Date of Award

January 2019

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Document Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

First Advisor

Jennifer Hight

Department Affiliation

Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

Second Advisor

Renee Causey-Upton

Department Affiliation

Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

Third Advisor

MaryEllen Thompson

Department Affiliation

Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

Abstract

Current literature explores childbirth options and evidence-based approaches for care of an infant such as kangaroo care and breastfeeding, but there is little to no research on women’s birthing experiences and its impact on daily routines. This paper will reveal themes related to postpartum experiences and the impact on occupations for women who have given birth in the last six months. This qualitative study, using a convenience sample, explores a woman’s birthing experience and the influence it has on her postpartum occupations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017) listed almost four million births that occurred during 2016 in the United States, showing the large number of the population that was impacted with changes in occupational engagement during their postpartum experience. Implications for occupational therapy practice, and further research will be discussed.

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