The Barbell Mamas Podcast | Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pelvic Health

Christina Prevett
  • 5.0 (29)
  • Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

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. 

  1. 6d ago

    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!

  2. Jul 8

    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!

  3. Jul 1

    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!

  4. Jun 24

    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!

  5. Jun 17

    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!

  6. Jun 10

    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!

  7. Jun 3

    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!

  8. May 27

    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!

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5
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About

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. 

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