Pelvic Floor, Core & More | Healing Beyond Kegels: Core Rehab, Prenatal Fitness, Birth Prep, Postpartum Recovery, Nervous System Regulation, and Holistic Self-Care for Moms

Have you always been the "flexible" one? And/Or Do you have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS)? Can you easily touch your palms to the floor, bend into unusual positions, or feel like your joints are extra loose? While flexibility is often seen as a good thing, hypermobility can come with its own unique challenges—especially when it comes to pelvic floor health, core stability, pregnancy, postpartum rec...

One of the most common questions new moms ask is: "When can I start running again after having a baby?" The answer isn't always as simple as being cleared at your six-week postpartum appointment. Running places significant demands on your pelvic floor, core, hips, and entire body. While many women are eager to return to the activities they love, returning too quickly—or without a plan—can contribu...

Summer schedules can be chaotic. Between kids being home, camps, vacations, sports, travel, and all the fun that comes with this season, finding time for a full workout can feel impossible. The good news? You don't need an hour-long gym session to support your health. In this episode, Dr. Des introduces the concept of "exercise snacks" — short bursts of intentional movement sprinkled throughout yo...

Most women think of their core as their abs—but your core is so much more than that. Your rib cage, diaphragm, pelvic floor, and abdominal wall all work together as a pressure management system. When one piece isn't functioning well, the entire system can struggle. In this episode, Dr. Des dives into one of the most overlooked components of core and pelvic floor health: the rib cage. We discuss ho...

If you've ever been told to "just breathe" for your pelvic floor, core, stress, or recovery... you may have wondered: What kind of breathing are we actually talking about? Because not all breathing serves the same purpose. In this episode, Dr. Des breaks down the important difference between breathwork for nervous system regulation and relaxation versus breathing within a brace for core strength,...

Have you ever felt like you know what to do when it comes to your health… but something keeps pulling you back into the same patterns? Maybe it's emotional eating. Maybe it's chronic stress. Maybe it's gut issues, hormone imbalances, sugar cravings, or feeling disconnected from your body despite your best efforts. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Des sits down with Amber Romaniuk, Emotional Eati...

Motherhood can feel beautiful, overwhelming, exhausting, fulfilling, and chaotic — often all at once. So many moms are carrying the mental load of everyone around them while quietly feeling disconnected from themselves, their bodies, and their own needs. In this episode, Dr. Des opens up about the reality of modern motherhood, the nervous system overload so many women are living in, and what it ac...

Summer can bring sunshine, vacations, pool days, travel, and more time outside — but for many women, it can also bring increased pelvic floor symptoms, disrupted routines, bloating, constipation, leaking, body image struggles, and stress on the body. In this episode, Dr. Des breaks down how summer habits and activities can impact your core and pelvic floor, why symptoms may flare during busy seaso...

Pain on one side of your low back? Sharp discomfort when rolling in bed, climbing stairs, getting out of the car, or carrying your baby? It might not be “just back pain.” In this episode, Dr. Des breaks down sacroiliac (SI) joint pain — a common but often misunderstood source of low back, buttock, hip, and pelvic pain, especially during pregnancy and postpartum. You’ll learn what the SI joint does...

If you’ve been doing all the “right” core exercises for your diastasis recti… but your core still feels weak, domes, bulges, or disconnected — you may be missing some major pieces of the puzzle. Because healing diastasis recti is about so much more than just strengthening your abs. In this episode, Dr. Des breaks down three often-overlooked areas that can make a huge difference in core healing: fa...

A hysterectomy is one of the most common surgeries women undergo — yet so many women are sent home with very little guidance on how to actually heal, rebuild strength, and reconnect with their body afterward. If you’ve ever felt weak, disconnected, tight, unstable, or unsure how to safely return to movement after a hysterectomy… this episode is for you. In this conversation, Dr. Des breaks down wh...

Have you ever started doing the “right” exercises… only to feel more sore, more aware of symptoms, or more discouraged? It can be easy to assume something is wrong or that your program isn’t working — but that’s not always the case.   In this episode, Dr. Des explains why some women temporarily feel worse before they feel better when beginning rehab or rebuilding strength. We discuss how healing o...

