As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 4, 2002

                                                     Registration No. 333- _____
================================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                             MATRIA HEALTHCARE, INC.
               (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

         Delaware                                                    58-2205984
(State or other jurisdiction of                                (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)                              Identification No.)

                         1850 Parkway Place, 12th Floor
                             Marietta, Georgia 30067
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

                MATRIA HEALTHCARE, INC. 2002 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

                MATRIA HEALTHCARE, INC. 2002 STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)
                            ------------------------

                                Roberta L. McCaw
                             Matria Healthcare, Inc.
                         1850 Parkway Place, 12th Floor
                             Marietta, Georgia 30067
                                 --------------
 (Name, address and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                    The Commission is requested to mail signed copies of all
orders, notices and communications to:

                                Roberta L. McCaw
                             Matria Healthcare, Inc.
                         1850 Parkway Place, 12th Floor
                             Marietta, Georgia 30067
                            Telephone: (770) 767-8332
                            Facsimile: (770) 767-7769

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                              
                                                                         Proposed
Title of each class of          Amount to be    Proposed maximum     maximum aggregate        Amount of
securities to be registered     registered(1)   offering price per   offering price(2)    registration fee
                                                    share(2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, $0.01 par value   375,000 shares       $8.77              $3,288,750            $302.57
(together with associated common
stock purchase rights)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


(1)      In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933,
         as amended (the "Securities Act"), this registration statement also
         covers an indeterminate number of additional shares which may be
         offered and issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits,
         stock dividends or similar transactions as provided in the plans
         described herein.
(2)      Pursuant to Rule 457(h)(1) under the Securities Act, these figures are
         based upon the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock
         on October __, 2002, as reported in the Nasdaq National Market System,
         and are used solely for the purpose of calculating the registration
         fee.








                                     PART I

                          INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE
                            SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The information required by Part I of Form S-8 (plan information and registrant
information and plan annual information) to be contained in the Section 10(a)
prospectus is omitted from this registration statement in accordance with the
Note to Part I of Form S-8.

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

     Matria Healthcare,  Inc.  ("Registrant")  hereby  incorporates by reference
into this registration statement the following documents:

(a)  the  Registrant's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K,  as amended by Form  10-K/A
     Amendment No. 1, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001, as filed with
     the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") March 29, 2002;

(b)  the  Registrant's  Quarterly  Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal  quarters
     ended March 31, 2002 and June 30, 2002,  as filed with the  Commission  May
     14, 2002 and August 14, 2002, respectively;

(c)  the  Registrant's  Current  Report on Form 8-K,  as amended by Form  8-K/A,
     dated April 29, 2002;

(d)  the  Registrant's  Current Reports on Form 8-K as filed with the Commission
     on April 30, 2002,  September 4, 2002,  and October 8, 2002,  respectively;
     and

(e)  the  description  of the  Registrant's  capital stock  contained in the
     Joint Proxy  Statement/Prospectus  of Healthdyne,  Inc. ("Healthdyne") and
     Tokos Medical Corporation ("Tokos"),  predecessors of the Registrant, filed
     as part of Registrant's  Registration  Statement  No. 333-00781 on Form S-4
     filed with the Commission  February 7, 1996 (the "Joint Proxy  Statement"),
     as amended by Form 8A/A filed with the Commission October 29, 2001, and as
     it may be amended by any amendmentor report filed subsequent to the date of
     this registration statement for the purpose of updating such description.

     In  addition,   all  documents  filed   subsequent  to  the  date  of  this
registration statement by the undersigned Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c),  14 and 15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934,  as amended (the
"Exchange  Act") and prior to the filing of a  post-effective  amendment  hereto
which either  indicates that all shares of common stock offered hereby have been
sold or deregisters any shares of such common stock then  remaining,  shall also
be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this  registration  statement and
to be a part hereof from their  respective  dates of filing.  Any statement in a
document  incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be
deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration  Statement
to the extent that a statement  contained herein,  or in any other  subsequently
filed  document  that also is deemed to be  incorporated  by  reference  herein,
modifies  or  supersedes  such  statement.   Any  statement  contained  in  this
registration  statement  shall be deemed to be  modified  or  superseded  to the
extent that a statement  contained in a subsequently  filed document which is or
is deemed to be  incorporated  by reference  herein  modifies or supersedes such
statement.  Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed,  except
as so  modified  or  superseded,  to  constitute  a part  of  this  registration
statement.


