What do occupational therapy practitioners who specialize in maternal health have in common?
The thing I wanted most in life was to become a mother. I practiced non-stop as a child, hauling around my baby dolls and stuffed animals. I would pretend to walk to the park, pushing my baby in a stroller and talking to my best mom friend on my mobile phone about the trials and tribulations of raising children. When we “arrived” (after multiple trips around my living room), I would settle the baby on a picnic blanket, pop a pacifier in her mouth, and continue my phone conversation. I loved my mom life.
Fast forward two decades when I became a mom for real, I learned that casual walks to the park where my child sat contently in her stroller allowing me to blab away to a mom friend on the other end (whose child was also letting her talk) did not reflect the reality of motherhood.
In fact, the realities of everyday mothering involved barely (if at all) feeling competent in one tiny thing, and the, BAM! something would change and another thing would become impossible. Doing motherhood came without consistency, often without any warning, and without anyone to help me navigate the upside down life I found myself living in.
But there were times during those early days when I would realize that I did have some skills to adjust to the constant flux of my activities and sanity. But those skills did not come from parenting classes or even mom friends or groups; they came from my professional background as an occupational therapist. Occupational therapy (OT) is a healthcare profession focused on helping individuals perform daily activities and improve their quality of life, usually after a major life change or developmental phase. Becoming a mom is both.
In 2022, with the pandemic barely in the rear view mirror, Gayle Schwee and I founded Matrescence Occupational Therapy, a private practice providing community-based occupational therapy specializing in maternal and infant health. We wanted to bring everything we had learned as occupational therapists: the education, activity analysis, creativity, adaptation, strategies and tools to mothers who were in the thick of taking care of tiny humans and themselves. We scoured the Internet to find others who were doing the same, and came up with little to work with.
Today, the landscape of occupational therapy in perinatal and maternal health has changed a lot. After over two years of attending professional conferences, speaking to students and researchers interested in maternal health and related topics, and connecting with others who had similar stories to ours, the rolling hills and scenery of occupational therapy in maternal health has started to take shape. A significant and impactful shift has taken place as more occupational therapy practitioners and students have begun to specialize in maternal and perinatal health. What do these occupational therapy practitioners specializing in maternal, perinatal and women’s health all have in common? We are driven by personal experiences, a passion for filling gaps in care, and a strong desire to support mothers and their families during critical life transitions.
Our personal experiences serve as inspiration.
Many occupational therapy practitioners working in maternal and perinatal health are inspired by their own motherhood experiences, often centered around the gaps in care and the lack of support available during pregnancy and postpartum periods.
Dr. Stacey Rosselot, OTD, MOTR/L, of Mommy and OT in Ohio, IN shares, "What inspired me was my delivery with my daughter. I had poor aftercare and no check-up on my mental health and started having severe postnatal anxiety at nine months postpartum." This personal struggle drove her to create social support groups and start a postnatal therapy program.
Isabel Hartounian, the owner of Thrive Maternal Care in California, reflects on her “own issues with pelvic health and perinatal depression and late diagnosis of ADHD." This journey led her to discover the work of other OTs working with moms and fueled her passion for her profession.
A recurring theme is the lack of support many therapists felt during their own motherhood journeys, which motivated them to ensure others do not face the same challenges. "My experience of pregnancy loss was the catalyst for my shift of my OT practice into this space," shares Hollie Swanton, an OT, yoga teacher and Matrescence Coach in Queensland, Australia, emphasizing the importance of emotional well-being support during such vulnerable times.
Haydee Medrano, owner of Pathways OT and Wellness in South Texas, reflects, "My own pelvic floor issues during pregnancy/postpartum-being dismissed by my health provider & difficulties with breastfeeding, lacking the 1:1 support! I was looking for a therapist locally who understood breastfeeding, and couldn’t find anyone!"
Paula Bradley, founder of Strong roots Occupational Therapy in Philadelphia, emphasizes “I’m passionate about working in this space due to my own prenatal/postnatal experiences but also the lack of support and resources for the black and brown communities. My hope is to be able to bridge the gap a little bit and be able to bring support and resources to those communities.”
We see common issues.
Occupational therapy practitioners in maternal and perinatal health address a variety of client issues, ranging from physical health to emotional support. We often see clients for pelvic and postpartum health concerns, such as pain, incontinence, and difficulty with activities of daily living (ADLs) including caring for themselves and their children.
Khadijah Johnson, an occupational therapist and owner of Inner Strength Pelvic and Postpartum Wellness explains, "Clients typically see me during pregnancy and/or postpartum for birth prep, pain, pain with intercourse, difficulty completing ADLs due to pelvic/postpartum concerns."
Mental health support and routine establishment are also critical areas. "For my moms in postpartum, it’s been role management and establishing new routines so everyone (mom, baby, and partner) feels successful and balanced," shares Armi Gace Petersen, a maternal health OT and owner of Motivated OT Mama in Chicago.
Feeding and developmental concerns are common issues as well. "Families typically see me for baby feeding and developmental questions and concerns. I primarily focus on feeding," notes Suzie Driscoll, who works extensively with infants and their families in her practice, Tiny and Mighty Therapy in Seattle.
