Claim OwnershipThe Barbell Mamas Podcast | Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pelvic Health
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© 2026 The Barbell Mamas Podcast | Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pelvic Health
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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.
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.
154 Episodes
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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 pr...
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 “m...
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 dis...
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 ta...
Ever been told to “Kegel before you lift” and wondered if it actually helps? We take a clear-eyed look at leaking under heavy loads, how bracing strategies can make or break pelvic pressure, and why a breath-first approach often outperforms constant clenching. As pelvic health and barbell training collide, we break down what’s happening inside the core canister—pelvic floor, abdominal wall, chest wall, and back muscles—and how they’re meant to coordinate automatically as load increases. We u...
Gold medals and car seats can share the same backseat. We reflect on a Winter Games filled with mothers who didn’t just compete—they redefined what pregnancy and postpartum training can look like at the highest level. From Alana Myers-Taylor and Kaillie Humphries medaling in their 40s to athletes navigating IVF and still delivering peak performances, we explore how these stories shift public perception, shape clinical guidance, and give active moms permission to chase strength without apology...
Ready to trade rigid rules for a smarter return-to-sport plan? We walk through a groundbreaking consensus published in BJSM that maps a postpartum pathway for soccer players—and any active mom—built on real-world variables: medical red flags, mental health, pelvic symptoms, sleep, stress, and the demands of life with a newborn. Instead of a one-size-fits-all protocol, this framework offers seven clear stages, plus field-tested progressions from non-contact drills to match conditions, all co-s...
Heavy lifting in early pregnancy carries a long shadow of fear—but the data tell a different story. We unpack a newly published study on first-trimester high-load resistance training, revealing that pelvic floor symptoms actually decreased compared to preconception, even as many athletes maintained intensities near 80% of one-rep max. We also dig into miscarriage rates in this cohort and how they align with population norms, pushing back on the narrative that smart, heavy training in early pr...
Ever feel like every scroll brings a new rule for your body? We sit down with Dr. Emily Fender, a health communication scientist whose research tracks how women’s health messages spread across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube—and why the loudest claims aren’t always the most useful. Together, we break down a simple lens you can use anywhere online: threat versus efficacy. Are you being scared into attention, or actually given steps and resources to act? That distinction shows up in everything f...
Trying to conceive while training hard can feel like you’re being asked to choose between your identity and your goals. We go straight at the myth that vigorous exercise is the enemy of fertility and show where the real culprit often hides: low energy availability that disrupts hormones and stalls ovulation. Through clear explanations and practical examples, we map the J-shaped curve between activity and conception, highlight the gaps in vigorous-intensity research, and explain why fueling—no...
Leaks under a heavy deadlift, pressure during a ruck, or a sudden urge mid-sprint can derail training—and confidence. We go straight at the myths and mechanics behind pelvic floor symptoms in athletes and service members, unpacking how high load, high speed, and high fatigue interact with hormones, recovery, and technique. Christina Prebbitt, pelvic floor physical therapist and researcher, shares a candid journey from national-level weightlifter to clinician advocating for stronger, smarter t...
The New Year avalanche of challenges and “perfect morning routines” can feel brutal when you’re sleep-deprived, healing, and parenting on a hair trigger. We take a kinder path for pregnant and postpartum athletes and active moms: small, repeatable wins that respect your season while still building real momentum. I share the mindset shifts that changed everything for me and for the moms I treat: why the 60-minute rule is a myth, how to turn exercise snacks into a powerful training tool, and s...
New years can feel loud and demanding, especially when you’re juggling motherhood, training, and a nervous system running hot. We’re choosing a different path: intentions over resolutions, performance over punishment, presence over perfection. In this candid reflection, we map out eight intentions for 2026 that help active moms and pregnant or postpartum athletes build progress that lasts. You’ll hear why performance goals—like running a half marathon, nailing five push-ups, or squatting cons...
What if the advice you’ve been handed about training through pregnancy and after birth is more fear than fact? We close out a bruising year with honesty about grief, miscarriage, and the quiet ways movement held us together—then channel that hard-won clarity into a smarter 2026 playbook for active moms and moms-to-be. We unpack culture shifts that finally stuck: pregnant lifters drawing fewer trolls, more families sharing pregnancy loss without shame, and a growing acceptance that early post...
The loudest voices on the internet say “don’t lift heavy when you’re pregnant.” We say: let’s look at what the body does, what the research shows, and how to train with confidence. Christina Previtt, pelvic floor physical therapist, researcher, and mom of two, unpacks three persistent myths—weight caps, benching on your back, and never holding your breath—and replaces them with clear, symptom-led guidance that respects both performance and pregnancy. We start by clarifying the landscape: str...
What if the six-week postpartum rule is more tradition than science? We take you inside a smarter, kinder approach to early recovery—one that blends evidence with real life so you can move your body sooner, safely, and with confidence. Christina shares the research on moderate activity at two to three weeks postpartum, explains why vigorous intensity may be too much for healing tissues, and lays out clear “navigational buoys” that turn the vague advice to “listen to your body” into specific, ...
Most advice about training through pregnancy and postpartum gets boiled down to catchy lines that spark more fear than clarity. We take those mantras head-on and replace them with something better: a body readiness approach that respects training age, context, and real signals your body sends while it adapts. We start by unpacking “just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” a phrase that often implies harm without data. Instead of blanket restrictions on running, lifting, or core work, w...
Stop earning your workout. We make the case that exercise is the tool for healing during pregnancy and postpartum, not a prize you unlock after perfect recovery. From lifting to running, we unpack how smart, scaled training can reduce pelvic symptoms, rebuild capacity, and restore confidence without waiting on arbitrary timelines. We dig into the cultural and clinical biases that shape advice for mothers. Many pelvic health providers and coaches arrive in the field through their own birth st...
What if the “wait six weeks” rule after a C-section is holding you back more than it’s keeping you safe? We unpack a smarter, kinder approach to recovery that treats movement like medicine—careful, progressive, and tailored to your body and your birth story. We start by confronting a hard truth: post-cesarean recovery is wildly variable. Some moms coast, others struggle, and most get blanket restrictions that ignore physiology and context. Drawing on clinical experience and current research,...
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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