#146 Prenatal Therapy with Marissa Ruhl

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. Mind-body interventions like yoga, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy significantly reduce prenatal anxiety, depression, and stress — while also improving pain management and 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.See full course details here:https://otpotential.com/continuing-education/course/prenatal-therapy See all OT CEU courses here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-coursesCheck our our live webinar schedule here:https://otpotential.com/live-ot-ceu-webinarsSupport the show by using the OTPOTENTIAL Medbridge Code:https://otpotential.com/blog/promo-code-for-medbridgeTry 2 free OT Potential courses here:https://otpotential.com/free-ot-ceusSupport the show