What happens when your body has endured decades of chronic pain, endometriosis, pregnancy loss, difficult births, surgeries, and medical trauma? In this powerful Real-Life Rehab episode, Kelly sits down with Leigh, a wife, mother of three, and healthcare professional who has spent much of her life navigating chronic pain, endometriosis, miscarriages, traumatic births, pelvic floor dysfunction, and the emotional toll of feeling dismissed by the medical system. After years of searching for answers, Leigh found herself facing a rectocele diagnosis and a recommendation for surgery. But before moving forward, she decided to revisit principles she had learned years earlier through The Tummy Team—principles that had already helped her heal a significant diastasis recti. In this honest and vulnerable conversation, Kelly and Leigh discuss how trauma, fear, grief, perfectionism, and chronic stress can impact the nervous system, core function, pelvic floor health, and the body's ability to heal. You'll also hear Kelly walk Leigh through the first steps of her personalized rehab plan and explain why healing often starts with nervous system regulation, self-compassion, and reconnecting with your body. In this episode, you'll learn: How trauma and chronic stress affect the core and pelvic floorWhy healing isn't always about doing more exercisesThe connection between grief, fear, and physical symptomsHow perfectionism can become a barrier to recoveryWhy nervous system regulation is a critical part of healingThe role of posture, breathing, and mobility in pelvic floor functionWhy prolapse symptoms often involve more than the pelvic floor aloneHow small daily practices can create meaningful change Leigh's story is a powerful reminder that healing isn't about fixing a broken body. It's about reconnecting with a body that has been carrying more than anyone realized.
