Why do randomized controlled trials often miss the mark for rehabilitation research? How can occupational therapy and physical therapy show system level value in maternal health, postpartum care, and hospital workflows? In this conversation Dr. Rebeca Segraves sits down with two past presidents of the American Occupational Therapy Association — Dr. Amy Lamb and Dr. Alyson Stover — to explore practical strategies for measuring real world impact using implementation science, quality improvement, and smart clinical workflows.In this episode we cover:• Why RCTs are not always the best fit for rehab research• What implementation science and quality improvement look like in clinical practice• Concrete examples of workflows and data points hospitals care about (length of stay, readmissions, cost, patient satisfaction)• How to design feasible pilot projects that produce actionable results for administrators• A glimpse at international models that embed OT into primary careConnect with our Guests:• Dr Amy Lamb, Past President, American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), Consultant, Implementation Science Research — amy@thrivynconsulting.com • Dr Alyson Stover, Immediate Past President, AOTA, Consultant, Health Policy and Law — alyson@thrivynconsulting.comGrow an OB Rehab Program in your hospital: Enhanced Recovery After Delivery® (ERAD): https://enhancedrecoveryafterdelivery.com/program/

What if everything you’ve been told about diastasis recti isn’t the full story? In this episode, Antony Lo @PhysioDetective an internationally recognized physiotherapist from Australia, shares why:

• slowing things down with deep core activation and breathing exercises can backfire
• why people deserve support in their own goals for strength, function, and appearance, and
• why most are far more capable than they’ve been told.

This conversation will challenge what you think you know about abdominal muscle separation and recovery after birth.

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