In this solo episode, Jessica breaks down one of the most common (and frustrating) postpartum experiences: feeling like your core just isn’t “back,” despite consistent effort. This episode takes a clinical, evidence-informed look at why core dysfunction persists beyond the early postpartum phase, highlighting issues like poor pressure management, loss of automatic core activation, and mismatched exercise progression. Instead of defaulting to “do more,” Jessica explains why strategy, coordination, and appropriate loading matter more, and how pelvic floor physical therapy can bridge the gap between rehab and real-life demands.

In this episode:

💭 “I’m doing everything right… so why does it still feel off?”

🫁 Breath + core coordination = the foundation most people are missing

⚠️ Pressure mismanagement → leakage, heaviness, and stalled progress

🧠 Loss of automaticity after pregnancy (your core isn’t reflexive anymore)

🧱 Too much tension = overworking, not strengthening

🐢 Staying too easy vs.

🐇 progressing too fast

🏋️‍♀️ Strength must match real-life demand (not just rehab exercises)

🧩 The missing piece is often a clear, progressive plan

If your core still feels off, it’s not because you’re not trying hard enough—it’s because your body needs a better roadmap, not more effort.

Find us:

📧 [email protected]

📱 Instagram: @ladybirdpt

🩺 Pelvic floor PT services at www.ladybirdpt.com

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This episode explores the intersection of sexual dysfunction, pelvic health, and purity culture through a clinical and psychological lens. Jessica and Becky sit down with a licensed psychologist, Dr. Kristy Money, to unpack how early messaging about sex, particularly shame-based or fear-based frameworks found in purity culture, can directly impact arousal, orgasm, and pain with sex. The conversation highlights the complexity of sexual function, emphasizing that while physical contributors like muscle tension and hormones matter, psychological and cultural factors are often deeply intertwined. This episode reinforces the need for a multidisciplinary approach and offers insight into why some patients don’t respond to physical treatment alone.

In this episode:

🧠 Sexual function is biopsychosocial — not just physical

⚡ Trauma + purity culture are major drivers of dysfunction

🪢 Guarding, fear, and anticipation can perpetuate pain cycles👩‍⚕️ Pelvic PT + sex therapy = often the missing link

📉 Arousal and orgasm disorders are under-researched and undertreated

😶 Shame and messaging get stored in the body (even when you “know better”)

🛑 It’s okay to pause sex when it feels like a chore

✨ Pleasure is a skill that sometimes has to be relearned

Find Dr. Kristy Money:

📱 Follow along on Instagram @drkristymoney

🩺 Website: https://www.kristymoney.com/

⭐ Pleasure and purity culture survey: https://www.kristymoney.com/survey

📉Resources on anorgasmia: https://www.kristymoney.com/anorgasmia

Find the Lady Birds:

📧 [email protected]

📱 Follow along on Instagram @ladybirdpt

🩺 Book with us at Lady Bird PT

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It’s time for Becky and Jessica to catch up on life! (We really do save some conversations to have them realtime on the podcast!) Today we talk about what it actually looks like to raise 21–22 month olds—chaotic energy, unpredictable eating, early potty training signs, and the ongoing mental load of feeding choices. We also get into a more nuanced, evidence-informed conversation around breastfeeding, pumping, and formula feeding—what we thought going in versus what we see now in practice and in real families. It’s honest, a little messy, and very reflective of this stage of parenting.

In this episode: 

👶 Toddler personalities: wild child vs chill observer

🍓 The “fruit + carbs” toddler diet struggle

🥦 Exposure vs control in picky eating

🍼 Breastfeeding, pumping, and formula—real tradeoffs

😴 Sleep, workload, and equity in parenting🚽 Potty training readiness vs timing stress

🐦 A wholesome birdhouse update to close it out

Find us:

📧 [email protected]

📱 Instagram: @ladybirdpt

💻 Book a visit: ladybirdpt.com

⭐ Leave a review to help more parents find us

In this episode, we sit down with Kim Borchert, birth and postpartum doula and IBCLC intern, to unpack what birth preparation actually looks like. With over a decade of experience and hundreds of births attended, Kim brings a perspective that challenges the belief that preparing for birth is mostly physical. We dig into why birth is largely mental and emotional, how unprocessed expectations can shape birth trauma, and what it really takes to prepare for labor, both medicated and unmedicated. This conversation bridges clinical insight with lived experience, highlighting the gap between how we prepare for birth and what actually matters in the moment.

🧠 Birth is 90% mental, 10% physical

🔥 How expectations, not outcomes, drive birth trauma

🧘‍♀️ Learning to sit in discomfort (instead of avoiding it) and why that is helpful for birth

🤝 The real role of a doula

💉 Epidurals: timing matters more than you think

🚿 Showers, spiky balls, and the “midwife’s epidural”

😵‍💫 When pain coping tools work… until they don’t

🍼 Postpartum: the part no one prepares for

You can’t control how birth unfolds—but you can prepare for how you meet it.

