allied health professionals interested in this vital area of care.

Schedule

All sessions take place on Mondays from 6:30–8:00 PM (ET).

Part 1 – Prevention and Treatment of Maternal Injury
📅 Monday, March 2

Part 2 – Prevention and Reduction of Maternal Pain
📅 Monday, March 9

Part 3 – Prevention and Treatment of Maternal Dysfunction
📅 Monday, March 23

Part 4 – Prevention of Maternal Disease Through Physical Activity
📅 Monday, April 20

Part 5 – Prevention of Childbirth-Related Trauma
📅 Monday, May 4

Learning Objectives

In this 5-part live online series, we will:

List five categories of maternal morbidity for which prenatal physiotherapy offers valuable prevention and reduction.
Describe the value of prenatal physiotherapy to patients and during interdisciplinary collaboration, to support health literacy and access to care.
Integrate established and emerging evidence into prenatal physiotherapy care.
Select and prescribe evidence-based treatment strategies and techniques for the prenatal population.
Design comprehensive prenatal care programs to reduce preventable maternal morbidity.

Audience

This course is designed for orthopaedic, pelvic health, and reproductive health physiotherapists seeking to strengthen their evidence-based prenatal care. Physiotherapy students, physiotherapy assistants, and allied health professionals with an interest in maternal health are also welcome.

Registration & What’s Included

Registration includes:

Access to the 5 live sessions
Live Q&A—bring your clinical questions
Access to the recordings
Downloadable resource(s)/slides, including printable patient resources that can be used directly in clinical practice.
Certificate of completion

The cost to register is CAD $345 for the full series.
(Registration is for the complete series only; individual session registration is not available.)

Recording and Replays

All sessions will be recorded and made available on Embodia as a course at no additional cost for registered attendees. If you’re unable to attend live, you’ll receive access to the recording and any shared resources shortly after the session.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for U.S. PTs and PTAs

This live course series provides 7.5 CEUs for eligible participants.

Embodia is an approved provider of continuing education for Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants in multiple jurisdictions, including Illinois, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and California (through Redefine Health Education).

Courses approved by these state boards are likely accepted for licensure credit in the following jurisdictions, based on individual state regulations:

AL | AK | AR | CO | CT | DE | GA | HI | ID | IL | IN | IA | KS | KY | ME | MA | MI | MO | MT | NE | NH | NC | ND | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | UT | VT | VA | VI | WA | WI | WY

Clinicians are encouraged to confirm acceptance with their state licensing board.

Create an account to register for the webinar

The instructors

Jessica Bergevin
PT

Jessica Bergevin is a Doctor of Science candidate in Rehabilitation and Health Leadership at Queen’s University. Her research focuses on reducing maternal morbidity with the integration of physiotherapy into routine prenatal care.

As a clinician, Jessica provides orthopaedic and pelvic health physiotherapy in rural Nova Scotia. She is the founder and host of the Maritime Pelvic Physiotherapy Conference and Social, a professional development event that blends education, well-being, and networking for physiotherapists who practice pelvic health.

Jessica constructs continuing education courses for physiotherapists and interdisciplinary health professionals. Her courses synthesize published scholarly evidence with practice-based experience to focus on clinical relevance and practical tools for clinical care.

Her vision is to support and advance evidence-based practice related to physiotherapy care across health systems and enhance patient experiences/health outcomes through research, strategy, advocacy, and collaborative innovation.

Create an account to register for the webinar

Back