The Barbell Mamas Podcast | Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pelvic Health
Published by Christina Prevett
Health & Fitness
Fitness
The Barbell Mamas podcast aims to be the go-to resource for women trying to conceive, who are pregnant or postpartum that love moving their bodies. The times are changing and moms have athletic goals, want to exercise at high-intensity or lift heavy weights, and want to be able to continue with their exercise routines during pregnancy, after baby and with healthcare providers that support them along the way. In this podcast, we are going to bring you up-to-date health and fitness information about all topics in women's health with a special lens of exercise. With standalone episodes and special guests, we hope to help you feel prepared and supported in your motherhood or pelvic health journey.
Pregnancy Complications: Red Lights to Yellow Lights
“No exercise” can land like a punch to the gut when movement is how you manage stress, feel strong in your body, and stay connected to yourself. I’m Christina Prevett, pelvic floor PT and pregnancy and exercise researcher, and I’m digging into what to do when a pregnancy complication changes the conversation fast and your provider recommends activity restriction, pelvic rest, or even bed rest. We start by reframing the fear narrative. Yes, complications can raise risk and it makes sense that your mind goes straight to worst-case scenarios. But we also have to name the costs of too much sedentary time in pregnancy: mental health strain, inflammatory load, musculoskeletal deconditioning, and showing up to labor less prepared for the physical demands ahead. I walk through the complications that commonly trigger blanket limits, including placenta previa or low-lying placenta, subchorionic hematoma, gestational hypertension, premature rupture of membranes, cervical insufficiency, and intrauterine growth restriction. Then we get practical. I share how I recommend approaching your OB or high-risk OB with kindness and clarity, how to explain your “why,” and the exact questions that invite nuance: Is exercise truly known to make this worse? Is this a blanket rule or specific to my presentation? Can we lower intensity, reduce impact, or modify training rather than shutting everything down? We also talk about absolute risk versus relative risk, and why it’s okay to seek a second opinion if you feel dismissed. If you want support walking into your next appointment, I’m putting together a PDF of these questions plus a summary of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine guidance. Subscribe, share this with a pregnant friend who lifts, and leave a review so more active moms can find evidence-informed support. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
BONUS: Barbell Mamas Is Back
A lot of pregnancy and postpartum fitness advice sounds confident until it hits real life. One mom feels ready to load a barbell at six weeks postpartum, another is rebuilding from pain, sleep deprivation, or a tough delivery, and both get handed the same plan anyway. I’m Christina Prevett, a pelvic floor physical therapist and researcher in exercise and pregnancy, and this short bonus episode is a clear announcement: Barbell Mamas is re-engaging and doubling down on nuance, not one-size-fits-all prescriptions. I share why we built our training programs around a templated workout style with “filters” and options. The backbone stays the same, but you can adjust based on what you’re feeling, what equipment you have, and the realities of your pregnancy or postpartum recovery. We also talk about why c-section versus vaginal delivery can change considerations, and why individualized strength training matters whether you are a CrossFitter, weightlifter, powerlifter, or simply a mom who wants to get stronger. Then I lay out what’s next: more educational products and deeper support, including ebooks, presentations, and personalized wellness consultations so you can apply research to your specific body and goals. The first new resource in the pipeline is a birth prep ebook for active women, plus tools to help you have better conversations with your provider about physical activity and preparing for birth. If you want evidence-based pregnancy fitness, postpartum exercise guidance, and pelvic floor-informed strength training without the quick-fix noise, follow along. Subscribe, share with a friend who lifts, and leave a review so more moms can find the support they actually need. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Training After Pregnancy In The Military
