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
Strong as a Mother: Redefining Strength & Running in Pregnancy and Postpartum — with Jessica Dorrington & 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, a pelvic floor physical therapist, runner, and all-around grounded voice in pregnancy and postpartum fitness.
Together, they co-authored Strong as a Mother and founded 4Two, a platform built to give moms what so many of us were searching for: clear, practical, evidence-informed guidance during pregnancy and postpartum—without fear-based messaging or one-size-fits-all rules.
This is an honest conversation about strength, running, identity, and motherhood. We talk about what it’s like to search for return-to-sport guidance even when you’re an elite athlete, why “just listen to your body” isn’t always enough, and how small, actionable information can make a huge difference when your nervous system, hormones, and life are already maxed out.
We also get into the bigger picture: how pregnancy and postpartum experiences can look completely different—between people and between pregnancies—and why letting go of rigid ideas of “right” and “wrong” movement is often where real confidence starts.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why Strong as a Mother was written—and the real gaps it aims to fill in pregnancy and postpartum care
- What elite athletes struggle with when returning to running after baby
- Why bite-sized, practical education matters more than perfect plans
- How to improve systems and conversations for the next generation of moms
- Why every pregnancy and postpartum season deserves its own reset
- Learning to trust your body again without forcing it
- Letting go of fear, rules, and comparison in pregnancy and postpartum movement
If you’re pregnant, postpartum, a runner, a clinician, or someone who just wants better information without the noise—this episode is for you.
Get Strong as a Mother: Your Complete Pregnancy-to-Postpartum Health Program
on preorder NOW on Amazon.com with release on February 17 2026.
PT's, Meet Jess at APTA CSM in Anaheim in the exhibit hall Booth #1725 Feb 12-14th!
Time Stamps
1:00 Introduction
5:24 Strong as a Mother book
13:50 comparison and the algorithm
19:04 busting common myths
27:40 pregnancy as a professional athlete
33:53 domino effect of progress
41:54 overcoming fear in pregnancy
46:25 filling in the gaps
52:46 getting support
56:16 favorite parts of the book
61:35 rapid fire questions
CONNECT WITH CARRIE
IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/
Website: https://carriepagliano.com
CONNECT WITH JESSICA AND SHANNON:
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!!!!)