This episode is raw, emotional, and real.

After a barbell squat, clean, and press session, I noticed visible doming in my core and it triggered rage, fear, grief, and exhaustion I know many postpartum women carry silently.

I’m a personal trainer.
I’m certified in safe return to exercise and postpartum corrective exercise.
And I’m also living with pelvic organ prolapse, a right-sided levator avulsion, hypermobility, and postpartum changes, almost seven years on.

In this episode, I talk honestly about:
• The frustration of doing “everything right” and still feeling setbacks.• Why doming happens during lifting (pressure has to go somewhere).• How prolapse, avulsion, and hypermobility change how the body tolerates load.• Why visible doming is a warning sign, not a failure• Pressure management strategies that actually help• Breath, rib-to-pelvis stacking, and dynamic core control• Why strength may need to be redefined postpartum• Grief, anger, and learning to live in a “maintenance body”

This episode is not medical advice and it’s not about giving up strength.
It’s about training smarter, reclaiming power, and letting go of the lie that women should “bounce back.”

Much of the pressure-management framework discussed here aligns with teachings from Dr. Sarah Duvall, whose work helped me reframe doming as coordination, not catastrophe.

If you’re postpartum and:
• Experiencing pelvic floor heaviness• Seeing abdominal doming• Struggling with lifting or running• Living with prolapse or hypermobility• Feeling angry, scared, or alone in your body

This episode is for you.

You are not broken.Your body has history.And you are allowed to grieve and still feel strong.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Filming This in My Car: A Frustrating Training Day

01:52 – Living With Prolapse, Avulsion & Hypermobility

03:06 – Being the Trainer Who Still Struggles

03:22 – Squat Clean & Press: When Doming Showed Up

05:30 – Fear, Googling, and Finding Better Answers

05:50 – Why No One Talks About Perimenopause & Pelvic Floor

06:30 – You Are Not Broken: Postpartum Neglect Is Real

07:40 – Why Doming Happens: Pressure Has to Go Somewhere

08:00 – The Core Canister Explained

09:20 – Doming as a Warning Sign, Not Failure

09:55 – Breathing on Effort to Reduce Pressure

10:45 – Ribcage Stacking & Light Bracing

11:30 – Dynamic Core Control vs Over-Bracing

12:15 – Glutes as Stabilisers for Pelvic Floor & Back

12:55 – Power Without Max Load: Jumps & Med Ball Work

13:40 – Monitoring Feedback, Not Ego

14:20 – Grieving Old Strength & Redefining Strong

15:30 – Small Wins (Sparkles) Matter

16:15 – Postpartum Bodies Are Not Failing

16:30 – Final Thoughts: Strength Is Yours to Reclaim

Lara x

Listen to Podcast here on Apple or Spotify.Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/fannying-about/id1665329811Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0k5qghShNdpfiLq4xWN5B4?si=8f63980c6701490bIf you want to join the online community 'She Lifts Stronger' - https://www.skool.com/raggy-dolls-9402A supportive hub for mums to build strength - pelvic floor-aware training, education, challenges and community.

Do you find yourself wondering which exercises are “safe” for your pelvic floor?

There is no universal safe or unsafe list.

What really matters is how you load, how you move, how you breathe, and how your body responds.

In this episode, we break down:

• Why “safe vs unsafe” lists create fear, not strength

• How symptoms are your body’s feedback, not a sign of failure

• Techniques from MamasteFit and Core Exercise Solutions (CES) that keep your training pelvic-floor aware

  How to manage load, breath, and pressure safely.

• Timestamps

  00:01 – Intro: No Safe or Unsafe Exercise List

  02:11 – Problem with “Safe vs Unsafe” Lists

  04:17 – What Makes an Exercise Pelvic-Floor Supportive: Load

  06:41 – Internal Load & Recovery

  08:34 – Technique & Strategy: Breath, Ribs, Core

  10:58 – Timing & Readiness: Pregnancy, Postpartum, Life Stress

  13:22 – Symptoms as Your Guide

  15:46 – How to Self-Check: The Three Questions

  17:37 – Example Exercises: Kettlebell Swings & Managing Load

  19:55 – What Pelvic-Floor Safe Training Looks Like: Progressive, Symptom-Aware, Strength-Focused

  22:18 – Confidence Building vs Fear-Based Training

  24:25 – Mic Drop Closing & CTA: She Lifts Stronger Community

  
  

• 💡 If you’re ready to stop training in fear and start lifting with confidence, join my free online community: She Lifts Stronger, where we dive into technique, support each other, ask real questions, and have fun lifting.

  Join She Lifts Stronger here: https://www.skool.com/raggy-dolls-9402

  Subscribe for more pelvic-floor friendly training tips, strength strategies, and movement guidance.

Ever find yourself snapping at your kids for no reason and wondering what’s “wrong” with you?

You’re not alone. In this episode, I share the moment I finally understood the real secret to surviving mum life: looking after my own nervous system.

From exhaustion, overstimulation, and being caught in my own head, to finding calm, patience, and presence. I explore how small moments of self-care can ripple through the whole family.

We even touch on the science of mirror neurons and why feeling calm matters more than you realise.

No perfection required. Just you, supported.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: The Riddle of Mum Life

02:24 – Confession: Snapping at the Kids

04:42 – Lightbulb Moment: Understanding “Look After Yourself”

07:03 – What Self-Care Really Means: Eating, Rest, and Quiet

09:25 – Surviving Motherhood: Using Tools Like TV and Play

11:49 – Mirror Neurons: How Kids Reflect Our Nervous System

13:51 – Closing Reflection: You Don’t Need to Be Perfect

Useful Links:

Join the free community She Lifts Stronger