Advancing Maternal Health Through Physical Therapy

On August 20, Bayhealth Rehabilitation Services and Women’s Health welcomed U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester for an in-person discussion highlighting Bayhealth’s Fourth Trimester Rehabilitation (FTR) program and its role in supporting maternal recovery following childbirth. The visit provided an opportunity to highlight Delaware’s first program of its kind and demonstrate how physical therapy is helping address postpartum pelvic health and functional needs through timely evaluation, education, and individualized rehabilitation. The discussion also connected this work to the broader goals of Senator Blunt Rochester’s proposed Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act of 2026 (S. 4480), highlighting the role physical therapy can play in improving maternal health outcomes.

A special thank you goes to Joshua W. Smith, PT, DPT, MBA, APTA Delaware Federal Affairs Liaison, who has spent the past three years working to secure an in-person visit with a federal legislator during the August congressional recess. His persistence and advocacy helped make this important engagement possible, providing an opportunity to put the work of Delaware physical therapists directly in front of a federal policymaker and highlight the important role physical therapy plays in supporting maternal health and recovery.

We are proud to see physical therapy playing an increasingly visible role in conversations around maternal health and postpartum recovery, and to highlight the important work being done by Delaware physical therapists to improve outcomes for mothers and families across our state.