ITEM 4.  Description of Securities.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         The legality of the shares offered hereby is being passed upon for the
Registrant by Troutman Sanders LLP, Atlanta, Georgia. Carl E. Sanders, a
director of the Registrant and the Chairman of Troutman Sanders LLP, is the
beneficial owner of 22,946 shares of the Common Stock of the Registrant.

ITEM 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     The General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the "DGCL") permits a
corporation  to indemnify  officers,  directors,  employees  and agents  against
expenses  (including  attorneys'  fees),  judgments,  fines and amounts  paid in
settlement  if such  person  acted  in good  faith  and in a manner  the  person
reasonably  believed  to be in, or not  opposed  to, the best  interests  of the
corporation,  and with respect to any criminal actions,  had no reasonable cause
to believe was unlawful.  In the case of an action brought by or in the right of
a corporation,  the corporation may indemnify a director,  officer,  employee or
agent of the corporation against expenses  (including  attorneys' fees) actually
and reasonably  incurred by him or her if he or she acted in good faith and in a
manner  he or she  reasonably  believed  to be in or  not  opposed  to the  best
interests of the corporation,  except that no  indemnification  shall be made in
respect of any claim,  issue or matter as to which such  person  shall have been
adjudged to be liable to the  corporation  unless a court finds that, in view of
all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled
to indemnity for such expenses as the court shall deem proper. The DGCL provides
that a  corporation  may advance  expenses of defense (upon receipt of a written
undertaking to reimburse the corporation if  indemnification is not appropriate)
and must  reimburse a successful  defendant for expenses,  including  attorney's
fees,  actually and reasonably  incurred,  and permits a corporation to purchase
and maintain liability insurance for its directors and officers.

     The  Registrant's  Certificate of  Incorporation  provides that  Registrant
shall,  to the fullest  extent  permitted by law,  indemnify  its  directors and
officers against any liability,  losses or related expenses which they may incur
by reason of serving or having served as directors  and officers of  Registrant.
The Registrant's  Certificate of Incorporation  limits  Registrant's  directors'
liability for monetary  damages to Registrant and its  stockholders for breaches
of  fiduciary  duty to the fullest  extent  permitted  under the DGCL.  The DGCL
permits Delaware corporations to include in their certificate of incorporation a
provision  eliminating  or limiting  director  liability  for  monetary  damages
arising from breaches of fiduciary duty. The only limitations  imposed under the
statute are that the provision may not eliminate or limit a director's liability
(i) for breaches of the  director's  duty of loyalty to the  corporation  or its
stockholders,  (ii)  for  acts or  omissions  not in  good  faith  or  involving
intentional  misconduct  or known  violations  of law,  (iii) for the payment of
unlawful  dividends  or unlawful  stock  purchases  or  redemptions  or (iv) for
transactions in which the director received an improper personal benefit.


                  The Registrant's Bylaws provide that each person who is
involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he or she is or was
a director or officer of Registrant, or is or was serving at the request of the
corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or
of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service
with respect to an employee benefit plan, will be indemnified by the corporation
to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter
be amended, against all costs, charges, expenses, liabilities and losses
reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection therewith, and such
indemnification will continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director,
officer, employee or agent and will inure to the benefit or his or her heirs,
executors and administrators; provided, however, that Registrant will indemnify
any such person seeking indemnification in connection with a proceeding
initiated by such person only if such proceeding was authorized by Registrant's
Board of Directors. The right to indemnification is a contract right and
includes the right to be paid by Registrant the expenses incurred in defending
any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that
if the DGCL so requires, the payment of such expenses incurred by a director or
officer in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding will be made only
upon delivery to Registrant of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such director
or officer, to repay all amounts so advanced if it will ultimately be determined
that such director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified. The Registrant
may provide indemnification to employees and agents of Registrant with the same
scope and effect as the foregoing indemnification of directors and officers.

