The Barbell Mamas Podcast | Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pelvic Health

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 onc...

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 yo...

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 b...

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 i...

“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 reh...

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 c...

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...

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...

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 recre...

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 a...

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 movem...

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 i...

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 everyon...

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 comm...

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 pr...

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 ad...

Half of women report leaking when they lift heavy, and we have somehow decided that’s normal. I’m not interested in telling you to accept it or to stop lifting. I want to help you understand what’s happening when you brace, why it shows up most on squats, deadlifts, and cleans, and how small coaching cues can protect your pelvic floor without sacrificing strength. We get into the difference betwee...

What if the most radical thing a mother can say is also the most honest: I adore my kid, and I hated being pregnant. We open that door and walk through it, using Sarah J. Maas’s candid interview as a springboard to unpack the real forces shaping pregnancy, birth, and life after—especially for women who train. We talk about cultural scripts that demand constant gratitude while ignoring grief, body...

Ever been told to “Kegel before you lift” and wondered if it actually helps? We take a clear-eyed look at leaking under heavy loads, how bracing strategies can make or break pelvic pressure, and why a breath-first approach often outperforms constant clenching. As pelvic health and barbell training collide, we break down what’s happening inside the core canister—pelvic floor, abdominal wall, chest...

Gold medals and car seats can share the same backseat. We reflect on a Winter Games filled with mothers who didn’t just compete—they redefined what pregnancy and postpartum training can look like at the highest level. From Alana Myers-Taylor and Kaillie Humphries medaling in their 40s to athletes navigating IVF and still delivering peak performances, we explore how these stories shift public perce...

Ready to trade rigid rules for a smarter return-to-sport plan? We walk through a groundbreaking consensus published in BJSM that maps a postpartum pathway for soccer players—and any active mom—built on real-world variables: medical red flags, mental health, pelvic symptoms, sleep, stress, and the demands of life with a newborn. Instead of a one-size-fits-all protocol, this framework offers seven c...

Heavy lifting in early pregnancy carries a long shadow of fear—but the data tell a different story. We unpack a newly published study on first-trimester high-load resistance training, revealing that pelvic floor symptoms actually decreased compared to preconception, even as many athletes maintained intensities near 80% of one-rep max. We also dig into miscarriage rates in this cohort and how they...

Ever feel like every scroll brings a new rule for your body? We sit down with Dr. Emily Fender, a health communication scientist whose research tracks how women’s health messages spread across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube—and why the loudest claims aren’t always the most useful. Together, we break down a simple lens you can use anywhere online: threat versus efficacy. Are you being scared into a...

Trying to conceive while training hard can feel like you’re being asked to choose between your identity and your goals. We go straight at the myth that vigorous exercise is the enemy of fertility and show where the real culprit often hides: low energy availability that disrupts hormones and stalls ovulation. Through clear explanations and practical examples, we map the J-shaped curve between activ...

Leaks under a heavy deadlift, pressure during a ruck, or a sudden urge mid-sprint can derail training—and confidence. We go straight at the myths and mechanics behind pelvic floor symptoms in athletes and service members, unpacking how high load, high speed, and high fatigue interact with hormones, recovery, and technique. Christina Prebbitt, pelvic floor physical therapist and researcher, shares...