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April 1st - 30th

Course series

Acute to Early Postpartum Care for PTs & OTs

PT/OT CEUs

  • 4.5 Hours
  • PT/OT CEUs available for all 50 states in the USA
  • Click below for CEU specifics for each state.

Access

  • Immediate access
  • Unlimited access to course contents 

Audience

  • Manual therapists PT/OT who work in maternal health
IMPORTANT CEU INFORMATION: If you don't see your state listed in the "CEU Info" above under ANY of the categories for your profession (including "Meets requirements for"), please email courses@pelvicglobal.com to request your state. 

If you are an OT and you need CEUs, please email courses@pelvicglobal.com to request CEUs. 
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What to expect:

Pelvic health providers have known the US maternal health crisis is real and growing for a years and everyday more people outside the pelvic specialty are realizing what the reality is for so many. Historically the standard of care after discharge from the hospital is a single MD follow-up at 6-weeks; however, approximately 50% of postpartum deaths will occur during this 0-6 week timeframe. In recognition of this reality, physician professional organizations have updated this recommendation to follow-up within the first three weeks and ongoing care during the fourth trimester in order to “optimize the health of women and infants”.


Physical and Occupational Therapists, are particularly skilled at assessing risk and monitoring for the most common causes of postpartum mortality and morbidity during daily activity, Lifestyle analysis, task analysis & modification, non-pharmacological pain and bowel/bladder management and tissue healing that can be brought to bear to address the disparities in the current postpartum care system to reduce morbidity and mortality while improving quality of life for new families. The care therapists can provide in the early postpartum time is life changing and even life-saving.


However traditionally pelvic training for therapists has been considered specialty training that only a small percentage of PTs & OTs pursue post university and has further been focused on care starting in an outpatient setting at least 6 weeks postpartum. This course is designed to fill this gap in therapists’ training by providing basic to advanced entry level training to the PT or OT wanting to provide care to the postpartum population starting within 24-72 hours post birth through the first 6 weeks across a variety of settings including in the acute hospital, at home, outpatient and virtually.

What will you learn?

OBJECTIVES:
At the completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Understand the basics of pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum physiology as it relates to patient physical & occupational therapy needs through the first 6 weeks postpartum. 

  2. Be able to provide appropriate assessment and intervention to the postpartum patient within 24-72 hours after delivery. 

  3. Be able to design a safe and effective home exercise program for the first 6 weeks postpartum. 

  4. Have a working understanding of the signs and symptoms of the most common postpartum complications and be able to determine when/if to proceed with therapy intervention.


Be able to teach classes or work one-on-one!
Meet the instructor

Erin Locati, PT, DPT

Dr. Erin Locati, PT, DPT is a pelvic physical therapist specializing in high-risk pregnancy and early postpartum care including in the hospital setting. She earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Texas State University in 2013. Erin has originated and grown inpatient acute antepartum and postpartum programs within large hospital systems in San Antonio, Texas, to provide therapy services to patients admitted with high-risk pregnancies and within 24-72 hours post-delivery since 2018. In 2023, Erin co-authored a clinical commentary for the Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy regarding the need of acute care obstetric programs and how to initiate these programs. 

In addition to her clinical work, Erin has been teaching community education classes on pelvic health during pregnancy and after birth for a non-profit doula organization since and teaching professional continuing education courses in her specialty for physical and occupational therapists since 2022. Erin is passionate about improving the standard of care for the pregnant/postpartum populations and expanding access to pelvic health services.
Patrick Jones - Course author