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Exercise in Pregnancy Research with Margie Davenport

Exercise in Pregnancy Research with Margie Davenport

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Today I speak with Margie Davenport, an Associate Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation in the University of Alberta. She also currently holds the Christenson Professorship in Active Healthy Living (2020-2025). As a former national team athlete, her recent work has examined elite sport participation during pregnancy, and return to sport following delivery. This line of research aims to develop more inclusive guidelines and policies for elite pregnant/postpartum athletes.

Her principal research interest is the investigation of maternal-fetal health outcomes, and an exploration of the preventative role of exercise and/or lifestyle interventions in the development of chronic disease.  She led the development of the SOGC/CSEP 2019 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy, and the upcoming Canadian Guideline for Postpartum Activity. 

Margie gives us valuable insight into the most up to date research and where it’s pointing for the future!

We  talk about:

-working with elite athletes during pregnancy and postpartum

-changes in recommendations over the years

-discussion of 2019 Canadian guidelines

-questionnaire for pregnancy women

-Olympic lifting during pregnancy

-clinicians and researchers collaborating 

-social media and getting advice

-benefits of exercise during pregnancy

-pushing the boundaries

Time Stamps

1:00 introduction

4:01 common barriers with conducting research with pregnant women

9:35 feedback from Canadian guidelines

17:15 collaboration between clinicians and researchers

23:00 big things moms and clinicians need to know

CONNECT WITH CARRIE

IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/

Website: https://carriepagliano.com

CONNECT WITH MARGIE

IG: https://www.instagram.com/exerciseandpregnancy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExercisePreg

Website: exerciseandpregnancy.ca

Questionnaire:  https://csep.ca/2021/05/27/get-active-questionnaire-for-pregnancy/

The Active Mom Postpartum Podcast is A Real Moms’ Guide to Postpartum for active moms & the postpartum professionals who help them in their journey.

This show has been a long time in the making!

You can expect conversation with moms and postpartum 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 start 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!!!!)

Watch Episode on YouTube:

Listen on Buzzsprout:

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Is pelvic floor muscle overactivity finally proven in the research?

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I was really excited when I first saw this!

An article in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology talking about overactivity AND a musculoskeletal issue.

It was a systematic review, which means they find all the research relevant to the topic and distill it to find a conclusion. 

And here’s where things get  interesting…

We have to look back so we can look forward.

This article is a prime example of this. Because it’s showing us the terminology previously used is no longer the terminology we use. It’s hard to compare because it’s not apples and apples.

Even since the beginning of my career 23 years ago, overactivity wasn’t a thing. We talked about “tightness” and “pain”.

I can give you a lot of theories as to what’s causing the overactivity, but I can’t give you proof. Because the research isn’t there. 

And let’s not forget, there are SO MANY VARIABLE! 

There are so many different reasons a brain could be causing your muscles to be tight. And if we are going to change your brain’s actions, we need to give it a really good reason. 

But don’t think this article isn’t helpful! It gives us an idea of what we have up to this point and the questions we need to ask going forward. 

Clinicians and researchers are just in different places. And that’s why it’s important to find a provider that’s evidence informed. I can’t say that 100% of what I do is tied to research, but it is tied to my experience in what works. 

How I practice now compared to how I practiced even a year ago is related to the research that is showing us what questions to ask and investigate.

High tone and overactivity absolutely exist. But we don’t always know why. And that’s okay. 

Tell me what you think. If you’re a mom, I want to hear the explanations you’ve been given. 

If you’re a provider, I want to hear what you tell moms about overactivity. 

Lifting & Pelvic Floor with Alexis Morgan & Christina Prevett

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Today I speak with physical therapists Alexis Morgan and Christina Prevent. Both are physical therapists that work with postpartum women and female athletes. Both women are barbell athletes themselves. They help female athletes maximize fitness potential with online programming for pregnant & postpartum CrossFitters & weightlifters. They also teach other rehab pros to do the same. Through their respective companies, they are leading the charge to teach and inform moms and pros, alike that women can come back to the barbell postpartum and be even stronger! We talk about using the research to inform our practice instead of letting the research limit what we do, and why the line is so fine. 

We dispel common myths and set the record straight on the what is really possible for female athletes postpartum!