     The  indemnification  rights conferred by the  Registrant's  Certificate of
Incorporation  and Bylaws are not exclusive of any other right to which a person
seeking indemnification may be entitled under any law, bylaw, agreement, vote of
stockholders or disinterested  directors or otherwise.  Registrant  maintains an
insurance  policy on behalf  of its  directors  and  officers  insuring  against
certain liabilities including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.

ITEM 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

         Not applicable.






ITEM 8.  Exhibits.

         Exhibit
         Number
         ------

         4(a)    Matria   Healthcare,   Inc.  2002  Stock   Incentive   Plan,
                 incorporated by reference to Appendix C to the  Registrant's
                 Definitive Proxy Statement filed with the Commission  August
                 23, 2002.

         4(b)    Matria  Healthcare, Inc. 2002 Stock Purchase Plan, incorporated
                 by reference to Appendix D to  the  Registrant's   Definitive
                 Proxy Statement filed with the Commission August 23, 2002.

         4(c)    Amended and Restated  Certificate of  Incorporation of the
                 Registrant, incorporated by reference to Appendix D of the
                 Joint Proxy  Statement/Prospectus of  Healthdyne  and  Tokos,
                 filed  as  part  of the  Registrant's  Registration Statement
                 No. 333-00781 on Form S-4, filed with the Commission February
                 7, 1996.

         4(d)    Certificate of Amendment of Restated  Certificate of
                 Incorporation of the Registrant,  incorporated  by reference to
                 Exhibit 3.4 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for
                 the year ended December 31, 2000.

         4(e)    Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant, incorporated by
                 reference to Exhibit 3 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on
                 Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2000.

         4(f)    Amended and Restated Rights Agreement dated April 27, 1999
                 between the Registrant and SunTrust Bank, Atlanta, incorporated
                 by reference to Exhibit 4 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report
                 on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1999.

         5       Opinion of Troutman Sanders LLP.

         23(a)   Consent of KPMG LLP.

         23(b)   Consent of Troutman Sanders LLP (contained in opinion filed in
                 Exhibit 5).


ITEM 9.  Undertakings.

     (a) Rule 415 offerings. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1) To file,  during any period in which  offers or sales are being made, a
post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

     (i)  To  include  any  prospectus  required  by  Section  10(a)(3)  of  the
Securities Act;

     (ii) To reflect in the  prospectus  any facts or events  arising  after the
effective date of the registration  statement (or the most recent post-effective
amendment  thereof)  which,  individually  or  in  the  aggregate,  represent  a
fundamental  change in the information set forth in the registration  statement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing,  any increase or decrease in volume of securities
offered (if the total dollar value of  securities  offered would not exceed that
which  was  registered)  and any  deviation  from  the  low or  high  and of the
estimated  maximum  offering  range may be reflected  in the form of  prospectus
filed with the  Commission  pursuant  to Rule 424(b) if, in the  aggregate,  the
changes in volume  and price  represent  no more than 20  percent  change in the
maximum  aggregate  offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration
Fee" table in the effective registration statement.

     (iii) To  include  any  material  information  with  respect to the plan of
distribution  not  previously  disclosed  in the  registration  statement or any
material change to such information in the registration statement;

     Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if
the information  required to be included in a post-effective  amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the Registrant  pursuant to
Section  13 or  Section  15(d) of the  Exchange  Act that  are  incorporated  by
reference in the registration statement.

     (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities
Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration
statement relating to the securities  offered therein,  and the offering of such
securities  at that time shall be deemed to be the  initial  bona fide  offering
thereof.

     (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective  amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.

