Unlocking Better Outcomes in High-Risk Pregnancy

What happens when physical therapy enters the high-risk pregnancy unit? Erin Locati, PT, DPT, joins us to break down how acute care therapists can make a meaningful impact on maternal health—far beyond what most expect.

In this episode, Erin shares her unique path from chemical engineering to acute care PT, and how her own pregnancies shaped her clinical mission. We explore the misconceptions around bedrest, how to support OB teams without overstepping, and why physical therapy should be standard in high-risk pregnancy and postpartum care.

Whether you’re a hospital-based PT, student, or someone curious about expanding care for pregnant patients—this episode will challenge assumptions and spark ideas.

Today’s Guests:

Erin Locati PT, DPT

erin@risepelvicpt.com

Instagram: @erinlocati_pt

Guest Quotes:

9:11 “ …So I really felt alone navigating. Kind of my postpartum recovery and my injuries and return to activity and exercise. And then during my second pregnancy, I was diagnosed with a couple serious complications. And again, I just really felt alone and frustrated and not really knowing, well, what does it say for me to do? I don’t wanna accidentally hurt my baby by doing too much, and my doctor wasn’t super helpful about it. I knew that pelvic physical therapy was a specialty that existed. Where PTs work with pregnant and postpartum patients, but it was really more of an outpatient specialty as far as I knew.

And I was in acute care and I wanted to stay in acute care. Yeah. So I thought about, well, how can I help these populations where I am?

I mean, all these patients are here in the hospital. Almost everybody gives birth in a hospital in the US. So maybe there’s a way that I can provide skilled care in the setting I’m already in to pregnant and postpartum patients, and that’s really where it started.”

25:52 “ It’s looking at their restrictions and deciding, you know, with your skilled assessment, what level of exercise could they probably be doing within the restrictions they have. And again, going up to the max that it restriction allows them.

So that they can minimize the losses they’re gonna have from being on bedrest.”

Rapid Responses:

Do you have any good book recommendations?

“… My favorite book, love In the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.”

You know you work in acute care when…

” You can treat everything. You go from a cabbage to a knee replacement, to a stroke, to a pregnant patient.”

Links:

https://enhancedrecoveryafterdelivery.com/

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DbQbXixy8/

https://pelvicglobal.com/

Connect with our host and the podcast!

Leo Arguelles (LEE-O R-GWELL-IS)