The Barbell Mamas Podcast | Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pelvic Health
Christina Prevett
135 episodes
6 days ago
The first sprint after birth can feel like your body forgot the map. We get honest about that moment, then build a smarter route back to running, lifting, and sport with real tools you can use today. We start with the emotional shock of early returns: missing your old speed, feeling awkward under a bar, and wondering where your core strength went. From there, we lay down clear buoys—simple checkpoints that guide when to push, when to hold, and how to pivot without fear. For CrossFit athletes...
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The first sprint after birth can feel like your body forgot the map. We get honest about that moment, then build a smarter route back to running, lifting, and sport with real tools you can use today. We start with the emotional shock of early returns: missing your old speed, feeling awkward under a bar, and wondering where your core strength went. From there, we lay down clear buoys—simple checkpoints that guide when to push, when to hold, and how to pivot without fear. For CrossFit athletes...
The first sprint after birth can feel like your body forgot the map. We get honest about that moment, then build a smarter route back to running, lifting, and sport with real tools you can use today. We start with the emotional shock of early returns: missing your old speed, feeling awkward under a bar, and wondering where your core strength went. From there, we lay down clear buoys—simple checkpoints that guide when to push, when to hold, and how to pivot without fear. For CrossFit athletes...
Think you “caused” your diastasis by breathing wrong or lifting heavy? Let’s retire the blame. We dig into what the research actually says about diastasis recti, core tension, and the real impact of progressive strength training after birth. No magic fixes, no fear-mongering—just practical steps to feel stronger, lift smarter, and trust your body again. We also unpack the hormonal rollercoaster of early postpartum. Low estrogen can look like perimenopause: night sweats, dryness, joint aches,...
A wave of excitement hit social media over a perimenopause hormone therapy “study” that hadn’t even cleared peer review. We pull back the curtain on how posters at medical conferences actually work, why methods and nuance matter, and how hype from massive accounts can eclipse the careful voices of the researchers themselves. It’s a candid look at women’s health misinformation, how it spreads, and why long-form conversations offer a better path to clarity. From there, we dive into real questi...
Conflicting rules about pregnancy exercise can make even seasoned athletes second-guess their training. We cut through the noise with a practical framework that honors your history, your symptoms, and your goals—so you can keep moving with confidence. Christina Previtt, pelvic floor physical therapist and researcher, digs into why guidance still conflicts, what the latest research actually supports, and how to use simple guardrails to make smart decisions in real time. We break down the 150-...
Imagine your daily choices in pregnancy quietly shaping your child’s metabolism, stress responses, and emotional regulation for years. That’s the compelling throughline from our time at the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology pre-conference, where leading researchers shared how movement and food quality during pregnancy build health that lasts well beyond birth. We break down what the latest studies suggest about prenatal exercise, resistance training, and reducing ultra-processed foods...
Fear thrives where facts are fuzzy—especially around pelvic organ prolapse. We open the blinds with clear explanations, zero scare tactics, and a practical path back to the barbell. You’ll hear why the vagina isn’t a hollow tube, what normal movement of vaginal tissues looks like when you bear down, and how providers actually assess prolapse across the anterior, posterior, and apical walls. More importantly, we focus on what your symptoms mean for your life and training, not just what a grade...
The room got quieter when the number landed: HCG at 5,000—far too low for nearly thirteen weeks. From that moment, everything we’d been planning—the crib shuffle in our three-bedroom house, the baby names our kids were arguing over, the assumption we’d crossed into a “safe zone”—shifted into the harsh clarity of a missed miscarriage. We’re sharing the story we needed to hear: what the ER limbo feels like, how bedside ultrasound can foreshadow a formal diagnosis, and why lab values can be both...
The internet turned pelvic floor training into a turf war—“always Kegels” on one side, “never Kegels” on the other. We cut through the noise with a clear, evidence-backed framework that shows how to build strength, practice relaxation, and keep moving with confidence through pregnancy. We start by grounding the conversation in what the research actually supports: pelvic floor muscle training can reduce postpartum urinary incontinence and help many pregnant athletes and recreational movers ma...
Cesarean delivery affects one in three births in America, yet many expectant mothers remain unprepared for this possibility. As a pelvic floor physical therapist and athlete who has competed while pregnant, I'm pulling back the curtain on C-sections with compassion and expertise. The journey begins with addressing the emotional landscape. If you experienced an unplanned cesarean, hear this: you did not fail. You delivered your baby. This message resonates deeply with listeners who've felt di...
