Redefining recovery: Closing the perinatal technology gap for athlete-mothers

Pregnancy and postpartum represent identity-salient biopsychosocial transitions for athlete-mothers navigating return-to-activity within digitally mediated performance environments. Wearable technologies are increasingly embedded in training and recovery decision-making; however, these systems are typically calibrated on non-pregnant populations and may assign deficit-based meaning to normative perinatal physiological adaptation. This clinical commentary highlights the potential for wearable devices to function not merely as measurement tools but as interpretive systems that shape identity appraisal and mental health during the perinatal transition. We propose a recalibrated framework for wearable design that integrates perinatal-specific physiological reference ranges, contextual caregiving inputs, validated mental health screening tools, and psychologically informed feedback framing. We emphasize the need for longitudinal research to establish normative physiological trajectories across pregnancy and postpartum, particularly among athlete-mothers. By aligning algorithmic interpretation with contemporary biopsychosocial science, wearable technologies can evolve from performance-optimization tools to identity-sensitive, clinically informed adjuncts that support adaptive recovery among athlete-mothers.