Enhancing Women's Wellbeing During Matrescence, Motherhood, and Perinatal Transitions

"Advancing occupational science to a new level, Enhancing Women’s Wellbeing During Matrescence and Perinatal Transitions vividly demonstrates the promise to both science and practice of an evidence-based, occupation-based, and feminist perspective on the transition into motherhood. This comprehensive text draws on contemporary theory to detail compassionate occupational therapy practice that transcends the medicalization of birth to focus on the occupational nature and challenges of matrescence. It offers practice approaches addressing identity transformation, perinatal mental illness and psychosocial health, occupational balance and quality of life in motherhood, perinatal health disparities, co-occupation-based practice with the mother-child dyad, recovery from perinatal trauma, supporting women with disabilities during matrescence, group-based narrative approaches using therapeutic mothers’ groups, managing the occupations of menstruation and menopause, and healthcare teaming and leadership in service to women in the process of becoming mothers. A must read for occupational therapists and scientists, and anyone wanting to learn about co-occupations and matrescence." — Dr Doris Pierce, Occupational Therapist, Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association, USA

"This ambitious and impressive book resets the role and practice of occupational therapy in relation to women and girls health across the lifespan. Through a foregrounding of transitions in women’s lives, including matrescence, perinatal health and wellbeing, the collection presents a challenge to existing professional practices and boundaries. From international guidelines to theoretically informed, individual reflexive praxis, the chapters cumulatively invite the reader to reflect and develop strategies for delivering gender-responsive and culturally-sensitive care. A must read for those studying, teaching and delivering occupational therapy and those seeking a more expansive understanding of matrescence." — Professor Tina Miller, Oxford Brookes University, UK

"This groundbreaking book on women’s occupations, health, and well-being is an important addition to the literature for all allied health professions. It provides a comprehensive and theoretically grounded understanding of women’s health throughout the lifespan. It also offers the occupational therapy practitioner practical strategies for meeting the needs of their clients." — Dr Betsy Francis-Connolly, School of Health Sciences, University of New Haven, U.S.A

"A text book that enlightens and enriches the research and practice of occupational therapy to radically transform the discipline. The book perceptively exposes the silence, under-recognition, and dismissal of research on women's health and wellbeing and develops a gender-sensitive and culturally informed theory and praxis that moves us beyond traditional medical models and provides practical strategies and goals for inclusive and holistic healthcare to support and empower women throughout the life course. Particularly innovative, illuminating, and useful are its discussions on matrescence, mothering/motherhood occupations and matricentric feminism which deliver a long overdue and urgently needed mother-centred theory and practice for maternal health promotion. A foundational text in Occupational Therapy and Motherhood Studies." — Dr Andrea O’Reilly, York University, Canada; Founder of Motherhood Studies, Maternal Theory, and Matricentric Feminism

"How long have women and girls waited for a gender-responsive perspective in occupational therapy? A long time. As a female dominated profession, occupational therapy has struggled to assert the uniqueness of being female, the impacts of gender and the risks and consequences of being female. This wonderful book is evidence that the occupational therapy profession has evolved to acknowledge the unique health, wellbeing, economic, sociocultural factors and environmental situation of women and girls, and the reciprocal impacts on occupations. The chapters are scientific, sensitive and powerful—written by women, for women, to help women and girls. Authors present an array of issues for occupational therapy professionals: the health of women and girls; the marginalisation and oppression of women and girls and their health needs; the phases of menstruation, pregnancy and menopause; the changing roles and occupations of women and girls in modern society; and the female perspective with an occupational therapy lens. This brave book advances occupational therapy practice with women and girls, to move research and practice closer to a highly targeted, evidence-based specialisation which can only result in better provision of services for females across the lifespan. The authors are brave, because gender-based specialism can attract criticism. If it was easy to write a book like this, it would have been done already! The book validates gender-based differences, acknowledges vulnerabilities, oppression and injustice, and opens up future chapters about harnessing the power of women and girls. The occupational therapy profession must advocate to empower women and girls to experience better health and exercise their rights to participate in occupations of choice. As an occupational therapist who has specialised in the health, wellbeing and empowerment of mothers of children with disability, I’m so appreciative of this book. I encourage others to delve into the contents because women and girls are amazing!" — Professor Helen Bourke-Taylor, Monash University, Australia; Occupational Therapist and Creator of Healthy Mothers Healthy Families