Occupational therapists Lindsey Vestal, OTR/L and Lara Desrosiers, MSc. OT Reg. (Ont.) share how trauma can impact the experiences that mothers have after birth and the work of rehab therapists providing early care across settings.

We discuss:

1. Their personal motivations behind creating the Trauma-Informed Pelvic Health Certification program and the Trauma-Informed Maternal Care training

2. Their reactions to the New York Times report on intra-operative pain during cesarean birth and the estimated 100,000+ women in the U.S. affected each year

3. The evolving role of rehab therapists in maternal health, why hospitals are beginning to offer OT and PT services after birth, what it takes to gain recognition as part of the maternal care team in hospital, virtual, and clinic-based settings

4. Clinical pearls for trauma-informed practice:

• Why the presence or absence of trauma cannot be assumed from a medical record, and how to ask questions that build trust and uncover lived experience

• Trauma-informed care strategies uniquely relevant to the maternal population, including language that restores agency and collaborative goal setting

• Self-care recommendations for therapists facing burnout, secondary trauma, or personal challenges while advocating for the value of maternal rehab

This conversation is designed for rehab professionals who are working to make early maternal rehab the standard of care in hospital, virtual, and outpatient clinic settings. If you have felt the struggle of proving your value in systems that overlook maternal rehab, this interview will provide both validation and actionable tools to support your practice.

Trauma-Informed Pelvic Health Certification Training: https://www.functionalpelvis.com/trauma

Trauma-Informed Strategies in Maternal Health: Pelvic Health Network

OTs in Pelvic Health Summit: https://www.functionalpelvis.com/summit