The potential struggles that accompany mothers bringing their bundles of joy into the world have been well-documented across eras in human history. Dealing with incidents from sleepless nights to hormone fluctuations, the postpartum period tends to incite a variety of physical, mental, and emotional challenges. Consequently, occupational therapy could provide a variety of beneficial tools and strategies to assist women/parents in tackling the unique challenges of postpartum life.
Read on to learn five ways that occupational therapy can be beneficial for women and their partners after childbirth.
1. Developing a routine: Occupational therapists often help new mothers to establish a daily routine that allows for adequate rest, self-care, and time with respective families. This personalized structure can benefit mothers by promoting their mental health and reducing stressors in their lives.1, 2
2. Improving sleep habits: It is well-known that parents get little sleep when infants join their families. Occupational therapists typically use their expertise to help parents develop healthier sleep habits, including sleep hygiene education and sleep restriction therapy to alleviate insomnia.3, 4
3. Reducing fatigue: Occupational therapists could partner with parents to provide strategies to reduce fatigue and promote energy conservation, such as pacing activities, time management, and relaxation techniques. 5, 6, 7
4. Enhancing body image: Women’s bodies change significantly during pregnancy and after their children are born. Occupational therapists could use individualized strategies to empower women to recognize and appreciate their postpartum bodies and promote a positive body image that could boost self-esteem.8, 9
5. Improving mobility: Aches and pains are widely reported after childbirth. Occupational therapists could provide women and their partners with expert guidance on how to the best strategies to safely transition to and engage in physical activities, including aerobic exercise and leisure activities that require physical exertion that mothers may have enjoyed prior to childbirth.10
Overall, occupational therapy can be a beneficial resource for new mothers, helping them to manage the unique challenges that come along with postpartum life.
References
1. Barbic, S. P., MacKirdy, K., Weiss, R., Barrie, A., Kitchin, V., & Lepin, S. (2021). Scoping Review of the Role of Occupational Therapy in the Treatment of Women With Postpartum Depression. Annals of International Occupational Therapy, 4(4), e249-e259.
2. Grabarkewitz, A. (2020). Occupational Gearing For Child Rearing: Occupational Therapy’s Role in Helping New Mothers Succeed After Giving Birth. Occupational Therapy Capstones. 439. https://commons.und.edu/ot-grad/439/
3. Pizur-Barnekow, K., & Erickson, S. (2011). Perinatal posttraumatic stress disorder: Implications for occupational therapy in early intervention practice. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 27(2), 126-139.
4. Giallo, R., Cooklin, A., Dunning, M., & Seymour, M. (2014). The efficacy of an intervention for the management of postpartum fatigue. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 43(5), 598-613.
5. Doering, J. J., & Dogan, S. (2018). A postpartum sleep and fatigue intervention feasibility pilot study. Behavioral sleep medicine, 16(2), 185-201.
6. Domínguez-Solís, E., Lima-Serrano, M., & Lima-Rodriguez, J. S. (2021). Non-pharmacological interventions to reduce anxiety in pregnancy, labour and postpartum: A systematic review. Midwifery, 102, 103126.
7. Gampur, I. R., Anwar, M., & Kurniawati, H. F. (2022). The Effect of Lavender Aromatherapy on Postpartum Blues of Primipara Mothers: A Scoping Review. Women, Midwives and Midwifery, 2(3), 64-76.
8. Hutchinson, J., & Cassidy, T. (2022). Well-being, self-esteem and body satisfaction in new mothers. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 40(5), 532-546.
9. Morley-Hewitt, A. G., & Owen, A. L. (2020). A systematic review examining the association between female body image and the intention, initiation and duration of post-partum infant feeding methods (breastfeeding vs bottle-feeding). Journal of health psychology, 25(2), 207-226.
10. Selman, R., Early, K., Battles, B., Seidenburg, M., Wendel, E., & Westerlund, S. (2022). Maximizing Recovery in the Postpartum Period: A Timeline for Rehabilitation from Pregnancy through Return to Sport. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 17(6), 1170-1183.