Short description:

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.

Long description:

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.

"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

Table of Contents:

SECTION 1: Theoretical foundations for understanding the occupational nature of women?s health and matrescence

1. Redefining women's health in the 21st century: Embracing holistic perspectives and acknowledging gendered realities

2. Occupational therapy in women?s health: Gender-responsive practice approaches for girls and women throughout the lifespan

3. Exploring feminist perspectives in women?s health, motherhood, and occupational therapy

4. Allied health and holistic care approaches to women?s health and wellbeing: A collaborative team perspective

5. Enhancing women?s health through occupational therapy leadership

6. Breaking the silence on women?s invisible wellbeing challenges: Contemporary practice and research priorities

SECTION 2: The occupational nature of matrescence

7. The occupational nature of matrescence

8. Matrescence as a spiritual occupation and transformative life event: Rites of passage, rituals, and transitions

9. Exploring the intersection of feminism, matrescence, and occupational therapy practice

10. The perinatal transitions of matrescence: An occupational therapy perspective

11. The occupational nature of women?s mental health and illness during perinatal transitions and matrescence

12. Power, agency, and fundamental human needs: Health, wellbeing, and quality of life during motherhood

SECTION 3: Occupational therapy skills and practice for perinatal health, motherhood, and matrescence

13. Foundations to facilitate knowledge translation for evidence-based best practice

14. Navigating ?normal? motherhood struggles: Movement, compassion, and occupational balance

15. Illuminating the dark side of matrescence: A practical guide for responsive occupational therapy practice

16. Addressing the occupational nature of menstruation: A human occupation approach

17. Strengthening women?s psychosocial health, wellbeing, and quality of life during perinatal transitions and motherhood

18. Co-occupation-based interventions during perinatal transitions and motherhood

19. Occupation-based approaches to pelvic health and wellbeing

20. Empowering mothers during recovery: Occupational-based strategies for women working through perinatal mental disorders

21. A neurodiversity-affirming approach to matrescence: Empowerment through person-centred and strengths-based occupational therapy practices

22. Empowered girls and women with low vision and blindness across the lifespan: Navigating gendered occupations during perinatal transitions of matrescence

23. Empowering connections: Storytelling, lifespan approaches, and therapeutic mother?s groups for enhanced wellbeing 

24. Navigating menopause transitions: Holistic occupational therapy approaches for enhancing women?s wellbeing