Occupational Therapy for Pregnancy and Postpartum Recovery

 
 

Occupational therapists (OTs) are healthcare professionals who help people engage in all daily life activities and have training to address physical, emotional, and psychosocial issues that impact function and life participation. Simply put, OTs help people do the things they both want and need to do in daily life. 

Perinatal occupational therapy helps women navigate pregnancy and postpartum, recover from physical or mental health concerns, and transition into the new role of motherhood that comes with a massive shift in routine and identity. 

Working with an OT can be beneficial at any point on your journey in motherhood, but may be especially beneficial during your initial postpartum period and transition into motherhood.

I would love to support you any way that I can if:

  • You are having pelvic floor issues

  • You are experiencing aches and pains

  • You are struggling with postpartum mood changes and feel down or anxious 

  • You can't find time to prioritize your own needs and self-care for healthy eating, personal care, exercise, alone time, and time with your partner or friends 

  • You feel stressed or overwhelmed with the demands of life, motherhood, or work

  • You feel isolated and need more support 

  • You are having difficulty sleeping well or sleeping enough

  • You feel touched out or overstimulated

  • You feel lost or disconnected from who you were before motherhood

Some thing I address include (but are not limited to): 

Physical Health

  • Pelvic floor pain and dysfunction

  • Back, neck, wrist, hand, hip, and abdominal pain

  • C-section recovery

  • Posture/positioning/movement/mobility 

  • Body mechanics with infant/child care 

  • Return to exercise

Mental Health

  • Postpartum mood changes, depression, anxiety and how they impact your functioning in daily life

  • Stress management

  • Sensory overload

  • Processing pregnancy, birth, postpartum, loss of or change in identity 

General Health

  • Strategies to prioritize self-care

  • Healthcare and infant care education

  • Assistance in establishing new routines for all of life’s demands (self-care, childcare, home management, relationships, return to work)

  • Ergonomics and optimal environmental set-up for childcare tasks

  • Return to sex and intimacy

  • Support: personal and professional support systems