The military asks your body to perform on demand, and pregnancy does not pause that reality. Today we sit down with Dr. Chris Edwards, a researcher focused on the female military experience, to get honest about what happens when standards, equipment, and “evidence-based” training were never built with women in mind. If you have ever felt like your body is the problem, this conversation flips the script and shows how missing data and poor design can quietly drive injury risk. We talk about why the research pipeline moves slowly, what it takes to build strong injury surveillance, and why parity status and pregnancy exposure should be treated as real variables in musculoskeletal injury prevention. We also dig into gear fit, from body armor that rides up to boots that no longer match a postpartum foot, and how those seemingly small mismatches can change load transfer, gait, and overuse patterns. Then we get practical: pregnancy disclosure and stigma, postpartum return timelines, fueling and energy deficit, and why a rushed fitness test can backfire on recovery and readiness. Dr. Edwards shares why pelvic floor physical therapy should be early and routine support, not a last resort, and we zoom out to the bigger message: many women return to sport and service stronger than before, and performance can peak later than you were taught. If this helps you, subscribe, share it with a teammate, and leave a review so more active moms and service members can find evidence-informed support. What policy or training change would make the biggest difference where you serve? ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Birth Prep For Active Moms
You can train hard, lift heavy, and still feel blindsided by labor. A lot of the internet messaging aimed at “fit pregnancies” skips the messy middle: contractions still hurt, pushing is still hard, and sometimes the biggest challenge is navigating the gap between what you hoped for and what actually happens. I walk through a comprehensive birth prep plan for the active mom-to-be from my perspective as a pelvic floor physical therapist, researcher in exercise and pregnancy, and strength athlete. We talk about what pelvic PT birth prep looks like in real life, why coordination matters as much as strength, and how to practice pelvic floor relaxation so you are not accidentally tightening during the pushing phase. I also unpack the common myth that fitness guarantees an easy vaginal delivery, using a more honest, evidence-informed lens: activity may improve odds and endurance, but it cannot control breech presentation, medical complications, or the need to pivot. We dig into perineal massage with a nuanced take on the research and the “ring of fire,” framing it as exposure to stretching sensation and learning not to flinch, not a promise to prevent tearing. Then we zoom out to the paths labor can take, including induction (cervical ripening, mechanical options, Pitocin), epidural choices, and what it helps to know about cesarean birth before you are exhausted and making fast decisions. I also share a favorite resource that supports calm, informed preparation. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with a pregnant training partner, and leave a review so more active moms can find these conversations. What part of birth prep do you want us to go deeper on next? ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Stop Pushing Down Into Your Belt
Leaking on a heavy squat can feel isolating, but the numbers tell a different story: pelvic floor symptoms show up in a huge share of resistance-trained athletes. We walk through what bracing actually is, how the “core canister” works, and why your pelvic floor is supposed to join the brace automatically rather than being forced on with constant kegel cues. We also explain what tends to change once you cross higher intensities, why breath holding and Valsalva show up above roughly 80% for most lifters, and how breath strategy can change intra-abdominal pressure without turning your lift into a fragile, overcontrolled routine. From there, we get specific about what drives symptoms like urinary incontinence, heaviness, and pelvic discomfort in the gym. We call out one of the most common coaching mistakes we see in female athletes: “big inhale and bear down,” especially when someone is told to push hard into a weightlifting belt. Instead of spreading pressure evenly through the trunk, those cues can send pressure down into the pelvis, creating a coordination problem that shows up as leaking or loss of support when the load gets real. We also dig into new pelvic floor research on a 5x5 heavy squat protocol using ultrasound, what the findings do and do not mean, and why normal pre to post “effort changes” are not the same thing as damage. Finally, we share practical belt guidance (fit, tightening on an exhale, keeping the same brace from warmups to top sets) plus postpartum considerations and realistic timing for returning to breath holds and belt use. If this helps, subscribe, share it with a lifting friend, and leave a review so more moms and athletes can train with confidence. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Why Pelvic Floor Advice Goes Off The Rails Online