We  talk about:

-why they work with female athletes

-to Valsalva or not during pregnancy and postpartum

-reframing return to sport

-new ideas surrounding the research

-integrate pelvic health with other modalities

-“momming” requires fitness

-bracing and weightlifting belts

Time Stamps

1:00 introduction

6:42 misconceptions moms have about returning to sport

10:30 misconceptions clinicians have

18:40 when to follow the research

25:00 integrating pelvic health with other modalities

35:20 what being active postpartum means

CONNECT WITH CARRIE

IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/

Website: https://carriepagliano.com

CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA & ALEXIS

IG: https://www.instagram.com/christina_prevett/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/alexismorganpt/

Barbell Mamas: https://www.instagram.com/thebarbellmamas/

Website: https://thebarbellmamas.com/

The Active Mom Postpartum Podcast is A Real Moms’ Guide to Postpartum for active moms & the postpartum professionals who help them in their journey.

This show has been a long time in the making!

You can expect conversation with moms and postpartum 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 start 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!!!!)

Watch Episode on YouTube:

Listen on Buzzsprout:

returning to work postpartum habit stacking

Return to Work after Baby

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The hardest time postpartum is NOT immediately after the baby is born. 

In the beginning, we already have an expectation that things will be hard and there will be circumstances that require creative navigation. 

The hardest time for moms postpartum, in my opinion, is actually when they return to work.

You can plan your return to work within an inch of your life, and there will STILL be things that derail your plans. 

It’s all about the expectations.

I always encourage moms to dial back expectations when a challenging time or a big change is coming up. Set your expectations to the bare minimum. 

Something is always better than nothing!

Hit the minimums and give yourself a timeframe when you think you’ll be able to level up. MAKE IT GRADUAL. 

Underestimate so you can overdeliver instead of “fail”.

We’re playing the long game here. It’s so important to build in the habits that will get us through the day and seasons of chaos.

Returning to work is a time when moms just don’t get enough credit for all the hats they are wearing. 

I’d love to hear what’s worked for you! What are the habits that you’ve stacked to make your routine work? Did you feel supported in your return to work?

If you’re a provider, what are the tips you give to your moms? Are you setting them up for success?

You make me glad I didn't have kids CHOOSING WORDS CAREFULLY AS PROVIDERS

“You make me glad I didn’t have kids” | CHOOSING WORDS CAREFULLY AS PROVIDERS

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Let me tell you about a mom I saw this week:

A first time postpartum mom had seen another provider. She was experiencing pelvic floor heaviness and needed to return to a physical job. Her diagnosis, which sounded correct, was overactive pelvic floor with prolapse symptoms. 

She told me as she was ending the session with the other provider, the provider said something that absolutely shocked me…

“It’s clients like you that make me glad I decided not to have kids.”

Um, WHAT???

NO ONE WANTS TO F*%@ING HEAR THAT!!! 

It’s really disappointing because we are fighting so hard to get the right diagnosis and the access to care. And we have to deal with things like this!

You absolutely do not need a provider heaping these words on top of your growing mountain concerns. 

Even in my pre-child naiveté, I’m sure I said some uninformed things, but I NEVER said something like that!

As providers, we’re supposed to listen to our patients and validate their experiences, NOT center it around ourselves. 

We’re doing better with getting providers to get past the basics (a kegel isn’t the answer to everything), but surely we can still do better with the words we choose!

And ya know, it may not be the worst idea to find a provider who has experienced what you’ve experienced, in some way. 

Tell me what you think. If you’re a mom , I want to hear about your experiences. And if you’re a provider, what are your tips to meet moms where they are?

postpartum programming prolapse lies

Evidence-Based or Marketing Scam?

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At least once a week I get a DM asking me for my opinion about an exercise program or some other quick bite of Reel-style information. 

And frequently, there’s a catchy (and sometimes fantastical) claim:

“Prevent pelvic organ prolapse with this program!”

There are two ways to understand a claim like this: from a medical perspective and from a marketing perspective. 

I understand that people are selling things (no shame in that game, I sell stuff, too.)

But when the claim is all pelvic organ prolapse is preventable, my bullshit meter starts to go off. 

POP is multifaceted and complicated. So, selling something with the promise that it will prevent POP, is disingenuous at best.

There’s a way to have that conversation without making impossible promises. 

A program can offer education and prevention based on what we know, without promising the moon. 

But to claim to have the answer for everything and say something is totally preventable, well that’s just a lie. 

Programs like these are setting people up for disappointment and a false idea of what is possible.

We need to be critical of these big names. They are big names because they have big marketing budgets. Not because they’ve figured out the Secret Sauce of postpartum prevention.  

We can’t be okay with this overstepping of what the evidence supports. 

Fear Mongering is a marketing tactic. 

I’m not saying these programs are bad, but they are overpromising and under delivering. 

Tell me your thoughts. I’d love to know what you’re seeing out there.

