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.
Episodes
216 episodes
Postpartum Care Bill (H.R. 4074): What It Means for Moms and How You Can Help — with GAIL ZITTERKOPF, PT
What if improving postpartum care in the U.S. didn’t cost anything—but still hasn’t happened?In this episode, I sit down with pelvic floor physical therapist and advocate Gail Zitterkopf, PT, DPT to break down the Optimizing Po...
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Season 5
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Episode 215
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24:11
Pregnancy & Postpartum Research, Moms in Contact Sports & Football — with EMMA BROCKWELL, PT
What does pregnancy and postpartum really look like for female athletes—especially at the elite level?And more importantly… are we still treating it like a problem to manage instead of a phase to train through?In this epi...
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Season 5
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Episode 214
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1:15:10
Running Postpartum & Motherhood: What It Actually Looks Like in Real Life — with run coach LAURA NORRIS
What does it actually look like to keep running when life shifts in a big way — like pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and becoming a parent?In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I’m joined by Laura Norris — certified ru...
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Season 5
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Episode 213
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56:31
100,000 Downloads & 200 Episodes: What I’ve Learned About Running, Rehab & Motherhood — SOLO EPISODE
The Active Mom Podcast just crossed 100,000 downloads and 200+ episodes, which honestly feels a little surreal. So for this one, I did something a little different… In this solo episode, I reflect on how the podcast started back whe...
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Season 5
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Episode 212
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45:52
Menopause & Performance: What Every Active Woman Should Know — with INGRID HARM-ERNANDES, PT
Menopause care is changing — but not fast enough.In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I sit down with Ingrid Harm-Ernandes, PT — a physical therapist with more than 40 years of experience in women’s health, known as “The Pelvic Det...
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Season 5
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Episode 211
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1:00:08
Hip–Pelvic Floor Connections: What Clinicians Actually Need to Know — with DR. LAUREL PROULX & DR. JENNY LACROSS
What are we getting right — and wrong — about the hip–pelvic floor connection?In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Jenny LaCross, PhD, ATC, PT and Dr. Laurel Proulx, PT, DPT to unpack the evolving conve...
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Season 5
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Episode 210
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55:02
Running Influencer Life Is Weird: Training, Identity & Bald-Headed Scallywags — with ERICA KENNEDY aka @inmyrunningerica
What starts as a quick run to get out of the house… can end up changing your entire life.In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I sit down with running creator Erica Kennedy aka @inmyrunningerica to talk about how runni...
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Season 5
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Episode 209
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1:09:44
Training Through Pregnancy in Military Moms: Strength, Readiness & Postpartum Recovery — with DR. MEGAN JONES
What happens when pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and military fitness standards collide?Because “light duty” doesn’t exactly exist when you’re a soldier… or a mom.In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I sit down with ...
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Season 5
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Episode 208
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58:15
Racing 4 Months Postpartum: Inside an Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier Comeback — with CARTER NORBO
In this episode, we welcome back Carter Norbo—home health physical therapist, lifelong runner, and mom to two-year-old twins and a five-month-old baby.After narrowly missing qualification for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials
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Season 5
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Episode 207
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54:18
Strength & Running During Pregnancy and Postpartum: What’s Actually Possible — with JESSICA DORRINGTON, PT & Olympian, SHANNON ROWBURY
In this episode, I sit down with Shannon Rowbury—Olympic bronze medalist, one of the most accomplished middle-distance runners in U.S. history, and Emmy Award winner for her work with NBC’s 2024 Olympic coverage—and Jessica Dorrington...
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Season 5
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Episode 206
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1:09:57
Returning to Exercise After Baby: What Postpartum Research Actually Supports — with DR. JENNA SCHULZ
In this episode, I’m joined by Jenna Schulz, MPT, PhD, a physiotherapist and postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia whose work lives right at the intersection of research and real life. Jenna studies things like...
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Episode 205
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1:00:16
Perimenopause Strength & Protein: What the Research Actually Shows — with Dr. ALYSSA OLENICK
Is Pilates enough? How much is "enough" protein? What does "lifting heavy" ACTUALLY mean?In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Alyssa Olenick, PhD, founder of Doc Lyss Fitness and creator of The Lyss Method, to b...
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Season 5
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Episode 204
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1:16:25
Women’s Health Research Made Simple: How to Spot Misinformation (and What Actually Matters) — with DR. RITA DEERING
In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I’m joined again by Dr. Rita Deering, PT, DPT, PhD — Associate Professor of Physical Therapy and Director of the Movement Sciences Laboratory at Carroll University. With 18+ years of clinical experienc...