A scary headline can change how you move for months, even if the caption “adds nuance.” We’re talking about that uncomfortable truth and why it matters so much in pregnancy and postpartum fitness, where pelvic floor anxiety, diastasis recti worries, and return-to-exercise pressure are already high. We break down the rise of emotional hooks in social media marketing and how phrases like “ruining your pelvic floor” are built to stop your scroll, not to educate you. I share why our brains cling to threat-based messages (negative saliency bias), how misinformation can spread even when someone means well, and why the first thing people do is check the comments to see if everyone agrees. We also get real about the creator side: the push to post with total confidence, the temptation to trade context for reach, and how hard it can be to challenge peers publicly without it turning into personal conflict. Then we pivot to practical solutions you can use today. If you’re a mom or mom-to-be, you’ll learn how to “train” your algorithm by using notifications, marking content as not interested, and choosing long-form education where evidence-based pelvic floor physical therapy and postpartum recovery guidance can actually fit. If you’re a provider, we talk about finding a middle ground: getting attention without causing harm, holding our professions accountable, and connecting through stories without projecting our own fears onto someone else. If this helps you see your feed differently, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s overwhelmed by postpartum advice, and leave a review so more people can find calmer, more accurate pelvic health information. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Your Pelvic Floor Reality Check
Most of us were never taught what “normal” actually looks like downstairs, so the first postpartum mirror check can feel like a jump scare. I’m Christina, a pelvic floor physical therapist and strength athlete, and I’m going straight into the anatomy most people avoid talking about: what your vagina looks like, why vaginal walls touch, and how movement is built into the design, not a sign you’re broken. We unpack why things can look and feel different throughout the day with gravity, coughing, workouts, pregnancy, vaginal delivery, and age and why that shift can trigger real fear around pelvic organ prolapse. I also explain why it’s rarely accurate to blame a single run, lift, or “doing too much too soon” as the sole cause of new pelvic floor symptoms. Like many overuse injuries, the full story usually includes recovery, stress, strength, and how your body is adapting to a new baseline. Then we get practical with pelvic health basics that change everything: how often you should poop, why toilet posture matters, and how pelvic floor relaxation is just as important as pelvic floor strength. I also dig into the messy side of diagnosis language, including diastasis recti cutoffs and how a label can sometimes create more alarm than clarity if it’s not paired with good education and a function-first plan. If you want calm, evidence-informed postpartum recovery guidance that supports both real life and strength training, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more moms can find the show. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Three Popular Pregnancy Workout Rules Put To The Test
Catchy pregnancy fitness mantras can sound like wisdom, but they often collapse nuance into fear. I’m Christina Prevett, a pelvic floor physical therapist, researcher, and strength athlete, and I’m breaking down three phrases you’ve probably heard from coaches, social media, or even well-meaning medical providers. We look at what these lines are trying to protect you from, and where they quietly imply risk without solid evidence to back it up. First, we unpack “just because you can doesn’t mean you should” and why it can steer pregnant athletes toward unnecessary scaling. We talk pelvic floor symptoms like leaking and heaviness, common worries like diastasis recti and prolapse, and the uncomfortable truth: many “pregnancy-safe” modifications are treated as fact even when the data isn’t there yet. Then we shift to a more useful framework: body readiness. Your training history, your adaptation, and your current capacity matter, and pregnancy changes those inputs gradually not overnight. Next, we explore “if you were doing it before pregnancy, you can keep doing it now” and why that permission can be powerful, especially when access to pelvic floor PT and specialized coaching is limited. Finally, we tackle the postpartum classic “just listen to your body” and add the missing context: what signals are normal, what deserves a screening conversation, and how to think about progression when recovery timelines vary wildly after vaginal birth or C-section. If you want more grounded guidance on pregnancy exercise, postpartum return to exercise, pelvic floor health, strength training, and core training, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a training partner, and leave a review so more moms can find it. Which of these mantras have you been told, and did it help or stress you out? ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
A Pelvic Floor PT On The Anti-Kegel Trend
