2025-05-28 Acute Postpartum Rehab Toolkit for Moms

Dr. Rebeca Segraves, PT, DPT is a Board-Certified Women’s Health Clinical Specialist and Certified Lymphedema Therapist who has practiced within outpatient, home health, and inpatient settings. She has served diverse populations in critical care, oncology, and inpatient obstetrics across three Level 1 trauma centers. She has extensive experience with optimizing function in the high-risk pregnancy population during long-term hospitalizations and following perinatal loss. In the acute care and home health settings, Dr. Segraves has worked with maternal care teams to maximize early recovery after delivery, including populations at risk for adverse cardiopulmonary events after cesarean delivery and obstetric critical care interventions. She is the founder of Enhanced Recovery After Delivery, an obstetrics clinical pathway that maximizes pregnancy and postpartum outcomes with occupational and physical therapy before and immediately after birth. Her vision is that occupational and physical therapy will be standard of care before and after birth to optimize mental and physical function around the globe.

Dr. Katherine Sylvester, PT, DPT, is a graduate of The Medical College of Georgia’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. She spent the first decade of her career in acute care, where she developed a rehab program for neurological patients and secured funding to build a hospital rehab gym. After having her first child, she became passionate about supporting moms at home and created two programs for mothers and a course for healthcare providers. Following her second child and a battle with preeclampsia, she co-created Operation M.I.S.T., a remote monitoring program to combat the maternal health crisis. This initiative combines monitoring, education, collaboration, advocacy, and support to help women thrive. To serve patients who can’t afford PT, Katherine pursued pitch competitions and grants, securing over $150,000 in funding. She is also dedicated to diversifying the profession, mentoring minority students, and addressing healthcare inequities.

Dr. Jenna Segraves, PT, DPT is a Board-Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist in Physical Therapy and a Certified Lymphedema Therapist. She is an Assistant Professor in the School of Physical Therapy at Graceland University. Her clinical practice involves a wide variety of settings and populations including outpatient orthopedics, outpatient neurology, lymphedema management, pelvic health, acute care with a focus on neuro/trauma diagnoses, critical care, the emergency department, and inpatient obstetrics. For the acute care obstetric population, she evaluates and treats individuals within 24 hours following delivery. Dr. Segraves is passionate about expanding physical and occupational therapy services to optimize function in the immediate postpartum phase of recovery.