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Season 5
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Episode 203
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59:31
#1 EPISODE OF 2025: Lifting Safely in Pregnancy: What the Research Really Shows | CHRISTINA PREVETT, PhD
Coming in at #1 on our list of top podcasts for 2025 is my conversation with Christina Prevett.We close Season 4 of the podcast catching up with @dr.christina_prevett—pelvic health physiotherapist, competitive weightlifter, Cr...
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Season 4
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Episode 202
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1:19:31
#2 EPISODE OF 2025: Female Fitness Myths Exposed: What Actually Works — with LAUREN COLENO-SEMPLE, PhD
Coming in at #2 on our list of top podcasts for 2025 is my conversation with Lauren Colesco-Semple.What if most of what you’ve been told about fitness, hormones, and nutrition as a woman… isn’t actually true?In this episode, I sit...
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Season 4
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Episode 201
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54:55
#3 Episode of 2025: Redefining Exercise in Pregnancy & Postpartum: New Research Insights — with MARGIE DAVENPORT, PhD
Told to slow down during pregnancy & postpartum? Not necessarily! 🏃♀️💪"It's research update time again with @exerciseandpregnancy!In this episode, Margie Davenport, Associate Professor at the @ualberta & former national...
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Episode 200
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55:38
#4 EPISODE OF 2025: Gut Health, Hormones & Midlife Changes: What Every Woman Over 40 Should Know — with DR. SUSAN CLINTON
Coming in at #4 on our list of top podcasts for 2025 is my conversation with Dr. Susan Clinton.In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Susan Clinton—a clinician, educator, and coach with over 40 years of experience helping women mo...
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Episode 199
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1:07:23
#5 EPISODE OF 2025: How to Make Fitness Actually Work for Busy Moms — with LINDSEY BOMGREN
Coming in at #5 on our list of top podcasts for 2025 is my conversation with Lindsey Bomgren.What does fitness really look like for moms?It’s not matching sets and flawless form.It’s stopping mid-workout for a di...
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Episode 198
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1:17:54
Breaking Barriers: Women Runners, Motherhood & Resilience — with author, MAGGIE MERTENS
In this powerful season finale, I sit down with journalist and author Maggie Mertens (@maggiejmertens) to unpack the untold history—and future—of women in sport, running, and motherhood.Maggie is a Seattle-based writer whose work ...
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Episode 197
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59:00
Hiking, Hormones & Pelvic Health: Real Talk from the Trail — SOLO EPISODE with Dr. CARRIE PAGLIANO
In this episode, I’m taking you with me down into the Grand Canyon—21 miles, 13 hours, eight of us ages 44–53 (seven women, one very patient man), and every bit of trail talk you can imagine. What started as “Can we actuall...
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Episode 196
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44:10
Pregnant and Ultra-Running? What You Need to Know — with SOPHIE CARTER
In this episode, I sit down with Sophie Carter, an ultra runner, coach, and mom of five who made headlines for running a 100km ultra while pregnant. Sophie has also co-authored a paper on endurance running during pregnancy, adding valuable insi...
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Episode 195
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37:54
Ultrarunning Through Pregnancy & Planning a Strong Postpartum Return— with LEAH YINGLING
In this episode, I sit down with Leah Yingling, an internationally ranked trail and ultrarunner from Salt Lake City, Utah. Leah has achieved multiple top-10 finishes at Western States and UTMB, and has represented Team USA at the World Mountain...
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Episode 194
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58:26
What Running Medicine Should Look Like for Moms + Athletes — with DR. KATE MIHEVC EDWARDS
In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, Carrie Pagliano, PT, DPT, OCS, WCS, sits down with Dr. Kate Mihevc Edwards, PT, DPT, OCS—founder of Precision Performance Running Medicine Clinic in Atlanta, creator of the RU...
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Episode 193
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1:01:55
Are You Struggling with Low Energy, Hormones or RED-S? What Sports Nutrition Misses —REBECCA MCCONVILLE
In this episode, I sit down with Rebecca McConville, a registered dietitian, board-certified sports specialist and IAEDP-approved eating disorder supervisor. Rebecca is an internationally recognized expert on Relative Energy Deficie...
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Episode 192
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59:24
OB/GYN to Ultramarathoner: What Pregnancy & Endurance Teach Us — with DR. LAUREN PURETZ
She’s the host of the Speaking of Labia podcast, a practicing OB/GYN, business owner, and mom of two. And this past summer, Dr. Lauren Puretz was the top American finisher at UTMB 100.In this episode of the Act...
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Episode 191
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40:14