“Never do Kegels” might be the most shareable pelvic floor advice online and it can also be one of the most misleading. We’re digging into the anti-Kegel trend and why it frustrates us as clinicians who care about evidence-based pelvic floor physical therapy, especially for pregnant athletes, postpartum moms, and anyone dealing with stress urinary incontinence. We walk through how pelvic floor rehabilitation got so “squeeze” focused in the first place, and why the backlash makes sense emotionally. Then we get specific about what the research actually supports: pelvic floor muscle training has some of the strongest and most consistent data in rehab, and blanket statements like “nobody needs Kegels” erase the reality that many people do improve when training is prescribed well. We also unpack the viral EMG argument. Yes, planks and bracing can light up the pelvic floor as part of the core canister, but activation is not the same thing as an intervention that reliably stops leaking with coughing, sneezing, or jumping. That’s where specificity matters: sometimes you need the pelvic floor to work as part of the whole system, and sometimes you need to be able to contract and coordinate it in isolation, on demand, in real life. If you’re tired of clickbait rehab and want practical, nuanced pelvic floor guidance you can trust, listen through and join the conversation. Subscribe, share this with a training partner, and leave a review so more people can find evidence-based postpartum and pelvic floor health info. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
When Exercise Feels Hard
Your workout routine doesn’t fall apart because you’re weak, it falls apart because your life changed. I’m Christina Prevett, a strength coach, pelvic floor physical therapist, and mom, and I’m sharing a more personal look at what training has felt like through an 18 month stretch of grief, pregnancy, miscarriages, parenting demands, and big professional growth. When your stress is high and your capacity is low, “just push harder” is not a plan. A realistic mindset is. We dig into five reflections that help active women and athletes stay connected to movement during hard seasons. We talk about the stories we tell ourselves about what a “real” workout is, why all-or-nothing thinking leads to skipping sessions, and how a 10 to 30 minute training block can still build strength and resilience. We also unpack goal pressure, especially around postpartum fitness and recreational competitions, and why changing your timeline is not failure. Your goals should support your recovery, not trap you. From there, we zoom out to the reality that time and energy are finite. Not every area of life can be in growth mode at once, and choosing a season of maintenance can be the smartest way to protect your mental health and your long-term consistency. I also share a simple tactic that works when motivation is gone: promise yourself you will do one thing, then let yourself leave. Finally, we talk about permission to stop doing workouts you hate and to choose the kind of exercise that brings joy back, whether that’s strength training, walking, or trying a class. If you’re navigating pregnancy fatigue, postpartum recovery, stress, or a life curveball, this conversation will help you reset your expectations and keep moving in a way that fits. Subscribe to Barbell Mamas, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with what “one thing” you’re doing this week. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
The New Rules Of Pregnancy Training
Pregnancy advice for active women is changing, and not a moment too soon. I’m Christina Prevett, a pelvic floor physical therapist and researcher in exercise and pregnancy, and I’m sharing three timely topics that keep showing up in the women’s health and birth space, along with the lived reality of training while pregnant after previous losses. First, I break down the proposed PCOS name change to PMOS (polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome). The criteria for diagnosis and the core management approach are not suddenly rewritten, but the new language spotlights what many people with PCOS feel every day: this is more than “cysts on ovaries.” We talk androgen excess, insulin resistance, and why metabolic and endocrine risk matters for long-term health, fertility, and future cardiovascular disease and diabetes prevention. I also name the downside: PCOS is already underrecognized, and a transition can create confusion if education does not keep pace. Then I dig into the new FIFA “Stay In Play” pregnancy decision aid for soccer athletes, a major step forward for pregnant athletes in so-called contact sports. Instead of a blanket ban, it uses shared decision-making and a biopsychosocial screen, looking at mental health, fear of movement, pelvic health symptoms, recovery, support, and contraindications. I walk through the stage-based framework that lets athletes modify, pause, or progress based on pain, preference, and medical clearance, not arbitrary week-by-week rules. We close with pregnancy after miscarriage and loss. I say this clearly: exercise does not cause miscarriage, and your loss is not your fault. But anxiety is real, and it makes sense if you choose to train differently in that vulnerable first trimester. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more active moms can find evidence-based support. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
A Third Pregnancy After Two Miscarriages