Sharp pain when rolling in bed? Sudden zaps in your pelvis? Pain standing up, walking, or changing positions during pregnancy? You’re not alone — and while these symptoms are common, they can still be confusing and frustrating. In this episode, Dr. Des breaks down two very common pregnancy discomforts: round ligament pain and lightning crotch. We cover what these symptoms actually are, why they ha...

It’s C-section Awareness Month, so we just had to talk about it on the show! A c-section is one of the most common surgeries in the world,  yet many women are sent home with very little guidance on how to truly recover. If you’ve had a c-section and felt unsure how to heal your core, manage scar tissue, return to exercise, or feel connected to your body again… this episode is for you. In this conv...

With more women exploring natural and alternative tools for pain relief, stress support, and nervous system regulation, many are asking an important question: Can cannabis actually help pelvic floor symptoms? In this episode, Dr. Des breaks down the potential role of CBD, THC, and cannabis-based products when it comes to pelvic pain, tension, painful intimacy, stress, sleep, and overall pelvic hea...

If I had to start over tomorrow with leaking, pelvic pressure, core weakness, postpartum symptoms, or feeling disconnected from my body… Knowing everything I know now as a pelvic floor physical therapist — I would do things very differently. Because most women are wasting time on the wrong strategies: ❌ random workouts ❌ “just do kegels” advice ❌ pushing through symptoms ❌ trying to fix everyt...

Three years ago, I hit record because women deserved better answers. They deserved conversations about leaking, pain, prolapse, postpartum recovery, intimacy, strength, hormones, confidence, and healing that were honest, empowering, and rooted in real support. And now… 184 episodes later… here we are 💛 In this special anniversary episode, I’m reflecting on what these last three years of podcastin...

If you’ve ever been told you’re “cleared at 6 weeks”… but your body still doesn’t feel right — this episode is for you. So many women are left feeling confused, frustrated, or even dismissed when they continue to experience symptoms like leaking, pelvic pressure, core weakness, or pain long after postpartum “should” be over. But here’s the truth: postpartum is not just a phase — it’s a foundation....

If your leaking gets worse during allergy season… and your first instinct is to do more kegels — this episode might surprise you. Because while kegels can be helpful in some cases, they’re not always the solution — especially when your body is dealing with the repeated stress of coughing, sneezing, and increased pressure. In this episode, Dr. Des explains how everyday things like allergies can imp...

If you’ve ever felt like you keep having to “start over” with your body, your workouts, or your healing… this episode is for you. So many women feel frustrated when symptoms come back, routines fall off, or progress doesn’t look the way they expected. It can feel like you’re back at square one — like all your effort didn’t matter. But the truth is… you’re not starting over. In this episode, Dr. De...

If you’ve been listening to these episodes thinking, “I know I need to do something… but I haven’t started yet” — this episode is for you. So many women stay stuck not because they don’t care or aren’t trying hard enough, but because they’re waiting for the right time, the perfect plan, or more information. But the truth is — waiting often just keeps you in the same cycle longer. In this episode,...

If you’ve ever felt like your body “should be better by now”… this episode is for you. One of the biggest frustrations women experience when working on their pelvic floor and core is feeling like they’re not making progress fast enough — especially when symptoms like leaking, pressure, or discomfort don’t disappear overnight. But here’s the truth: healing is not linear. In this episode, Dr. Des br...

If you’ve ever felt bloated, constipated, or like your digestion is off — and at the same time noticed more pelvic pressure, leaking, or discomfort… this is not a coincidence. Your gut and pelvic floor are deeply connected. And for many women, ongoing digestive issues like constipation, straining, or chronic bloating can quietly contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction, core weakness, and symptoms t...

If you’ve been doing all the “right” things — kegels, breathwork, core work, workouts — but you’re still dealing with leaking, pelvic pressure, pain, or feeling disconnected from your body, this episode might shift everything for you. Because sometimes the issue isn’t that you’re not trying hard enough… It’s that you’ve been given advice that doesn’t actually match what your body needs. In this ep...

This week’s episode is a little different. As I celebrate another trip around the sun, I’m taking a moment to reflect on some of the biggest lessons my body, my patients, and my life have taught me about strength, healing, motherhood, and learning to actually listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us. Over the years — through pregnancy, postpartum recovery, injuries, PeVD, stress, rebuilding...