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Luxury care for your most intimate concerns with Nurse Pracitioner Jenna Perkins

Luxury care for your most intimate concerns with Nurse Practitioner Jenna Perkins

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Today I speak with Jenna Perkins RN, WHNP-BC. She is a board certified Women’s Health and Gender Related Nurse Practitioner.  Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Jenna completed her undergraduate studies and masters in Women’s Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Her career as a Nurse Practitioner launched in a busy downtown D.C. office where she became an expert in Urology, Urogyn, Sexual Health, and Pelvic Floor disorders. She specializes in complex patients and offers a holistic approach to care.   

Jenna has a passion for education that guides the practice. She believes it essential that a person understands how the body functions in order to heal dysfunction. She is an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown School of Nursing, a published author, and has taught other clinicians at national conferences. She designed this practice to deliver quality care in an environment that prioritizes patient education, evidenced based care, and TIME!   When she is not helping her patients heal you can find her enjoying being a wife and mom of two. 

We  talk about:

-common questions from new moms

-having an advocate

-education without fear

-working with complicated cases

-hormonal issues and breastfeeding

-finding the right provider

-pillars of good care

Time Stamps

1:00 introduction

2:08 most common questions

5:48 most common problems

10:00 breastfeeding and care for other issues

12:55 advice for women to advocate for care

18:13 expectations versus realities

CONNECT WITH CARRIE

IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/

Website: https://carriepagliano.com

CONNECT WITH JENNA

IG: https://www.instagram.com/discovherhealth/

Website: https://www.discovherhealth.com/

The Active Mom Postpartum Podcast is A Real Moms’ Guide to Postpartum for active moms & the postpartum professionals who help them in their journey.

This show has been a long time in the making!

You can expect conversation with moms and postpartum 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 start 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!!!!)

Watch Episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/_v039_COkhY

Listen on Buzzsprout:

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Expanded Coverage for Postpartum Care

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1 minute to make your voice heard

Use this quick link to ask your US representatives to support coverage of postpartum care.

https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/APTA/Campaigns/97870/Respond?vvsn=BygfgA5sACO5XAMdNza7EBA

H.R.8181 – Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act of 2022

This is a bill that’s coming before the House of Representatives in the United States. You have the ability to use this quick link and MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!  THe quick link allows you to use the auto text or add your own words to personalize the message.

The fact that ANYTHING related to postpartum is coming for a vote, is a huge win and we NEED to support it!

Some of my pelvic health colleagues have been integral in getting this to happen. THey’ve done their part, now it’s time to do ours. 

If we can get postpartum care covered federally by medicaid, it will spill over into insurance care! 

Let’s remove as many barriers to entry as we can and expand coverage for the much needed support moms need postpartum!

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Do C-sections prevent prolapse?

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I’m going to warn you, this is real life. 

This advice was ACTUALLY published in a journal.

C-sections and smoking cigarettes are protective against pelvic prolapse.  

This is what we have? Seriously? It just goes to show how little we know about prolapse. 

How about this? What if the risk factor for prolapse is just getting pregnant and giving birth, REGARDLESS of method.

Are we really telling people that smoking will protect you from experiencing pelvic organ prolapse?!? REALLY?

In this day of promoting being evidence informed, I think we really need to focus on what questions are being asked and what questions are being answered. 

If you’re not considering all the factors, be aware you’re not considering all the factors

Am I supposed to be telling moms to have a c-section and start smoking?

Come on. 

What do you think? What would you do if someone actually gave you that advice? What are some other silly things you’ve read or been told?

learning about pelvic organ prolapse

Is more information about prolapse a good or a bad thing?

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The good news about social media is you have easy access to information.

The good news about social media is you have easy access to information.

I get DMs all the time from moms who must be frantically searching the internet for “what’s wrong with me” at 2am. 

What I tell a mom who is 2 weeks postpartum will be DRASTICALLY different from what I tell a mom who is 2 months postpartum. 

In those early weeks, things are changing SO FAST.

Milk is spraying from your nipple a million different directions

You have night sweats

You probably still have discharge

If you had a c-section, you’re recovering from that. 

Your uterus is shifting.

Then there’s the constipation.

There’s A LOT going on. 

In those first few weeks, here’s what you should do…

Notice…but don’t freak out. 

Especially if you have never looked down there before and postpartum is your first time checking things out, well, you don’t even know where things started!

It’s so hard to not freak out when you’re scared. 

Go ahead and gather information, talk to KNOWLEDGABLE providers, and know that things will continue to change. 

But if the knowledge is overwhelming you, then just stop looking! More information isn’t always better. 

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