I’m finally saying it out loud: I’m 15 and a half weeks pregnant with baby three. After two miscarriages, I didn’t expect to ever record this kind of announcement, and I definitely didn’t expect how complicated it would feel to share it. Pregnancy after loss changes you. It can take away the innocence, replace excitement with vigilance, and make every symptom and every quiet moment feel loaded. I walk through what 2025 looked like for us: drawn-out miscarriage management, the pressure of working and traveling while holding a private heartbreak, and the grief of losing my mom. That combination reshaped how I think about family planning and what I imagined our future “table” would look like. Then a Valentine’s Day oopsie turned into a positive test, and I was shocked, anxious, and honestly not ready to trust my body again. We also get practical about early pregnancy symptoms, why this first trimester felt harder, and what helped me feel more supported this time around. From choosing a provider who truly hears me to getting a dating ultrasound, NIPT planning, and the reassurance that comes from respectful timelines, I share what made a difference after a missed miscarriage. I also talk from an active pregnancy and pelvic floor perspective, including using supports earlier so I can keep moving in a way that feels safe and sustainable. If you’re navigating miscarriage, fertility, pregnancy after miscarriage, or the messy overlap of grief and joy, I hope this conversation makes you feel less alone. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more active moms can find Barbell Mamas. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Practical Strength Training Principles For Pregnancy
A viral video of a near term athlete lifting sparked a surprisingly supportive comment section and it signals a real shift: more people now accept that strength training during pregnancy can be normal, safe, and empowering when it is approached thoughtfully. We lean into that momentum and share the principles we use to help active moms train with confidence instead of fear, whether you are a recreational lifter, a CrossFit athlete, or someone simply trying to stay strong for everyday life. We start with the idea that there are no hard and fast rules for lifting while pregnant. Some people feel great bracing and moving heavier loads, others feel better dialing back intensity, range of motion, or volume, and both can be valid. The right approach depends on your fitness going into pregnancy, what movements you have practiced, and the specifics of your pregnancy. Our goal is to help you make individualized decisions rather than follow blanket restrictions that do not fit your body. Next, we break down the pregnancy changes that affect training: ligament laxity, rib and pelvis changes, shifting posture, and why muscles become your dynamic support system as your center of mass changes. Then we make “listen to your body” actually actionable by naming the signals that matter most for the pelvic floor and core. We talk about symptoms like heaviness, leaking, and pain as capacity cues that suggest adjusting load, effort, or technique, and we explain why coning alone is not always the deal breaker people think it is. We also challenge the outdated belief that pregnancy is never the time to start exercising, because smart, scaled strength work can make pregnancy and postpartum less punishing. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a training partner, and leave a review. What is the biggest question you have about lifting during pregnancy right now? ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Informed Consent After Birth
You can do everything “right” and still feel blindsided after birth. That’s the heart of today’s conversation: why so many moms reach the postpartum months and think, I wish I would have known, and how that gap in education can quietly break trust in the healthcare system. We talk about informed consent in pregnancy and postpartum through a pelvic health lens, including what changes are expected after vaginal delivery, what can shift with pushing, and why interventions like tearing, episiotomy, vacuum, or forceps may affect pelvic floor recovery. We also name the uncomfortable truth that many people are led to believe their body will return to exact pre-pregnancy function, when reality is more nuanced. This is not about doom or blame. It’s about realistic expectations, better preparation, and clear options, including what pelvic floor physical therapy can support during postpartum recovery and return to exercise. A big thread is communication: how do clinicians discuss risk, pelvic organ prolapse, and symptom monitoring without accidentally creating fear, pain sensitization, or kinesiophobia? I share a personal story about blood pressure anxiety and “white coat hypertension” to show how the way we talk about health can shape how the body responds. We also zoom out to the bigger system, including how new pelvic floor research takes time to reach everyday care, and why proactive preconception education could change everything for active moms and athletes. If this resonates, subscribe for more evidence-informed conversations on exercise during pregnancy, postpartum rehab, and pelvic health, then share this with a friend who deserved clearer answers. After you listen, leave a review and tell us: what did you wish someone had explained before birth? ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Early Postpartum Training Framework
