The Barbell Mamas Podcast | Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pelvic Health

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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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 between a powerful brace and “bearing down,” using the core canister model to explain why pressure distribution matters. I talk through the common patterns I see in lifters: the pelvic floor that can’t quite keep up with heavy load yet, and the lifter who tries so hard not to leak that she over-tightens with constant kegels and ends up with pain or other symptoms. You’ll learn the bracing cue I use most, how to spot your symptom threshold, and how to build back up with smart sub-threshold training.

Then we tackle the weightlifting belt. I’m pro-belt when it’s used as a performance aid, but the belt can backfire if it changes your bracing strategy or becomes artificial support too early, especially postpartum. We cover how to choose a belt that fits your sport rules, why even width matters, how tight is tight enough, and when most athletes realistically return to hard bracing and belt use after having a baby.

If you lift, coach, or are returning to training postpartum, this conversation is packed with practical pelvic floor advice, bracing technique, and performance-focused takeaways. Subscribe for more evidence-based training guidance, share this with a lifting partner who needs it, and leave a review to help more moms keep barbells in their lives.
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Interested in our programs? Check us out here!

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 changes, and athletic identity. Then we zoom in on the moments where care breaks down: weight targets that reignite disordered eating, induction confusion, a chaotic C‑section, and the silence that follows. Informed consent is more than paperwork; it’s shared language, aligned teams, and clear options delivered without shaming. We map out the questions to ask, why early pelvic health education matters, and how to set recovery expectations that respect timelines and variation.

Mental health sits at the center. Coping through intensity works—until it doesn’t. When training is limited by birth, injury, or grief, we need a wider toolkit: therapy, breathwork, mindfulness, yoga, nature, and reading that restores perspective. We connect those tools to practical postpartum planning so you can protect your nervous system and your goals. Finally, we confront the collision of work and early parenthood—deadlines, pumping, and the myth of “back to normal” at six to twelve weeks—offering strategies for advocacy and structural change that make performance sustainable.

If you’re an active mom, a pregnant athlete, or a partner who wants to help, this conversation gives you language, options, and the confidence to choose for yourself. Listen, share with a friend who needs nuance, and subscribe so you never miss our next deep dive. If this resonated, leave a review—it helps more mothers find evidence‑based support and a community that values the messy middle.
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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!