Pelvic Health in Sport: What the Research Really Means for Active Women from Running to Rugby — with GRÁINNE DONNELLY

Send us Fan MailPelvic floor dysfunction. Diastasis. Returning to sport.There’s a lot of noise online about what postpartum women should or shouldn’t do—and most of it is confusing, fear-based, or missing the bigger picture.In this episode, I’m joined once again by Gráinne Donnelly—Advanced Practice Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, Doctoral Researcher, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy. She brings a powerhouse combo of clinical and research expertise to the messy, nuanced world of postpartum rehab and performance.This conversation is a must-listen for clinicians, coaches, and postpartum athletes who want evidence-informed guidance with real-world application.We talk about:🔹 How running mechanics and compression garments impact performance and symptoms 🔹 Navigating diastasis recti with nuance—not fear 🔹 The influence of social media on exercise messaging and body image 🔹 Supporting persistently symptomatic athletes (and why it’s not always about fixing everything) 🔹 The role of internal exams and ultrasound in guiding care 🔹 Moving beyond generic protocols to truly individualized rehab 🔹 And why listening deeply to your patient matters more than a checklistWe also get real about how misinformation spreads online—and how to stay grounded in actual evidence without losing the human side of care.Time Stamps1:00 Introduction2:50 pelvic floor dysfunction in athletes8:55 controlling variables and where to start14:20 what we can take away from research17:38 assessing patients and using evaluations24:00 getting buy-in from your patients30:19 social media and available information39:30 treating the individual, not the problem 51:20 encouraging activity sooner55:30 rapid fire questionsCONNECT WITH CARRIEIG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/Website: https://carriepagliano.comCONNECT WITH GRAINNE:IG: https://www.instagram.com/absolute.physio/X: @ABSPhysioThe Active Mom Podcast — a real mom's guide to pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause & beyond, for active moms and the professionals who help them get there.Quick-hit conversations with moms, providers, and researchers... because you don't have a lot of free time (you're probably listening at 1.5x right now).Follow so you don't miss an episode. Rate & review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — it's how the next mom searching for these answers actually finds them. Share it with the friend who needs it.Questions or topic requests? DM me 💌