Active Mom Podcast: Pregnancy, Postpartum, Perimenopause, Menopause & Beyond
Welcome to the Active Mom Podcast — where real motherhood stories meet real science.
Hosted by Dr. Carrie Pagliano, double board-certified physical therapist, runner, mom of two, and internationally recognized expert in pregnancy, postpartum, pelvic floor, and perimenopause performance.
Whether you’re a mom navigating running with prolapse or leakage, a clinician supporting active women, or a lifelong athlete trying to stay strong through every hormonal season — this show gives you evidence-based guidance and real life mom stories without the fear, confusion, or shame.
Each week, Dr. Carrie brings candid conversations with researchers, clinicians, elite athletes, and everyday moms to explore what it actually takes to run, lift, jump, and live confidently through pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and beyond.
We talk about:
• Postpartum return to running & lifting
• Pelvic floor symptoms (leakage, prolapse, pain)
• Pregnancy exercise myths & safety
• Strength training at every age
• Perimenopause performance & hormone changes
• Mental health, identity shifts & motherhood
• The realities of being an active mom in a busy life
Real talk. Real science. Real moms.
Because you deserve to feel strong and supported — at every stage of your active life.
Active Mom Podcast: Pregnancy, Postpartum, Perimenopause, Menopause & Beyond
“Why Do My Insides Feel Like They’re Falling Out?” Understanding Prolapse & Breaking the Taboo — with HELEN LEDWICK, author of Why Mums Don’t Jump
Today I speak with Helen Ledwick, the creator of Why Mums Don’t Jump - dedicated to dismantling the taboo around pelvic floor problems after childbirth. By sharing personal stories and expert knowledge, the former BBC journalist has helped thousands of women to access reliable information and support for issues like incontinence, prolapse and pelvic pain. Her groundbreaking book, Why Mums Don't Jump: Ending the Pelvic Floor Taboo, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2023, and builds on the success of her ARIA-nominated podcast, which recently concluded its fourth season. Inspired by Helen’s own struggle with pelvic organ prolapse, Why Mums Don’t Jump has blossomed into a vibrant Instagram community, where women describe feeling empowered and hopeful. Helen lives in Manchester, UK, with her husband and two children.
We talk about:
-the evolution of WMDJ
-discovering prolapse
-lack of information available
-creating a community
-creating space for moms to share
-mom survival mode
-combating misinformation
Time Stamps
1:00 introduction
6:55 information available now
9:20 experiencing prolapse postpartum
13:35 standards of practice
18:20 stories from the book
26:35 calming the nervous system
30:40 lessons learned in growing WMDJ
38:04 having ownership over your body
43:00 rapid fire questions
CONNECT WITH CARRIE
IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/
Website: https://carriepagliano.com
CONNECT WITH HELEN
IG: https://www.instagram.com/whymumsdontjump/
Website: https://whymumsdontjump.com/
The Active Mom Podcast is A Real Moms' Guide to pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause & beyond for active moms & the professionals who help them in their journey.
This show has been a long time in the making!
You can expect conversation with moms and professionals from all aspects of the industry.
If you're like me, you don't have a lot of free time (heck, you're probably listening at 1.5x speed), so theses interviews will be quick hits to get your the pertinent information FAST!
If you love what you hear, share the podcast with a friend and leave us a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and review. It helps us become more visible in the search algorithm! (Helps us get seen by more moms that need to hear these stories!!!!)