Still not sure what the role is of OT in perinatal health? Check out my PhD thesis for everything I’ve learned about this emerging practice area…

Did you know that occupational therapists have been practicing in perinatal health for decades? Many of the core skills OTs can be applied to support women’s occupational performance issues and needs during perinatal stages and matrescence, which a growing number of passionate OTs around the world are discovering. This emerging non-traditional practice area has long been shrouded in ambiguity, with questions about professional integrity, role scope, and lack of clarity about OTs place in maternity care teams. After nine years, my PhD research has been published in an open-access thesis, titled, “The Role of Occupational Therapists in Perinatal Health“.

I’m passionate about OTs in perinatal health and matrescence, and am so keen to share my research with anyone who’s interested or as invested as I am. But unless you’re feeling well in lockdown with absolutely nothing else to think about or do, an 80,000 word thesis is way (waaayyy) too much to read through. So, over the next few weeks I’m going to share bite-sized chunks of my thesis to help share knowledge and promote reflective thinking, constructive debate, and professional development for OTs in perinatal health and matrescence.

Thank you to all of the OTs who practice in this space, and especially to those who shared their experiences with me for this PhD research. I’m looking so forward to continuing to make as much of a contribution as I can with my research, and am so excited to see OT roles in women’s health, perinatal health, and matrescence bloom! Sleeves are rolled up, and here we go…