Occupational Therapists' Role in Maternal Health in the Home Environment After Cesarean Section.

Abstract

Cesarean sections (c-sections) are the most commonly performed surgery in the United States, and the country is currently facing a maternal health crisis. Surprisingly, women do not receive rehabilitation services to support the acute stages of c-section recovery. When someone undergoes a knee or hip replacement, it is standard practice for the physician to order home health services, including occupational therapy, for a client before they are discharged from the hospital. The role transition to motherhood, which requires the provision of newborn care, physical limitations after surgery, and the associated mental health changes position occupational therapy practitioners as professionals who can provide essential services to mothers after a c-section. In this column, we argue for occupational therapy practitioners' important role in serving women in the home environment immediately after a c-section and provide a tangible action plan for implementing these crucial services to improve maternal health outcomes. This column gives a voice to the often-invisible struggles of mothers suffering in silence in the acute postpartum stage of c-section recovery in the hope of bringing positive change to maternal health outcomes through the provision of skilled occupational therapy services.