The Lady Birds

Episode 65: What Your Prolapse Grade Actually Means

In this solo episode, Jessica breaks down one of the most common questions people don’t necessarily voice but want to know - what does my prolapse grade mean? This episode goes beyond the basic “grade 1 through 4” definitions and explains what’s physically happening in the body when prolapse occurs. Jessica walks through the difference between muscular weakness versus structural/fascial support changes, why symptoms don’t always match prolapse severity, and where pelvic floor PT, pessaries, and surgery each fit into treatment. It’s an honest, evidence-forward conversation designed to help people better understand prolapse without fear or oversimplification.  In this episode:🫠 Why prolapse grades don’t predict symptoms perfectly 🧠 Fascia vs muscles: what’s actually changing in the body 🏋️ Why a “strong pelvic floor” doesn’t always prevent prolapse 🩺 When PT helps symptoms vs structure 🔄 Early postpartum prolapse changes and recovery 📍What grade 1–4 prolapse actually means anatomically 🧻 “I can feel a bulge” — what that usually indicates 🐦 Bird prolapse facts because apparently this is who we are now A prolapse grade can tell you where tissue is sitting — but it doesn’t tell the whole story about your symptoms, your function, or your options moving forward. Find the Birds! 📧 podcast@ladybirdpt.com [podcast@ladybirdpt.com] 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @ladybirdpt 🌐 Book with us at www.ladybirdpt.com ⭐ Leave a review or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts

Episode 64: Strength Training for Runners Postpartum (Who Also Have Symptoms)

This episode breaks down how strength training actually supports a return to running in the postpartum period—especially when symptoms like leakage, heaviness, or pain are present. Rather than isolating the pelvic floor, this conversation reframes recovery through the lens of load tolerance and whole-body strength. Jessica walks through common mistakes runners make, how to progress strength training effectively, and how to interpret symptoms as useful data, not stop signs. In this episode: 🏃‍♀️ Running = repeated single-leg load (not just cardio) 💪 Strength training builds load tolerance and therefor capacity to run 🦵 Calves are underrated but critical for propulsion + shock absorption ⚖️ Double-leg → single-leg → impact = necessary progression ⚠️ Symptoms are feedback, not failure 🌬️ Stop thinking about your pelvic floor while running - listen for why!  📉 Underdosing strength work is one of the biggest limiting factors If running keeps bringing up symptoms, it’s not your body failing—it’s your body asking for a different kind of support. Find the Birds! 📧 podcast@ladybirdpt.com 📱 Follow on Instagram: @ladybirdpt 🩺 Work with us: www.ladybirdpt.com ⭐ Leave a review to help more postpartum runners find this info

Episode 63: Our Unfiltered Opinion on Kegels in Pelvic Floor Rehab

This episode takes a clear, evidence-informed look at one of the most polarized topics in pelvic health: kegels. We break down what a kegel actually is (a pelvic floor muscle contraction), why the conversation around it has become so confusing, and how both the “always prescribe” and “never prescribe” camps miss the nuance. Drawing from clinical experience, we explain how pelvic floor rehab has evolved, why isolated muscle contractions still matter, and how they fit into a broader, functional, system-based approach to recovery.  In This Episode: 🧠 What a kegel actually is (and isn’t) ⚖️ The pendulum swing: from overprescribed to overcorrected 📱 How social media has distorted pelvic health messaging 🏋️‍♀️ Why isolated muscle training still has a (small, initial) role in rehab 🔗 The pelvic floor as part of a larger functional system 🤯 Why patients feel confused (and sometimes fearful) 🏃‍♀️ Progression: from awareness → strength → automatic function 💬 Using patient-centered language vs. clinical accuracy The problem isn’t Kegels—it’s pretending they’re either everything or nothing. Find The Birds: 📧 podcast@ladybirdpt.com 📱 Follow along on Instagram @ladybirdpt 🩺 Work with us at Lady Bird PT (in-person or virtual) ⭐ Leave a review if this episode helped you cut through the noise

Episode 62: Why Your Core Still Feels Off, 4 Common Problems We See as PTs And What to Do About it

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: 📧 podcast@ladybirdpt.com 📱 Instagram: @ladybirdpt 🩺 Pelvic floor PT services at www.ladybirdpt.com [http://www.ladybirdpt.com/] ⭐️ Leave a review to help more people find the podcast

Episode 61: An Interview with Dr. Kristy Money on Purity Culture, Anorgasmia and Painful Sex

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/ [https://www.kristymoney.com/] ⭐ Pleasure and purity culture survey: https://www.kristymoney.com/survey [https://www.kristymoney.com/survey] 📉Resources on anorgasmia: https://www.kristymoney.com/anorgasmia [https://www.kristymoney.com/anorgasmia] Find the Lady Birds: 📧 podcast@ladybirdpt.com 📱 Follow along on Instagram @ladybirdpt 🩺 Book with us at Lady Bird PT ⭐ Leave a review to help more people find this info