Maternal Health Occupational Therapy: Education & Resources for Professionals
Advanced education, tools, and guidance for OTs working in maternal health, infant feeding, and perinatal care.
Advancing Occupational Therapy in Maternal & Perinatal Health
Occupational therapy plays a critical role in supporting maternal mental health, infant feeding, and early family functioning — yet many clinicians receive little formal training in this area.
My work focuses on bridging that gap through education, consultation, and resource development for occupational therapists working across pregnancy, postpartum, and early infancy. With a background in maternal mental health, lactation, and systems-based care, I support clinicians navigating both the clinical and professional complexities of this work.
These resources are designed for occupational therapists seeking thoughtful, evidence-based guidance that integrates mental health, development, and real-world practice.
Continuing Education Course
I teach advanced continuing education courses through The Lactation OT, focused on maternal health, infant feeding, and perinatal care.
Foundations of Maternal Health: Integrating Breastfeeding, Mental Health, and Postpartum Recovery
A comprehensive, evidence-based course for occupational therapists. 7 hours, 0.7 AOTA CEUs
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maternal health course reviews
“I feel like I have a new perspective on the dyad. It is SO easy as a therapist to be baby focused. I love the information about postpartum planning and nutrition.”
-SLP
“The slides were clear & full of great info. I took so many notes. I appreciated the diversity presented both in the graphics and information shared. Darian is very knowledgable and all of the information in this course was exactly what I was looking for and can be applied in practice immediately. I love how she blended in information on traditional practices.”
-OT
“Excellent! As someone who teaches lactation professionals, specifically on counseling, I found this training to be extremely thorough. The level of compassion in this training is not traditionally seen in clinical trainings. The compassion, based on evidence, is what put this training above others that I've experienced.”
-IBCLC
“The practical ways to apply this information to practice. I feel like this is one of the best classes I have taken through Lactation OT.”
-OT
“This course was AMAZING! I was taking notes the whole time as Dairian shared a lot of great information! The personal stories that were shared in the course were so touching, relatable and definitely supported the content shared. As a new maternal health OT and starting my own practice, this information confirmed once more of the need of these services for all moms, but specially for our black and brown communities. I really liked how the information for interventions was broken down with examples and ideas. I felt like I learned a lot and felt encouraged as new practice owner to service moms, families and their little ones.”
-OT
“The clear and concise information was easy to follow. The personal videos were especially touching and helped to bring all the information together. One of the best CEU courses I've taken in quite some time. It really helps to bring a vulnerability to the work that we do.”
-SLP