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
Wait… so which device is actually right for me? Inside Pelvic Floor Support: Devices, Fit & What You Should Know with Dr. Christina Prevett
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
After interviewing 10 pelvic floor support device companies—6 internal, 4 external—Dr. Carrie Pagliano sits down with researcher and pelvic health physiotherapist and researcher Dr. Christina Prevett to do what she couldn't do alone: process it all.
This is the debrief episode for the Inside Pelvic Floor Support: Devices, Fit & What You Should Know mini-series—and it's where the real clinical conversation happens.
Together they unpack what the marketing language actually means, how FDA clearance changes what a company can and can't say, why "neuromuscular facilitation" made Carrie twitch, and what both clinicians and consumers should actually be asking when considering a pelvic floor support device.
They also tackle some of the bigger picture questions that came up across the series: When do you use a device alongside PT instead of waiting? What's the difference between a normal anatomical change and a symptomatic one? What does "failing PT" actually mean—and is it even the right framing? Who is a good candidate for internal versus external support? And how do access, cost, and geography affect all of it?
This episode is for the clinician trying to make sense of an increasingly crowded market—and for the person with symptoms who just wants to know what might actually help.
In this episode:
- Predispositions for pelvic floor dysfunction and non-modifiable anatomy
- Using devices and PT in tandem, not in sequence
- Normal pelvic changes versus symptomatic changes
- FDA-cleared vs. wellness device language—and why it matters
- Internal versus external device profiles and patient fit
- Industry-funded research: the double-edged sword
- Access, cost, and the case for over-the-counter options
- Getting client buy-in when suggesting a device
Time Stamps
1:00 introduction
3:15 PTs fitting pessaries and other devices
9:21 prolapse management involving anatomy and symptoms
14:44 physical comfort with pessaries
17:58 cutting through the marketing
20:45 FDA approval versus “wellness”
26:10 studies versus real world use
30:01 reality of external devices
39:44 big takeaways from the series
CONNECT WITH CARRIE
IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/
Website: https://carriepagliano.com
CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.christina_prevett/
Website: https://www.ksr.ualberta.ca/exerciseandpregnancy/
Substack: https://christinaprevettphd.substack.com/
This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or create a provider-patient relationship.
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!!!!)