Exercise during pregnancy has long been shrouded in caution and confusion. What if many of the modifications we've been taught are unnecessary? Drawing from both cutting-edge research and personal experience through multiple pregnancies, this episode challenges conventional wisdom about prenatal exercise. The fitness landscape for pregnant women has dramatically evolved over the past decade. Where once pregnant women received advice limited to walking or gentle yoga, we now recognize the ben...
Pregnancy fitness has undergone a revolution. What was once a landscape of caution and restriction has transformed into one of empowerment and evidence-based freedom. In this candid exploration, pelvic floor physical therapist Christina Previtt shares both personal experience and cutting-edge research showing just how dramatically prenatal exercise recommendations have evolved. Remember when lifting anything over 20 pounds during pregnancy was considered dangerous? When heart rate limits wer...
That positive pregnancy test changes everything—suddenly you're questioning your exercise routine, wondering if you need to modify, and trying to navigate the world of first trimester symptoms while maintaining your identity as an active person. For athletic women, this period can be especially challenging as you balance your love for movement with new physical limitations. The nausea, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting that often peak around six weeks can derail even the most dedicated fitness...
Motherhood transforms our bodies, our fitness routines, and our expectations – especially when we're thinking about adding another baby to the mix. That second pregnancy truly "hits different," and preparing for it requires special consideration if you're an active woman who loves to exercise. Drawing from my experience as both a pelvic floor physical therapist and an athlete who has competed in CrossFit and weightlifting through multiple pregnancies, I explore the crucial elements of prepar...
Ever wonder if all those interrupted workouts and chaotic fitness sessions while raising little ones will ever pay off? In this deeply personal episode, I share a breakthrough moment that brought tears to my eyes and validated years of persevering through the challenges of maintaining fitness as a mother. My six-year-old daughter recently joined me for a 5.7-kilometer run (her biking alongside me) after previous unsuccessful attempts. The transformation wasn't just in her physical abilities,...
Every active mother has heard the warnings: "Be careful with exercise while breastfeeding." But what does science actually tell us about nursing and injury risk? A groundbreaking new study from our research team has finally addressed this question—and the results might surprise you. Breastfeeding itself does not increase injury risk during postpartum exercise. This finding demolishes one of many persistent myths that have circulated for decades, from outdated concerns about lactic acid in br...
Are you fueling properly for your active lifestyle through pregnancy and postpartum? The answer might surprise you. In this eye-opening conversation with registered dietitian and sports nutritionist Mel Sulaver, we dive deep into the critical yet often misunderstood world of nutrition for athletic women navigating motherhood. Recent research has revealed a disturbing connection: women with histories of low energy availability face significantly higher risks of preterm labor and delivery. Thi...
Challenging long-held beliefs about diastasis recti, this episode dives deep into groundbreaking research that's transforming how we understand abdominal separation during pregnancy and postpartum recovery. As a pelvic floor physical therapist and researcher, I've watched the online conversation around diastasis recti create unnecessary fear and restriction for active mothers. The truth? Most of what you've heard about "coning," "safe exercises," and postpartum recovery timelines isn't suppo...
Dive into a thoughtful critique of "Floored," the bestselling pelvic floor health book by Dr. Sarah Reardon (The Vagina Whisperer). This episode unpacks both the groundbreaking achievements and potential shortcomings of this influential text that's reshaping how we talk about pelvic health. As a pelvic floor physical therapist and researcher, I offer a balanced assessment of how this book succeeds brilliantly in making pelvic floor conversations accessible and shame-free. The conversational ...
Have you ever wondered why certain pregnancy myths refuse to die despite lacking scientific evidence? The answer lies in how our digital ecosystem perpetuates misinformation through well-meaning but often unqualified influencers. The motherhood space on platforms like TikTok has become a breeding ground for myths around labor induction and postpartum recovery. When desperate moms-to-be try curb walking or special teas before spontaneously going into labor, they create powerful mental associa...
Groundbreaking research is reshaping what we know about pelvic health for active women. This episode dives into three significant developments that challenge conventional wisdom about incontinence, pregnancy exercise, and pelvic organ prolapse. The first revelation? Athletes who experience leaking during exercise actually have stronger pelvic floors, not weaker ones as previously thought. Recent studies from both strength athletes and endurance runners confirm this surprising finding. The re...
The Barbell Mamas Podcast | Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pelvic Health
The first sprint after birth can feel like your body forgot the map. We get honest about that moment, then build a smarter route back to running, lifting, and sport with real tools you can use today. We start with the emotional shock of early returns: missing your old speed, feeling awkward under a bar, and wondering where your core strength went. From there, we lay down clear buoys—simple checkpoints that guide when to push, when to hold, and how to pivot without fear. For CrossFit athletes...