Find The Birds:

📧 [email protected]

📲 Follow along on Instagram: @ladybirdpt

🩺 Learn more or book with us: ladybirdpt.com

⭐️ Leave us a review—it helps more parents find this info

🔥 Let’s keep smashing the patriarchy—one pelvic floor at a time.

Find Kim:

📲 Follow along on Instagram: @austindoulacare

⭐️ If you’re local to Austin - find doulas, classes and more at: https://www.austindoulacare.com/

In this episode:

In this episode, we break down De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, aka “mom thumb”, a common and often debilitating wrist condition in pregnancy and postpartum. We walk through what’s actually happening anatomically, why it shows up when it does, and how to treat it effectively (often faster than people expect). This is a very practical, evidence-informed conversation focused on early intervention, realistic treatment strategies, and how to keep caring for your baby without making symptoms worse.

In this episode:

🤱 Why “mom thumb” is so common postpartum

🦴 Tendon sheath irritation vs. tendon injury (what actually matters)

🔁 Overuse, swelling, and the real root causes

🦾 Bracing: what kind, how long, and why it works

🛏️ Sleep positions + daily habits that quietly make it worse

🧠 Early treatment = faster recovery

💉 When cortisone injections make sense

🏋️‍♀️ Rehab basics: isometrics, load, and what most people don’t need

It might feel scary when your hand suddenly can’t keep up with caring for your baby—but this is one of those things that usually gets better quickly when you know what to do.

Find the Lady Birds:

📧 [email protected]

📱 Follow along on Instagram: @ladybirdpt

🩺 Work with us: www.ladybirdpt.com

⭐ Leave us a review — it helps more moms find this info when they need it most

Many of the women we work with are having babies later in life, which means postpartum recovery and the early stages of perimenopause can start to overlap. In this episode, we talk with functional nutrition practitioner Amber about why symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, sleep disruption, mood changes, and cycle irregularities can show up during both phases — and why they can be so confusing to untangle.

But more importantly, we talk about what actually helps. Instead of focusing on expensive hormone testing or quick-fix supplements, this conversation centers on the daily habits that support hormone health during one of the busiest and most stressful seasons of life. We dive into why habit change is so hard for exhausted parents, how your brain resists new routines, and why small, realistic shifts in hydration, nutrition, movement, and sleep can make a meaningful difference over time.

In this episode:

🧠 Why brain fog, fatigue, and sleep issues can happen in both postpartum and perimenopause

🔬 Why hormone testing isn’t always as helpful as people think

🦋 The often-overlooked role of thyroid and blood sugar in hormone symptoms

🕸️ The “hormone web” — how stress, nutrients, gut health, and lifestyle all interact

🧂 Small habit shifts that actually support hormone health (hydration, protein, electrolytes)

🧠 Why habit change is so hard — and what your brain is doing behind the scenes

🏋️‍♀️ Letting go of all-or-nothing thinking in health and fitness

💊 What to know about supplements during postpartum and perimenopause

If you’re wondering whether what you’re experiencing is still “just postpartum,” early perimenopause, or a mix of both — you’re definitely not alone.

Find Amber:

📱@amberdawn_wellness

📧 https://amberdawnwellness.com/

Find the Lady Birds:

📧 Email us your questions or episode ideas: [email protected]

📱 Follow along on Instagram for pelvic health education and clinic updates @ladybirdpt

🩺 Learn more about working with us at www.ladybirdpt.com

⭐ If you enjoyed the episode, leave us a review — it helps more people find the podcast

Pelvic floor dysfunction is often framed as a pregnancy or postpartum issue—but that’s far from the full story. In this episode, we talk about an overlooked population we’re seeing more and more in the clinic: teenagers. From urinary urgency and constipation to painful periods and tampon intolerance, pelvic health symptoms can start long before someone ever thinks about pregnancy. We walk through why these issues happen in teens, the physical and behavioral factors that contribute, and what pelvic floor physical therapy actually looks like for this age group. Whether you’re a parent, coach, healthcare provider, or someone who works with adolescents, this conversation sheds light on symptoms that are common, treatable, and far too often dismissed. 

