UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K


                             CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
                          TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                                October 13, 2004
                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)

                             Matria Healthcare, Inc.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

                                    Delaware
                 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

                               0-20619 58-2205984
           (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.)

    1850 Parkway Place, Marietta, GA                              30067
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                        (Zip Code)

                                  770-767-4500
              (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

                                 Not Applicable
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

         Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

|_|  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
     CFR 230.425)

|_|  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
     240.14a-12)

|_|  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

|_|  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



Item 2.02.  Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

     The following  information is being furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 of Form
8-K. This information  shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of
the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934,  as  amended,  nor  shall  it be  deemed
incorporated  by reference in any filing under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as
amended,  except as shall be expressly  set forth by specific  reference in such
filing.

     On  October  13,  2004,  Matria  Healthcare,  Inc.  issued a press  release
announcing  its  expectation  to exceed its  previously  announced  guidance for
earnings  per diluted  common  share from  continuing  operations  for the third
quarter ended September 30, 2004. The full text of the press release is attached
hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

     The attached press release  includes a presentation  of earnings per share,
excluding  certain unusual items,  for the six month period ended June 30, 2004.
Such measure is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not
be considered as an alternative to earnings per share as computed under GAAP for
the applicable  period.  The Company considers earnings per share to be the most
comparable GAAP measure, and the Company has presented  reconciling  information
in the press release.

     The non-GAAP  measure  described  above excludes the costs  associated with
repurchasing  $120 million in aggregate  principal  amount of the  Company's 11%
Series B Senior  Notes due 2008 (the "11% Senior  Notes"),  additional  interest
expense  incurred as a result of the timing of the use of the proceeds  from the
sale of the Company's 4.875% Convertible  Senior  Subordinated Notes due 2024 to
purchase the 11% Senior Notes,  the gain from the sale of  substantially  all of
the assets of the Company's  Pharmacy and Supplies  Business and a restructuring
charge. Management uses earnings measures adjusted to exclude such items as part
of its evaluation of the performance of the Company.  The Company  believes that
these measures  provide useful  information to investors  because the items that
are excluded  relate to unusual  events that  resulted in a  significant  impact
during the second  fiscal  quarter and are not likely to recur  regularly  or in
predictable amounts and, consequently,  presenting earnings per share, excluding
such unusual items, is meaningful supplemental information for investors.

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(c)      Exhibits

         The following exhibit is furnished herewith:

99.1     Press Release, dated October 13, 2004.









                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                         Matria Healthcare, Inc.


                                         By: /s/ Parker H. Petit
                                            -----------------------------
                                            Parker H. Petit
                                            Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Dated:  October 13, 2004







                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit
Number     Description of Exhibits
--------   ------------------------------

99.1       Press Release, dated October 13, 2004.