Maternal Health & OT

Märit Watson, OTD, OTR/L, PMH-C, wants to reinfuse the origins of OT into into a rapidly growing segment of OT research and clinical practice — maternal health

by Stephanie Stemmler • April 15, 2025

Capstone students explore ergonomics related to parenting in the WashU Maternal Health Collective mentored scholarship lab.

“OT is all about a mind-body connection, and the field originated at a time when there was a push toward mental health services,” Watson said. “That initial connection with mental health transitioned toward the physical rehabilitation field during the First World War. Over the past decade, however, we’ve seen a merger again of OT with mental health research and practice in new and exciting areas such as maternal health.”

It is tangibly seen in one of the newest mentored scholarship labs in the Program in Occupational Therapy. Called the Maternal Health Collective, the lab is a collaboration of faculty and clinicians who are investigating ways to improve perinatal outcomes through occupational engagement and activities that enhance well-being and mental, physical, and emotional health. Here, OT students are mentored in research projects on perinatal topics such as breastfeeding, high-risk pregnancy care, pregnancy loss, infertility, and new parent support.

Watson has delved into that connection for years, beginning with her own doctoral research at Creighton University focused on miscarriage and OT in the context of bereavement. Her research paper, “Journey Interrupted: A Phenomenological Exploration of Miscarriage,” has had more than 2,000 downloads since it was published in the Open Journal of Occupational Therapy in 2018.

“It was a small study, but we had more women asking to volunteer to be a part of it than we could accommodate at the time, which highlighted the interest and need for this research,” Watson said. “As occupational therapists, we work with individuals every day to navigate a ‘new normal’ after experiencing an injury or illness. The same unexpected loss of anticipated roles or routines that may occur with an injury such as a traumatic brain injury holds true for those parents navigating pregnancy loss. Our study showed that there is ambiguity in loss and not a lot of follow-through to address the mental health component as well as the physical aspects of loss. So often, that journey is not validated, which can lead to disenfranchised grief.”

Watson further advanced awareness of the connection between maternal health and OT by bringing interactive, hands-on educational experiences to the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Missouri, exploring topics such as ergonomics during the perinatal period, babywearing, breastfeeding, and perinatal mental health.

“Hands-on practice, in addition to information, is the key to engaging others, not only to learn safe, proper movement, but also to recognize more subtle signs that impact occupation and daily living activities,” Watson stressed.

Dynamic engagement is a hallmark of Watson’s educational style, and she is passionate about designing curricula that highlight not only skills training, but also critical thinking and the role of evidence-based practice to advance the profession. She co-developed and co-led the new “OT in Maternal Health” elective in the Program that launched in Spring 2025. She also is the course director for “OT in Inpatient Rehabilitation” and “Professional Identity and Practice in Medical Settings,” as well as co-course director for the adult case-based learning course series. “As a former military spouse, I have had unique clinical experiences in many different practice settings, and the courses I teach leverage my experience in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient settings,” she said.

She also has two growing community outreach projects. The first, BALANCED, was developed in 2017 at Faith Lutheran Church in O’Fallon, Ill. “I was in church and saw many older members of the congregation struggle to get up and move during communion,” Watson recalled. “I went to church leadership and asked if I could start a free balance program to teach fall recovery, balance activities, and how to remain safe and independent in homes. That program has had consistent enrollment and interest over the past eight years.”

Last year, she helped to debut the WashU AT (Assistive Technology) Make-a-thon, an event that brings together OT and engineering students who collaborate with individuals with disabilities — co-designers — to invent practical solutions for occupational and daily living challenges. “It was amazing, totally hands-on and fun,” Watson said. “More importantly, it showed how occupational therapists can bring knowledge and perspective to creating adaptive technologies that improve quality of life.”

Watson plans to continue her efforts to broaden the impact of OT in the community while also conceptualizing innovative learning opportunities that enhance student engagement and facilitate successful learning outcomes. “Our field is wonderfully relevant, engaging and people-centric,” she added. “I’m excited about identifying new pathways to clinical competency for the next generation of occupational therapists. I want the students I teach to consider their influence in the world and to make connections to the role of occupation as a contributor to health. Let’s identify a need, research, assess, and create evidence-based practice guidelines that keep OT at the forefront of innovation. By doing so, we positively impact lives in so many ways.”