The Barbell Mamas Podcast | Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pelvic Health

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!

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!

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 walk through what 2025 looked like for us: drawn-out miscarriage management, the pressure of working and traveling while holding a private heartbreak, and the grief of losing my mom. That combination reshaped how I think about family planning and what I imagined our future “table” would look like. Then a Valentine’s Day oopsie turned into a positive test, and I was shocked, anxious, and honestly not ready to trust my body again. 

We also get practical about early pregnancy symptoms, why this first trimester felt harder, and what helped me feel more supported this time around. From choosing a provider who truly hears me to getting a dating ultrasound, NIPT planning, and the reassurance that comes from respectful timelines, I share what made a difference after a missed miscarriage. I also talk from an active pregnancy and pelvic floor perspective, including using supports earlier so I can keep moving in a way that feels safe and sustainable. 

If you’re navigating miscarriage, fertility, pregnancy after miscarriage, or the messy overlap of grief and joy, I hope this conversation makes you feel less alone. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more active moms can find Barbell Mamas.
___________________________________________________________________________
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!

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 recreational lifter, a CrossFit athlete, or someone simply trying to stay strong for everyday life. 

We start with the idea that there are no hard and fast rules for lifting while pregnant. Some people feel great bracing and moving heavier loads, others feel better dialing back intensity, range of motion, or volume, and both can be valid. The right approach depends on your fitness going into pregnancy, what movements you have practiced, and the specifics of your pregnancy. Our goal is to help you make individualized decisions rather than follow blanket restrictions that do not fit your body. 

Next, we break down the pregnancy changes that affect training: ligament laxity, rib and pelvis changes, shifting posture, and why muscles become your dynamic support system as your center of mass changes. Then we make “listen to your body” actually actionable by naming the signals that matter most for the pelvic floor and core. We talk about symptoms like heaviness, leaking, and pain as capacity cues that suggest adjusting load, effort, or technique, and we explain why coning alone is not always the deal breaker people think it is. We also challenge the outdated belief that pregnancy is never the time to start exercising, because smart, scaled strength work can make pregnancy and postpartum less punishing. 

If this helped, subscribe, share it with a training partner, and leave a review. What is the biggest question you have about lifting during pregnancy right now?
___________________________________________________________________________
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!

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 after vaginal delivery, what can shift with pushing, and why interventions like tearing, episiotomy, vacuum, or forceps may affect pelvic floor recovery. We also name the uncomfortable truth that many people are led to believe their body will return to exact pre-pregnancy function, when reality is more nuanced. This is not about doom or blame. It’s about realistic expectations, better preparation, and clear options, including what pelvic floor physical therapy can support during postpartum recovery and return to exercise.

A big thread is communication: how do clinicians discuss risk, pelvic organ prolapse, and symptom monitoring without accidentally creating fear, pain sensitization, or kinesiophobia? I share a personal story about blood pressure anxiety and “white coat hypertension” to show how the way we talk about health can shape how the body responds. We also zoom out to the bigger system, including how new pelvic floor research takes time to reach everyday care, and why proactive preconception education could change everything for active moms and athletes.

If this resonates, subscribe for more evidence-informed conversations on exercise during pregnancy, postpartum rehab, and pelvic health, then share this with a friend who deserved clearer answers. After you listen, leave a review and tell us: what did you wish someone had explained before birth?
___________________________________________________________________________
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!