Waiting for a single “all clear” date after birth leaves a lot of active moms stuck between fear and frustration. We walk through the early postpartum exercise framework I use with clients, starting from the first couple of weeks and extending into the messy middle months when progress feels slow. If you’re trying to return to strength training, CrossFit-style workouts, cardio, or just basic movement with confidence, this gives you a practical path forward that respects healing and your identity as someone who loves to train. We talk about when you can begin postpartum rehabilitation, including gentle pelvic floor contractions, bracing, and core canister retraining, and why I push back on the idea that you must do nothing for six weeks. Then we get specific: bodyweight exercises like squats, step-ups, and lunges can often work early for both vaginal delivery and C-section recovery, with simple modifications if scar tissue or pulling shows up. We also cover “green light” options that can feel amazing mentally and physically, like low-impact cardio on a rower or bike and lighter seated upper body work, so you can train without constantly second-guessing every rep. The heart of the episode is learning your “clinical buoys,” the key signs that guide your return to impact exercise, running, jumping, and heavier lifting. We break down what matters most, including increased bleeding, clotting, pain, pelvic floor symptoms, and heaviness, and how these cues help you balance work and rest while you rebuild capacity. We also zoom out to the real-life factors that shape recovery, sleep, stress, feeding demands, tearing severity, and the comparison trap, especially during the tough five-to-nine-month window when you think you “should” feel back to normal. Subscribe for more evidence-informed pregnancy and postpartum fitness guidance, share this with a mum who is ready to move again, and leave a review if the framework helps. What part of postpartum training feels hardest for you right now? ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Nuance Over Hot Takes
The internet keeps forcing women’s health into two extremes: science says one thing, your body feels another, and somehow you’re supposed to pick a side. We don’t buy that. We walk through why scientific communication breaks down online and how “helpful” wellness content can quietly become predatory when it turns nuance into binary rules, fear-based lists, and one-size-fits-all programs. We dig into the menopause metabolism and fitness debate, including why many women feel like their body is unrecognizable even when studies suggest metabolism does not automatically crash with menopause. We connect the dots between real symptoms and real outcomes: joint pain that changes how heavy you lift, insomnia and mood shifts that change effort and recovery, and subtle behavior changes that can lead to weight gain or weight redistribution. We also talk about estrogen conversations and why the pendulum swing from “never” to “everyone should” misses the middle where most evidence-informed choices live. We also use cycle syncing as a clear example of how something can be objectively unnecessary for many people while still being subjectively useful depending on how you feel across your cycle. Finally, we break down survivorship bias plus relative risk and absolute risk so you can spot misleading health claims and ask better questions without feeling gaslit. If this helped you, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more active women can find evidence-informed support. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Running Through Pregnancy
Blanket rules about running during pregnancy sound comforting, until they leave you stuck between fear and frustration. We want something more useful: a clear way to decide what’s safe, what’s sustainable, and what actually fits your body right now. We dig into what the research is saying about prenatal running safety, including longer distances, and why “safe” does not mean “identical for everyone.” We walk through the variables that shape your experience, like your pre-pregnancy fitness, injury history, fueling, and the reality that pelvic floor dysfunction is common in endurance athletes before pregnancy even starts. We also talk about why comparing your current pregnancy to someone else’s, or even to your first pregnancy, can backfire when sleep, recovery, and family demands change. From there we get practical: how pregnancy can shift gait mechanics, why lower body strength matters more as your center of mass moves, and what to try when symptoms show up. Instead of treating pelvic pressure, SI joint pain, or knee pain as an automatic stop sign, we explore the “rehab first” mindset: small form changes, strength support, and smart training edits that may help you keep running if it matters to you, or switch to cross-training without shame if it doesn’t. If you ran during pregnancy and you’re less than a year postpartum, we’d love your help with our research by sharing your Garmin training logs. Subscribe, share this with a running friend, and leave a review so more active moms can find nuanced, evidence-based pregnancy exercise guidance. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Postpartum Surgery Decisions
