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
Prolapse, Levator Avulsions & Pessaries: What’s Actually Happening (Part 2) — with MELISSA DAVIDSON, PT
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In Part 2 of this conversation, I’m joined again by Melissa Davidson, specialist pelvic health physiotherapist, clinical educator, and PhD, to go deeper into the clinical realities of pelvic organ prolapse, levator ani avulsions, and pessary use.
This episode moves beyond definitions and into what actually matters in practice: clinical decision-making, patient education, and navigating an evolving pelvic health landscape where access is expanding—but not always with the training to support it.
We talk about how to explain complex diagnoses in a way patients can actually understand, why accurate assessment matters, and how clinicians can balance symptom management with long-term capacity building.
We also unpack the growing conversation around pessaries—including types, fitting considerations, complications, and the rise of over-the-counter options—and what that means for both patients and providers.
This is a nuanced conversation about where pelvic health care is right now… and where it still needs to go.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Different types of pessaries and how they’re used
- What levator avulsions are (and why they matter)
- Clinical decision-making in prolapse care
- Potential complications and limitations of pessary use
- The importance of provider training and ongoing education
- What “high tone” actually means (and why it’s often misunderstood)
- The role of mental health and psychological support in pelvic floor conditions
Time Stamps
1:00 avulsions explained
7:05 proper diagnoses of pelvic floor issues
14:00 over-the-counter pessaries
20:55 cutting through the marketing
29:33 expanding access while preserving quality care
33:33 what we don’t know
40:26 how the research changes clinical practice
CONNECT WITH CARRIE
IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/
Website: https://carriepagliano.com
CONNECT WITH MELISSA:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmelissapelvicphysio/
Website: https://www.drmelissadavidson.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!!!!)