Amanda Mack, Director of Post-professional Education at Washington Univerity School of Medicine in St. Louis elaborates, "I see clients to support breastfeeding (and everything really because occupations are interconnected!). I work primarily with high-risk clients who are referred from a high-risk OB-GYN, with the idea that they want additional support for their breastfeeding journey."
Stephanie Wu, an occupational therapist specializing in hand therapy and owner of H.O.M.E Mama in New York shares, "Clients typically come to me with injuries and pain from baby handling, particularly mommy wrist and other arm pain. I go to their homes to provide hand therapy and consult on more ergonomic infant care for injury prevention."
Miranda Little, an assistant professor at Creighton University who was a pioneer in integrating maternal health into the university’s entry-level curriculum noted, "I work in academia, so my role is a little different. While I do some consulting work for moms and practitioners, my primary role is teaching students about maternal health and research."
We share a passion for maternal and perinatal health.
The passion maternal health occupational therapy practitioners and students have for their work is palpable. Many express a deep commitment to empowering and supporting mothers, driven by both personal, professional and cultural motivations.
"I am passionate about this field of work because every mother, and every baby, deserves to feel supported, loved, and confident about the transition to this new stage of life," states Jordan Morillo, an occupational therapist and certified babywearing consultant who founded The Babywearing OT.
Khadijah highlights the public health aspect, "My experiences and the experiences of other women that have felt unsupported during pregnancy and the postpartum period really motivate me to support others during this time. Also knowing the statistics and how maternal healthcare has become a public health crisis is alarming."
We need to advocate for professional recognition and support.
A significant part of the conversation around occupational therapy in maternal and perinatal health is the need for greater professional recognition and support. OT practitioners and students advocate for specialized training, research, and resources to better serve this population.
Sabina Khan, an Assistant Professor at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences whose specializations include women’s and pelvic health, emphasizes, "It's crucial to advocate for specialized training, research, and resources to better serve this population," highlighting the need for professional organizations to understand the importance of this practice area.
"As OTs, we understand the importance of how mental health impacts our daily activities of living, IADLs, co-occupations, and so much more," states Suzie, calling for the recognition of maternal health as a critical area within occupational therapy.
There is also a strong push for more comprehensive community-based and preventative care. "Until then, I want our professional organizations to better value and uplift OTs when we’re providing work that is community-based and preventative, not just rehabilitative and in medical settings," says Jordan.
PJ Bhakta, an OT specializing in occupation-focused wellness in pelvic health, ergonomics, self-regulation and neurodiversity-affirming care, concludes, "The foundation of OT is humanism. What is more humanistic than providing extra attention (& lobby dollars) towards supporting maternal health for the overall well-being of our society?"
Kimberly Day, Occupational Therapist and owner of Sunny Day Wellness and OT in Lexington, Kentucky, concludes our role succinctly; “From knowledge of child and infant development, training on sensory strategies for stress management and self regulation, setting up wellness plans, to home modifications, [occupational therapy practitioners] have so many ways to help ease care partner burnout and support you as you support your family.”
The emerging practice of occupational therapy in maternal and perinatal health is a testament to our profession’s versatility and commitment to addressing unmet needs in healthcare and humanity. Through our lived experiences and professional expertise, occupational therapy practitioners are making significant strides in supporting mothers and their families by supporting them in the things they need, have and want to do in their daily lives. Our advocacy for greater recognition and specialized training underscores the critical role occupational therapy can play in promoting maternal and family well-being. As this practice area continues to grow, it promises to bring about meaningful change in the lives of many.
Special thanks to the following people who contributed to this article:
Nicole Bazinet, MS, OTR/L, CNT, CBS, NTMTC of bwellbaby, LLC in Raleigh, NC.
PJ Bhakta, OTR, OTD of TheraSolutions Consulting in Round Rock, TX
Paula Bradley, MOT, OTR/L of Strong Roots Maternal & Pediatric Occupational Therapy in Philadelphia, PA
Kimberly Day MS, OT R/L, BCP, CIMI-2, CPRS, ECHM of Sunny Day Wellness and OT in Lexington, KY
Isabel Hartounian, MS, OTR/L, PMH-C, TIPHP of Thrive Maternal Care in Campbell, CA
KerryAnn Humphrey, OTR/L of Unity Health Utah in St. George, UT
Khadijah Johnson, OTD, OTR/L of Inner Strength Pelvic & Postpartum Wellness in Houston, TX
Sabina Khan, Ph.D., OTD, Assistant Professor at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in West Palm Beach, FL
Miranda Little, OTD, OTR/L Assistant Professor at Creighton University
Amanda Mack, OTD, Director of Post-professional Education at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Haydee Medrano, OTR, MOT, CBS of Pathways OT and Wellness in South Texas
Jordan Morillo, OTR/L, Certified Babywearing Consultant of The Babywearing OT
Armi Grace Petersen MS, OTR/L, ASDCS of Motivated OT Mama in Chicago, IL
Dr. Stacey Rosselot, OTD, MOTR/L, of Mommy and OT in Ohio, IN
Hollie Swanton of Hollie Swanton Occupational Therapy in Queensland, Australia
Stephanie Wu, OTR/L, PMH-C, CHT, CEAS of H.O.M.E Mama in New York City, NY
