The Lady Birds

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

In this episode, Becky and Jessica dig into the often-oversimplified advice around breathing and weightlifting — especially for postpartum folks and anyone dealing with prolapse symptoms, stress urinary incontinence, or pelvic pain. Using both anatomy and real clinical scenarios, they break down how breath mechanics actually influence pelvic floor function, why pressure management matters more than “strength” alone, and how different breathing strategies apply at different loads. If you’ve ever been told to “just exhale” or “never hold your breath,” this episode adds nuance — and practicality — back into the conversation.

In this episode:

🫁 Diaphragm + pelvic floor anatomy

🏋️‍♀️ Weightlifting after pregnancy

💨 Exhaling on exertion

🔒 Valsalva vs bearing down

⚖️ Managing intra-abdominal pressure

🧠 Re-learning movement patterns

🩺 Pelvic floor dysfunction & exercise tolerance

📩 Questions or episode ideas? Email us at [email protected]

📲 Follow along on Instagram @ladybirdpt

🏥 Learn more or book a visit at ladybirdpt.com

⭐ If this episode helped you, leave a review — it truly helps more people find pelvic-floor-informed care

In this episode, we sit down with lactation consultant and perinatal mental health coach Heather from The Lactation Expert to unpack the very real, very under-discussed relationship between mental health and feeding. We dive into how anxiety, birth trauma, hypervigilance, and societal pressure directly impact lactation outcomes — and why feeding struggles are often an early warning sign of deeper nervous system stress. This conversation bridges physiology, psychology, and lived postpartum experience to help parents and providers better understand why feeding is never “just mechanical.”

In this episode:

🧠 Perinatal anxiety + hypervigilance around feeding

🍼 The bidirectional relationship between mental health and lactation

📊 Tracking culture, freezer stash pressure, and social media myths

💔 Birth trauma, cortisol, oxytocin, and delayed milk onset

🌈 Supporting queer, neurodivergent, and high-risk parents

🛠 Making feeding plans realistic instead of punishing

🤍 Why preventative lactation support actually matters

Because feeding your baby shouldn’t cost you your mental health — and you deserve support, not survival mode.

Find Heather:

🖥 Learn more at www.thelactationexpert.com
📲 Follow Heather on Instagram @thelactationexpert

🧠 For birth & health professionals:
Heather’s Lactation Essentials for Birth Professionals course is opening enrollment for its second cohort. This multi-week program includes recorded modules plus live calls, and is designed for pediatricians, midwives, doulas, SLPs, OTs, sleep coaches, and anyone supporting feeding families.

🤍 For parents:
Heather offers a bi-monthly support group that’s evolving into something special — the Parent Kind Support Circle. This is ongoing, relationship-based support from pregnancy through early postpartum, featuring two live virtual calls each month, expert guest speakers, and an intimate community space to stay connected between calls.

Find the Lady Birds:

📩 Questions or episode ideas? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow us on Instagram: @ladybirdpt

🩺 Book pelvic floor care with our team: ladybirdpt.com

⭐ Love the show? Leave a review — it helps more parents find honest, evidence-based care

In this solo episode, Jessica breaks down how pelvic floor physical therapy has evolved over the past decade — and how that evolution directly impacts postpartum recovery, pelvic pain treatment, and birth preparation. Drawing from updated research, shifting clinical guidelines, and real-world practice changes, this episode covers why outdated “no crunches, only Kegels” thinking no longer holds up, how pregnancy care has expanded, and what truly supports long-term symptom resolution.

In this episode:

🧠 Evidence-based postpartum core rehab

🤰 Internal pelvic floor work during pregnancy

📉 Why biofeedback and isolated Kegels are losing priority

🏋️ Strength training for pelvic pain and tension

🔄 Pressure management over “perfect” core control

🛠 Long-term symptom prevention vs quick fixes

🐦 Bonus bird fact energy

Because pelvic health care shouldn’t stay stuck in 2015 — your recovery deserves better science and better systems.

Find us:

🎧 Subscribe + leave a review to help more parents find evidence-based pelvic health care

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

📱 Follow us on Instagram: @ladybirdpt

🌐 Learn more or book a visit: ladybirdpt.com

Second and subsequent pregnancies often come with earlier symptoms, faster belly changes, and more physical strain — and it’s not “just in your head.” In this episode, Becky and Jessica break down the biomechanical, tissue-level, and lifestyle factors that make later pregnancies feel so different from the first. From connective tissue changes and cumulative load to sleep deprivation and deconditioning, we explore what’s modifiable, what isn’t, and how strategic strength training and pelvic floor rehab can meaningfully improve symptom progression and pregnancy tolerance.

In this episode: 

🤰 Why bellies show earlier and grow faster the second time around

🦴 Tissue stretch, ligament changes, and why bodies “remember” pregnancy

💥 Common symptoms: leaking, pelvic pain, heaviness, back pain

🏋️ Strength training vs “just staying active”

😴 How toddlers, sleep loss, and life load impact pregnancy symptoms

🧠 Modifiable vs non-modifiable factors (and letting go of blame)

⏱ It’s never “too late” to get stronger, even during pregnancy

Your body isn’t broken — it’s adapting under more load, more life stress, and more history. And there’s still a lot you can do to feel stronger this time around.

📩 Questions or episode ideas? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow along on Instagram: @ladybirdpt

🧠 Learn more about pelvic floor PT, pregnancy prep, and postpartum care at ladybirdpt.com

⭐ Love the show? Leave a review — it helps more parents find evidence-based care

Regulation and co-regulation are increasingly used terms in pediatric and parenting spaces, yet they’re often poorly defined or oversimplified. In this episode, we sit down with neuroaffirming, pediatric occupational therapist Caitlin Sanschagrin, owner of BrightSpOT Pediatric Therapy to break down what nervous system regulation actually means, how co-regulation supports emotional development and functional behavior, and why connection-based, neuro-affirming approaches outperform compliance-driven strategies. We discuss how stress physiology impacts learning and behavior, what co-regulation looks like across developmental stages, and practical ways caregivers can support regulation at home without unrealistic expectations of perfection.

In this episode:

🧠 Let’s talk regulation and what it actually means

🫶 Co-regulation across ages (babies → teens → adults)

🔥 Why compliance-based therapy backfires

🧸 Meltdowns aren’t teaching moments

📚 Predictability & routines as regulation tools

💬 Modeling emotional regulation as parents

💔 Repair after rupture actually matters

🌈 Neuro-affirming parenting + therapy

Fight Caitlin and her team:

Website: https://brightspotpediatrics.com

Instagram and TikTok: @brightspotpediatrics

Find us: 

🎧 Subscribe, follow, and leave us a review — it helps more parents find real support

📩 Questions or episode ideas? Email us at [email protected]

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @ladybirdpt

🩺 Learn more about pelvic health care with Lady Bird PT

Resources Mention:

@learnplaythrive on IG and https://learnplaythrive.com