The Barbell Mamas Podcast | Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pelvic Health

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.

We walk through why elite examples matter for everyday training—not because you should copy their programs, but because their visibility attracts research and funding that replace rigid rules with nuanced, evidence-informed care. You’ll hear how tools like the FIFA postpartum decision aid move us beyond arbitrary timelines and into personalized return-to-sport plans anchored in body readiness, symptom response, and context. We unpack relative intensity, show how a 20-hour week can responsibly scale to 15 for an Olympian, and translate that thinking to the recreational lifter who just wants to squat, run, and feel like herself again.

We also get tactical: clear screening questions to bring to your provider, practical ways to progress without flaring symptoms, and a simple bracing cue—“hug your baby”—that connects breath, core, and confidence. Along the way, we honor the village behind these athletes and every parent balancing loading pins and lunchboxes. If you’re an active mom or coach seeking a roadmap that respects healing and ambition, this conversation brings clarity, encouragement, and tools you can use today.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who lifts, and leave a quick review to help more moms find confident, evidence-based training.
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Interested in our programs? Check us out here!

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-signed by clinician and athlete to keep you at the center of decisions.

We also tackle the nuanced role of GLP-1 medications. Higher BMI can increase pelvic floor load and low-grade inflammation, so clinically guided weight loss may help symptoms, even as data continue to evolve. We unpack the buzz about “GLP-1 vagina,” explain why fat loss can change labial appearance regardless of method, and highlight what matters most: preserving muscle with resistance training, fueling well despite appetite changes, and looping in your pelvic health provider so your plan is coordinated, safe, and effective. Preconception and postpartum timing, PCOS considerations, and realistic expectations for weight changes during pregnancy all get careful attention.

Finally, we reset expectations around postpartum pelvic changes. Vaginal opening, urethral mobility, and transient heaviness often reflect normal adaptation, not failure. We explain how to interpret symptoms without panic, when to seek assessment, and how to progress load like you would any high-performing system. Strength training isn’t optional—it’s the throughline that supports your pelvis now and into menopause, reducing symptom burden as you age.

If this conversation helps you feel seen, stronger, and better equipped for your comeback, share it with a friend, subscribe for weekly science-backed guidance, and leave a review so more active moms can find it. What’s the next milestone you want support with?
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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!

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 pregnancy is inherently risky.

From there, we confront an overlooked reality: most active women receive little to no guidance on returning to exercise after miscarriage. We share raw, personal experiences of medical management, bleeding, and the confusing early weeks of recovery, then introduce a new survey designed to map real-world timelines, barriers, and advice quality. Whether you lift, run, flow, or mix it up, your input can shape practical, compassionate recommendations for getting back to movement in a safe, sustainable way.

We round out the conversation with a deep dive into perimenopause and musculoskeletal pain, especially the spike in shoulder and low back-pelvic discomfort as women move from pre to peri. For athletes navigating postpartum in their 30s and 40s, this hormonal backdrop matters. Aerobic and resistance training may blunt vasomotor symptoms, but aches can still rise, calling for smarter load management, recovery, and clinical screening when needed. The throughline is clear: informed autonomy. With better data and honest dialogue, we can train hard, honor healing, and adapt across life’s transitions.

If you’ve experienced a miscarriage in the past year and were active before or during pregnancy, please check the show notes for our survey link and share it with someone who might benefit. If this resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and send this to a friend who trains. Your story moves the science forward.
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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!

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 from contraception myths to perinatal mental health, where severity gets clicks but supportive guidance often goes missing.

We dig into cycle syncing and the difference between evidence, overreach, and personalized training. You’ll hear why rigid phase-based rules can backfire, creating shame and cost barriers, and how athletes worry these narratives label women as fragile for half the month. We zoom out to the bigger system: incentives that reward certainty, influencer marketing that sells protocols, and even expertise drift when clinicians post outside their lane. Then we get practical about risk communication—turning relative risk into absolute numbers, spotting absolute statements, and demanding receipts when someone says “studies show.”

We also scout the horizon with AI. Some tools can surface studies and highlight exact evidence, but they can’t replace synthesis or context. Deepfakes and confident summaries raise the bar for skepticism, so we share a quick checklist to stress test posts before you share or act: scope, sources, statistics, and a simple “does this make sense” pass. Use social media for community, discovery, and momentum—then ground your choices in evidence, your values, and your lived experience. If you’ve been craving fewer rules and more clarity, this conversation offers a calmer, smarter way to navigate women’s health online. Subscribe, share with a friend who lifts, and leave a review to tell us the one claim you want decoded next.
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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!

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—not fewer workouts—frequently makes the difference.

We start with cycle literacy: how to confirm you’re actually ovulating, why 28 days is only an average, and what to do when your calendar method isn’t enough. From there, we dig into medical causes of irregular cycles like PCOS, endometriosis, and fibroids, and we broaden the lens to include male fertility—reminding you that 30 to 50 percent of fertility challenges involve male factors, with sperm quality changing over about 12 weeks. On the lifestyle side, we connect exercise, sleep, stress regulation, and the Mediterranean diet to insulin sensitivity and lower inflammation, setting a stronger foundation for conception.

The heart of the conversation focuses on REDs and underfueling in high-volume training. We unpack how low energy availability blunts estrogen, prevents the LH surge, and leads to anovulatory cycles, then share why a nutrition-first strategy should precede cutting workouts. The Refuel study offers encouraging evidence: maintaining training while increasing intake helped restore cycles, with realistic expectations around a modest weight gain and a recovery timeline that lengthens the longer a cycle has been absent. We close with guidance you can use today—loop in a sports-savvy registered dietitian, protect your sleep, build stress tools before you’re overwhelmed, and treat your menstrual cycle as actionable data.

If this conversation helps, follow the show, share it with a friend who trains, and leave a review so more active women can find evidence-based fertility support. Your body can be strong, well-fed, and ready to conceive—let’s get you there together.
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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!