Prenatal Therapy

Only in this past year did it come on my radar that some therapy clinics are offering prenatal therapy. While I can personally relate to the desire to have a therapist guide you through such a complex stage of health, I thought that because it isn’t offered widely, the evidence base would probably be weak.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. The evidence for prenatal prevention therapy is robust for improving:

Pelvic health. Pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy reduces urinary incontinence by 28% and cuts the risk of severe perineal tears in half (Zhang et al., 2024).

Pregnancy outcomes. Prenatal exercise programs lower the risk of gestational diabetes by 25%, hypertensive disorders by 33%, and cesarean delivery by 14% (Xiang et al., 2026).

Mental health. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, new evidence reveals that distinct mind-body interventions support specific maternal needs: mindfulness protocols (like MBSR) significantly reduce prenatal anxiety, depression, and stress, while prenatal yoga yields robust improvements in physical pain management and maternal self-efficacy (Miao et al., 2026).

Maternal role and quality of life. OT-specific prenatal interventions improve maternal quality of life, emotional regulation, and coping — with benefits that persist into the postpartum period (Karakus & Akyurek, 2026).

Despite this evidence, prenatal therapy remains vastly underutilized. The gap between what the research supports and what is actually available to pregnant individuals represents one of the biggest opportunities in our profession right now.

In this course, we’ll welcome Marissa Ruhl from Thrive OT, who is paving the way in offering these services and will share what she has learned about helping to build a thriving practice around this massive need.

1. You will be able to identify occupation-based assessments to utilize with prenatal clients.

2. You will be able to recognize treatment interventions for prenatal clients with robust support in evidence.

1. Tell me your story of how you found prenatal OT.

2. Tell us about your current work – and your prenatal offerings.

3. I’m surprised at the strength of the research for prenatal therapy- why do you think prenatal therapy is NOT a standard offering?

4. Tell me about how you attract prenatal OT clients.

5. When you have a client come to you- what assessments are typical for you to perform?

6. What are typical treatment areas you cover?

7. What patient education do you typically provide?

8. What do you personally feel are the most high-impact interventions you do for prenatal clients?

9. What does discharge and follow-up typically look like? (Is it common for clients to come back after birth?)

10. What would you change in the prenatal industry, if you could wave a magic wand?

• Effects of prenatal exercise interventions on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, maternal health, and pregnancy outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

• Effects of different mind-body interventions for pregnant women on mental health: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

• Effects of Maternal Role Preparation Training and Awareness-Centered Occupational Therapy Interventions on Psychosocial Parameters and Quality of Life in Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Postpartum Follow-Up

• Influence of pelvic floor muscle training alone or as part of a general physical activity program during pregnancy on urinary incontinence, episiotomy and third- or fourth-degree perineal tear: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

OT Potential pays guest speakers an honorarium for their participation, either directly or to an institution of the speaker's choosing at their request. We invite guests whose expertise often comes from practices, programs, or building products in their field. Where a speaker has a financial interest in the subject of a course, we disclose it below so you can weigh it for yourself.

OT Potential's interest in this topic: We have no financial stake in this topic.

Speaker interests: Marissa Ruhl is director of operations at Thrive Occupational Therapy Health and Wellness, which provides the prenatal services discussed in this course.