You’re cleared for pelvic surgery and then someone hands you a rule that says you can’t lift more than 10 pounds. Meanwhile, your toddler weighs three times that and your life doesn’t come with a pause button. We’re talking about the gap between real postpartum life and the way recovery advice is often delivered, and what the research actually says about returning to activity. We walk through common postpartum surgeries and why the “right” option depends on symptoms, goals, and context: midurethral sling procedures for urinary incontinence, prolapse repairs like sacrocolpopexy, and abdominal surgery such as abdominoplasty for diastasis recti. I share how I think about conservative management first, why I’m not anti-surgery, and how pelvic floor physical therapy and prehab can support you before and after an operation. We also dig into what rehab can genuinely improve (strength, coordination, function) and what it cannot promise (a specific look at rest), especially when genetics and connective tissue play a role. Then we get into the spicy part: post-op lifting restrictions. We unpack why “strain” is relative, why blanket limits are rarely evidence-based, and how studies comparing strict vs liberal return-to-activity protocols show that gradual progression can be safe and can reduce symptom burden faster. If you’re considering postpartum surgery or recovering now, this will help you ask better questions, advocate for individualized guidance, and protect your quality of life. Subscribe for more evidence-informed pelvic health conversations, share this with a friend navigating recovery, and leave a review telling us what return-to-exercise question you want answered next. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Rethinking Bed Rest In Pregnancy
Your pregnancy gets labeled “high risk,” and suddenly the default advice can feel like a single blunt command: stop moving. That can be crushing if exercise is how you regulate stress, manage pain, and feel at home in your body. We go straight at the uncomfortable question many active moms are asking quietly: is activity restriction actually helping, or are we sometimes making outcomes worse by prescribing fear and deconditioning? I’m Christina Previtt, pelvic floor physical therapist and pregnancy researcher, and I walk through what we know and what we still do not know about pregnancy complications and exercise. We unpack why bed rest and strict “no exercise” rules became common, why the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine has moved away from routine activity restriction for certain preterm birth risks, and why so many providers still reach for restrictions as a knee-jerk response. We also talk about the real-world costs of sedentary behavior during pregnancy, from mental health to loss of strength and capacity that you need for birth, postpartum recovery, and motherhood. Then we get specific about the studies that are shifting the conversation: the AWARE study on short cervix and step count, the AMBL study on PPROM patients walking on the hospital ward, and research on pelvic rest with placenta previa. The theme is nuance. Movement is not the same as high-intensity training, and “strain” is relative to your fitness, your symptoms, and what your day demands. If you’re pregnant, navigating cervical insufficiency, a short cervix, PPROM, placenta previa, or other complications, I share practical prompts to bring to your OB or maternal-fetal medicine visit so you can find the safest middle ground. Subscribe for more evidence-based pregnancy fitness conversations, share this with a friend who was told to stop moving, and leave a review so more moms can find it. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
Pregnancy Exercise Modifications
If you’ve ever been told to “just walk” the moment you get pregnant, you already know how discouraging that can feel when training is part of your identity. We’re digging into a smarter, more flexible approach to exercise during pregnancy that respects both safety and the very real desire to keep moving in ways that feel like you. The goal isn’t to chase perfect rules, it’s to understand how to adjust a movement while keeping the training effect you’re actually after. We walk through what “modifying” a pregnancy workout really means (and how it’s different from swapping an exercise entirely). From there, we lay out four clear reasons to change what you’re doing: pain that doesn’t settle, pelvic floor symptoms like heaviness or leaking, dizziness or feeling unwell (including concerns with lying on your back), and the simple category of “it just doesn’t feel good.” Then we give you an organized framework you can use with almost any movement: check your mechanics and points of performance first, then consider breath strategy, load, and range of motion before jumping to a totally different exercise. You’ll hear practical examples from prenatal strength training and running while pregnant, including deadlift tweaks for pelvic girdle or SI joint pain, and cardio options that keep aerobic intensity when walking won’t cut it. If you want more freedom and less fear around pregnancy exercise modifications, this one will give you a plan. Subscribe, share with a fellow active mom, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
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Apple Podcasts rankings supplied by Mato Topic Intelligence Platform.
Observed July 31, 2026.
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