Enhancing Women’s Wellbeing During Matrescence, Motherhood, and Perinatal Transitions: An Evidence-Based Guide for Occupational Therapists

Guided by research and occupational therapy practices, this evidence-based text maps how occupational therapists and the allied health collective can holistically promote women’s health, wellbeing, and self-efficacy during matrescence - the bio-psycho-social-political-spiritual-developmental journey and rite of passage of mother-becoming.

From person-centred, gender-sensitive, and feminist perspectives, this book introduces a compassionate and non-medicalised framework guiding how health and wellbeing professionals can engage responsively with women during motherhood journeys. Building on doctoral research exploring the role of occupational therapists in perinatal health, this guide includes occupation- and co-occupation-based theories, models, and frameworks for supporting women’s transitions and transformations as individuals, and mother-infant dyads. Bolstered by learning objectives, case studies, summaries and reflective questions, the chapters feature a collection of innovative occupational therapy approaches to support women struggling with overwhelm, burnout, and other common, normalised issues across the lifespan - from womanhood to grandmotherhood, and menstruation to menopause. Further, the book sheds light on the ’dark side’ of motherhood occupations, outlining holistic strategies to promote functional capacities, empowering and enabling women work to through the impacts of role overloading, disrupted identity, shame, dysfunction, and perinatal trauma.

A much-needed addition to the perinatal care field, this essential guide is tailored for occupational therapy, mental health and other healthcare practitioners and postgraduate students working in perinatal health and matrescence.

Dr Hannah Slootjes is an Australian occupational therapist and academic (’pracademic’), with additional qualifications in literature, behavioural studies, and fine art. Dr Slootjes completed a PhD in 2022 exploring occupational therapist’s role in perinatal health, and has a special interest in women’s health, perinatal transitions, matricentric feminism, motherhood, and matrescence.