# “Remember One Size Doesn’t Fit All”: A Scoping Review of Postpartum Supports for Neurodivergent Mothers

## TL;DR

This review explores how postpartum supports often fail to meet the needs of neurodivergent mothers, highlighting the need for tailored care and better understanding.

## Contribution

The study provides a scoping review of postpartum experiences of neurodivergent women, emphasizing the need for tailored supports and training for healthcare professionals.

## Key findings

- Neurodivergent women often adapt their coping strategies to meet their baby's needs, which can lead to increased stress.
- Healthcare professionals frequently overlook the specific needs of neurodivergent mothers, leading to greater scrutiny.
- Current postpartum supports often do not accommodate sensory or behavioral needs of autistic and ADHD women.

## Abstract

Neurodivergence affects how women experience the world and life transitions such as motherhood and the postpartum period. Postpartum supports are designed from a neurotypical perspective and may not meet the needs of neurodivergent women. For example, breastfeeding groups may not support the sensory needs of autistic women. The aim of this scoping review was to document postpartum experiences of neurodivergent women.

A scoping review methodology underpinned this review. The socio-ecological model was used to report findings and generate recommendations.

18 records were included primarily representing experiences of autistic women and women with ADHD. Women reported that acting in the best interests of their baby was their highest priority. This often involved making adaptations that disrupted their coping strategies and engaging in social situations such as baby groups, which required them to accept cultural norms and adopt expected neurotypical behaviours. Healthcare professionals did not always account for the needs of neurodivergent women; in some cases, this led to situations whereby neurodivergent women experienced greater parenting scrutiny.

This review highlighted a small but growing body of research relating to the postpartum experiences of neurodivergent women. Neurodivergent women need access to tailored supports during the postpartum period as they balance managing the needs of an infant with necessary neurodiversity adjustments. However, there is also a need for greater healthcare professional training specific to supporting neurodivergent women and better public understanding of neurodiversity to ensure neurodivergent women feel safe to be their authentic selves in motherhood.

This review highlights the limited research in this area to date, while also casting light on the specific postpartum needs of autistic women and women with ADHD. Many such needs are not recognised or met by current supports. This may lead to women masking neurodivergence and experiencing higher levels of anxiety and burnout, leading to long-term negative outcomes for mother and children. By applying the socio-ecological model we have been able to identify priority actions from the level of individual supports to those needed at a health system and societal level.