     (b) Filings  incorporating  subsequent Exchange Act documents by reference.
The undersigned  Registrant  hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining
any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the  Registrant's  annual
report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section  15(d) of the Exchange Act that is
incorporated by reference in the registration  statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration  statement relating to the securities offered therein,  and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

     (c)   Filing  of   registration   statement   on  Form  S-8.   Insofar   as
indemnification  for  liabilities  arising  under  the  Securities  Act  may  be
permitted to  directors,  officers  and  controlling  persons of the  Registrant
pursuant to the  foregoing  provisions  or otherwise,  the  Registrant  has been
advised that in the opinion of the Commission  such  indemnification  is against
public  policy  as  expressed  in  the   Securities   Act  and  is,   therefore,
unenforceable.  In the  event  that a claim  for  indemnification  against  such
liabilities  (other than the payment by the  Registrant of expenses  incurred or
paid by a  director,  officer or  controlling  person of the  Registrant  in the
successful  defense of any  action,  suit or  proceeding)  is  asserted  by such
director,  officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been  settled by  controlling  precedent,  submit to a court of  appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such  indemnification  by it is against public
policy as  expressed  in the  Securities  Act and will be  governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.






                                   SIGNATURES





                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Marietta, State of Georgia, on October 31, 2002.

                             MATRIA HEALTHCARE, INC.



                             By:/s/ Parker H. Petit
                                 Parker H. Petit
                                 Chairman of the Board, President
                                 and Chief Executive Officer









                  KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose
signature appears below constitutes and appoints Parker H. Petit and Stephen M.
Mengert, and each of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents,
with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name,
place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to
this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto,
and other documents in connection therewith with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and
authority to do and to perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully and to all intents and
purposes as he might or would do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all
that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or their substitutes, may lawfully do or
cause to be done by virtue hereof.

                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.

    Signatures                          Title                            Date


/s/ Parker H. Petit              Chairman of the Board,         October 31, 2002
----------------------             President and Chief
Parker H. Petit                     Executive Officer
                                  (Principal Executive
                                         Officer)

/s/ Jeffrey D. Koepsell          Chief Operating Officer,       October 31, 2002
-----------------------           Executive Vice President
Jeffrey D. Koepsell                   and Director


/s/ Stephen M. Mengert            Vice President-Finance        October 31, 2002
-----------------------         and Chief Financial Officer
Stephen M. Mengert             (Principal Financial Officer)


/s/ Larry N. Brownlee              Corporate Controller         October 31, 2002
-----------------------         (Principal Accounting Officer)
Larry N. Brownlee


/s/ Guy W. Millner                       Director               October 31, 2002
-----------------------
Guy W. Millner


/s/ Carl E. Sanders                      Director               October 31, 2002
-----------------------
Carl E. Sanders


                                         Director               October __, 2002
-----------------------
Thomas S. Stribling

/s/ Donald W. Weber                      Director               October 31, 2002
-----------------------
Donald W. Weber

/s/ Morris S. Weeden                     Director               October 31, 2002
-----------------------
Morris S. Weeden

/s/ Frederick P. Zuspan, M.D.            Director               October 31, 2002
-----------------------------
Frederick P. Zuspan, M.D.




                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number            Description

4(a)              Matria  Healthcare,  Inc. 2002 Stock Incentive  Plan,
                  incorporated by reference to Appendix C to the Registrant's
                  Definitive Proxy Statement filed with the Commission August
                  23, 2002.

4(b)              Matria Healthcare, Inc. 2002 Stock Purchase Plan, incorporated
                  by reference to Appendix D to the Registrant's Definitive
                  Proxy Statement filed with the Commission August 23, 2002.

4(c)              Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the
                  Registrant, incorporated by reference to Appendix D of the
                  Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus of Healthdyne and Tokos,
                  filed as part of the Registrant's Registration Statement No.
                  333-00781 on Form S-4, filed with the Commission February 7,
                  1996.

4(d)              Certificate of Amendment of Restated Certificate of
                  Incorporation of the Registrant, incorporated by reference to
                  Exhibit 3.4 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for
                  the year ended December 31, 2000.

4(e)              Amended and  Restated  Bylaws of the  Registrant, incorporated
                  by reference to Exhibit 3 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report
                  on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2000.

4(f)              Amended and Restated Rights Agreement dated April 27, 1999
                  between the Registrant and SunTrust Bank Atlanta, incorporated
                  by reference to Exhibit 4 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report
                  on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1999.

5                 Opinion of Troutman Sanders LLP.

23(a)             Consent of KPMG LLP.

23(b)             Consent of Troutman Sanders LLP (contained in opinion filed in
                  Exhibit 5).