In this episode:

🧠 Pelvic floor dysfunction isn’t just a postpartum problem—it shows up in teens too

🚽 Urinary urgency, leakage, and constipation are some of the most common symptoms

😖 Painful periods, tampon intolerance, and pelvic pain often get normalized instead of treated

🏃‍♀️ Sports, high-impact activity, stress, and chronic “holding” patterns can contribute

🧒 The teen years sit in an awkward middle ground between pediatric and adult care

🩺 Pelvic floor PT for teens focuses on movement, breathing, habits, and education

👨‍👩‍👧 Parents and teens both need to feel informed and comfortable in the treatment process

📣 Early intervention can prevent years of unnecessary symptoms and shame

Find us:

📧 Email us: [email protected]

📸 Follow along on Instagram: @ladybirdpt

🏥 Learn more about our services: www.ladybirdpt.com

⭐ Leave a review if this episode helped you or someone you know

In this episode, Jessica sits down with Lindsey DiCello, founder of Austin Yoga Lounge, to talk about what prenatal yoga actually does for a pregnant body. They dig into the difference between a typical yoga class and one designed specifically for pregnancy, how pelvic mobility and breathwork influence labor, and why nervous system regulation matters more than most people realize. The conversation also explores the mental side of birth preparation — including pain coping strategies, body awareness, and the role of consistency in movement during pregnancy.

In this episode:

🧘‍♀️ What makes prenatal yoga different from a typical yoga class

🦴 Why pelvic mobility (not just strength) matters for labor

🫁 Breathwork as one of the most effective labor coping strategies

🧠 How nervous system regulation can influence the course of labor

🌊 Practicing contractions and “riding the wave” of labor

👯 The unexpected power of community in prenatal classes

💬 Why learning to listen to your body during pregnancy actually prepares you for birth

Birth preparation isn’t just about getting stronger — it’s about learning how to stay present, breathe through intensity, and trust your body in the moment it matters most.

Lindsey DiCello is the founder of Austin Yoga Lounge, a prenatal and postpartum movement studio in Central Austin dedicated to supporting people through pregnancy, birth preparation, and early motherhood. A prenatal yoga teacher, pre and postnatal fitness specialist, and birth doula, Lindsey specializes in helping pregnant and postpartum parents build strength, prepare for labor, and recover with confidence through intentional movement and community support.
📧 Website: https://www.austinyogalounge.com/

⭐New Student Trial: https://www.austinyogalounge.com/new-student-trial

📱Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austinyogalounge/
👯TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@austinyogalounge

How to Find the Lady Birds:

📧 Questions or podcast ideas? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow along on Instagram for pelvic health education and clinic updates

🏥 Learn more about our services at Lady Bird PT (pregnancy, postpartum, and pelvic pain care)

⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review — it helps more people find the show

Up to 70% of women report bowel changes across their menstrual cycle and yet, no one really talks about it. In this episode, we break down what’s actually happening physiologically during your luteal and menstrual phases, why progesterone slows things down (hello constipation), why prostaglandins speed everything up (cue diarrhea), and how those shifts connect. We cover practical, evidence-informed strategies you can use to manage symptoms—and when pelvic floor PT might play a role.

In this episode:

🌀 Hormone shifts across the menstrual cycle

🐢 Progesterone and slowed gut motility

💩 Prostaglandins and diarrhea during bleeding

🥣 Soluble vs. insoluble fiber (yes, there’s a difference)

💧 Hydration, magnesium, and bowel routines

🧘‍♀️ Pelvic floor tension + incomplete emptying

💊 NSAIDs and prostaglandin suppression

🐦 Stress poops: humans 🤝 birds

Connect with us:

📧 [email protected]

📍 Austin, TX — Book a pelvic floor PT visit at www.ladybirdpt.com

📲 Follow along on Instagram @ladybirdpt

⭐ Leave a review so more women can find real answers

In this week’s episode, we brought on one of our actual patients, Amber, to talk about what pelvic floor physical therapy feels like from the other side of the table.

Amber shares how she developed really distressing symptoms postpartum (including arousal and UTI-like symptoms), how alone she felt, what it was like to ask for a referral, and what her first pelvic floor PT visit was actually like. We talk about the awkward questions, the internal work, the pelvic wand, the nervous system connection and most importantly, what changed for her once she realized she wasn’t crazy.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• “Is this normal?”

• “What even happens at pelvic floor PT?”

• “Is my problem too weird to bring up?”

This episode is for you.

Our hope is simple: that hearing one real person’s experience makes it easier for you to take the first step if you need it.

In this episode:

🙋‍♀️ A real patient, sharing the real story

🧠 “You’re not crazy.” (the words every patient deserves)

🪄 What actually happens during treatment

💬 Why being heard matters just as much as the exercises

🔁 Feeling empowered to manage flares instead of fearing them

You don’t have to fully understand what’s going on to deserve help. You just have to take one step.

📧 [email protected]

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @ladybirdpt

🌿 Book a visit: www.ladybirdpt.com

⭐ If this episode helped demystify pelvic floor PT, leave us a review