Why Postpartum Moms Need Occupational Therapy: Sensory Regulation, Mental Health, and Real Support After Baby
When a baby is born, the world focuses on the baby.
Feeding
Sleep
Milestones
Development
But much more importantly… a mother is being born too.
And while everyone asks how the baby is doing, far fewer people ask:
“How is mom’s nervous system holding all of this?”
As a maternal health occupational therapist, and a mom of three myself, this is the question that guides everything I do. And one I wish someone had asked me in my earlier postpartum days.
Because I’ve learned something both clinically and personally:
When we support the mother, we support the baby too.
Or the way I often say it:
“I hold the mom so she can hold her baby.”
Why Postpartum Support Must Include the Mother
Postpartum recovery isn’t only physical, there is so much more to it than people realize.
It is:
neurological
emotional
sensory
relational
deeply tied to daily life
It affects how a mother:
feeds her baby
sleeps (or doesn’t)
responds to crying
connects with her partner
experiences herself in this completely new identity
This is where occupational therapy in the postpartum period becomes incredibly important, and if we’re being honest, often overlooked.
What Occupational Therapy Does for Postpartum Moms
Occupational therapy helps people participate in the daily activities that make up real life.
For postpartum moms, that means support with things like:
sensory overload and nervous system regulation
postpartum anxiety, mood, and emotional regulation
breastfeeding, bottle feeding, and starting solids
creating routines that actually work with a newborn
understanding baby development without panic or pressure
navigating the identity shift into motherhood
This whole-person lens is what makes OT uniquely suited for maternal health and postpartum care.
And honestly… it’s the kind of support many moms tell me they wish they had sooner.
Why Everything Feels More Overwhelming After Baby
Many mothers quietly think:
“Why does everything feel louder, brighter, and harder than I expected?”
There are real, biological reasons for this.
Hormonal Shifts:
Rapid drops in estrogen and progesterone, along with changing oxytocin levels, increase emotional sensitivity and stress reactivity.
Sleep Deprivation
Fragmented sleep reduces the brain’s ability to:
filter sensory input
regulate emotions
tolerate stress
Constant Sensory Input
New motherhood brings nonstop stimulation:
crying sounds (from baby, toddler(s), sometimes from myself)
touch from feeding and holding
visual clutter
heightened smell sensitivity
zero true off-duty time
Over time, this can lead to sensory overload and nervous system exhaustion.
Not weakness. Not failure. Physiology.
What Sensory Overload Can Look Like in Postpartum Moms
In my work with mothers, sensory overwhelm often shows up as:
feeling extremely irritable or on edge
wanting to escape noise or touch
feeling “touched out” during feeding or contact naps
light or clutter making anxiety worse
emotional shutdown, numbness, or tears that feel sudden
Many moms worry that something is wrong with them. What I want them to know is: Your nervous system is responding to an intense life transition. And support can help.
Why Supporting Mom’s Regulation Supports Baby’s Development
Attachment and infant mental health research consistently shows: Babies borrow regulation from their caregivers.
So when a mother is chronically overwhelmed, we may see:
more feeding stress
difficulty settling
less enjoyment in daily moments
But when a mother feels supported and regulated, we often see:
calmer baby behavior
smoother feeding interactions
stronger bonding and connection
This is why maternal care is not extra. It is early developmental support, being proactive versus reactive when it comes to supporting moms. Equipping moms with tools that they can use on the harder days.
Gentle, Realistic Ways to Support a Postpartum Nervous System
Postpartum regulation doesn’t come from complicated routines. It comes from small, repeatable moments like:
slow breathing with longer exhales
rhythmic walking, rocking, or swaying
deep pressure (a firm hug, supportive babywearing, weighted lap blanket)
dimming lights or stepping outside for fresh air
creating simple, predictable daily rhythms
Tiny supports. Real life. Nervous system care that actually fits motherhood.
My recent favorite tool has definitely been my weighted lap pad and an acupressure fidget ring.
Rebuilding Identity in Motherhood
Postpartum is also a time of matrescence, the transformation into becoming a mother. A word more people should know about. From an OT perspective, I view motherhood as a developmental milestone. Not as clear cut as a baby’s (rolling, crawling, walking, etc.), but different phases of development in identity.
And somewhere between diapers, feedings, and exhaustion…many women quietly wonder:
“Where did I go?”
One of the most meaningful parts of my work as an occupational therapist is helping moms:
feel like themselves again
reconnect with joy and confidence
experience motherhood with more calm and less survival mode
Because motherhood shouldn’t erase you.
It should be able to hold you too.
The Message I Wish Every Postpartum Mom Could Hear
If you feel overstimulated…
touched out…
anxious…
or unlike yourself…
You are NOT failing.
Your nervous system is asking for support.
And when we care for the mother’s regulation, we are also caring for the baby’s future.
This is the heart of maternal health occupational therapy, and why I do what I do here at Motivated OT Mama.
I hold the mom so she can hold her baby.
Next Steps
If this feels familiar, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
I offer:
1:1 maternal health occupational therapy (in-home & telehealth)
mom & baby support groups
feeding and development guidance
sensory and nervous system support for postpartum
You deserve care too.
Schedule your free 15 minute intro call HERE or complete the contact form.