Surabhi Veitch and Joanne Ukposidolo have a dynamic conversation on how to become a better and more successful pelvic floor physiotherapist, while respecting shared decision making, cultural humility and embracing your own identity.

We discuss:

1. Creating a space where you and your Type A clients can release the pressure and stress of the day

2. The role of the physiotherapy as a partnership and creating an environment where clients want to participate in their rehab

3. Empowering clients as the custodian of their own care

4. Getting better at understanding client’s goals, identity and culture in order to better treat them

5. The importance of hearing people out and validating their concerns as a pelvic health physiotherapist

6. Cultural competence vs cultural humility

7. Understanding body shame and body confidence as a woman treading across multiple cultures

8. The hypervisibility and hyperinvisibility of being a visible minority (terms by Stephanie Lurch)

9. Embracing your culture, identity and parts that “stand out”

10. The importance of knowing yourself and respecting your own boundaries - “once you understand why something is important to you, nothing can touch you at that point”

11. The importance of critical thinking as a healthcare professional

12. Understanding how race and technology/AI can impact pain management and birth outcomes

13. Why it is crucial for healthcare professionals to take care of themselves in order to provide better client care

Surabhi chats with Dr. Yeni Abraham, pelvic physical therapist and creator of the Pelvic Rehab Fertility Specialist (PRFS) Certification Program, all about infertility, the importance of prioritizing sexual wellness, and using a holistic approach to supporting fertility.

We discuss:

1. What is infertility and how to know when to get help?

2. The ideal age for fertility and impact of advanced maternal age

3. How lack of time impacts fertility especially for busy, Type A successful women

4. How the western medical and traditional cultural approaches both play a key role in fertility

5. Importance of education on regular intercourse, pleasure, orgasms and sexual wellness as part of fertility treatment

6. When should genetic and reproductive testing come into play

7. The role of a pelvic floor physical therapist in supporting fertility

8. The importance of shared decision making rather than resorting to the patriarchal model of healthcare

9. Fibroids, premature ovarian failure and other fertility cases that keep Dr Yeni up at night

10. Dr. Yeni’s services including mentorship, PRFS Certification Program, and masterclasses on endometriosis, adenomyosis, irregular periods

11. How Dr. Yeni prioritizes happiness and self-care as a mom and successful business owner

Can Kegel chairs fix your pelvic floor issues?! Is your “unstable pelvis” causing pain during pregnancy? Tune into this episode to find out!

Surabhi chats with Dr. Sinéad Dufour, leading researcher and pelvic physiotherapist in a conversation all about incontinence, pelvic girdle pain and HIFEM technology.

We get into:

1. The benefits of virtual and hybrid models of care when it comes to pelvic physical therapy

2. What the research says about pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP)

3. Reducing fear of movement and getting moms moving

4. Understanding physiologic vs structural pain

5. Pelvic floor dysfunction and urinary incontinence

6. High-intensity focused electromagnetic technology (HIFEM) like Emsella and other “Kegel chairs”

Pregnant, trying to conceive or planning a future pregnancy? Tune into this episode to learn why you should work with a pelvic floor physiotherapist. Whether you have pelvic symptoms like leaks, constipation or pain, other symptoms like lower back pain, sciatica, or maybe you don’t have symptoms at all, you’ll learn why it’s a good idea to work with a pelvic physio in pregnancy. You’ll also learn how to prepare for birth and minimize risk of tears.

Not sure how to find a pelvic physio that’s a good fit for you? Tried physiotherapy and it didn’t work? The thing is: not all physical therapists are created equal. There are many factors to consider in choosing the right practitioner for you, including their training, work experience, life experience, cultural competence, ability to listen to you, ability to empower you, and ability to get you results! Listen to this full episode so you’re empowered with information when finding the right person to support your needs.

Surabhi interviews Maggie Bergeron and discusses the founding story of Embodia, a health tech platform that makes it easier for healthcare professionals to schedule, bill, receive payment, chart, send exercises, send education, host a course and more!

We discuss:

1. The story of how Embodia was founded, where it started and how it’s evolved

2. How to take risk as an entrepreneur

3. Build a business the slow way

4. Embrace change as a profession

5. Ways to get outside of your comfort zone

You’ll learn why it’s important and how to actually teach your newborns, babies and young kids about their private parts. We also cover setting boundaries, teaching them about consent, and giving them respect and autonomy over their bodies. Having these conversations early on can help keep your kids safe, and also help them understand when to speak up and who to go to for help if they feel uncomfortable.

Surabhi Veitch interviews Teresa Waser, physiotherapist, educator, clinic owner and mom, as we explore the TIIPPSS-FC framework for Reframing Pain, Pelvic Health, and Performance. We start with the Biopsychosocial Approach, discuss psychosocial influences on pain including asking the right questions on intake forms. We discuss the importance of experiential learning for patients. Teresa shares her journey into pelvic health, highlighting the pelvic floor's vital role. We touch on Diastasis Recti, addressing disordered eating, and the challenges of perfectionism in physiotherapy. Plus, we share exciting updates about upcoming courses and delve into self-care and pessary fitting for pelvic health.

Your period is your superpower!

Let’s dive into all things menstruation! From debunking the myth that painful periods are 'normal' to embracing the magic of your menstrual cycle, I’ll guide you through better period health. Learn about primary and secondary dysmenorrhea, tackle the shame and stigma surrounding periods, and discover how to treat your menstrual cycle like a cherished friend. Explore remedies and approaches, from medications to nutrition, that can alleviate PMS and menstrual pain.

Dive deep into the connection between your beliefs and pain perception, and prepare your period toolkit to thrive throughout your entire cycle. From cravings to TENS machines, acupuncture to massages, and the choice of menstrual wear, I’ve got you covered. Uncover the benefits of nature time, exercise, orgasms, and learning to ask for help. Explore stress management techniques, including the wonders of pelvic physiotherapy. Discover the importance of self-care, mindfulness, and movement throughout your menstrual phases, and understand that women's health is not a one-size-fits-all concept.

Parenting as a brown woman in the west, dealing with racial triggers and intergenerational healing.

Surabhi Veitch chats with Divya Kumar, an Asian-American licensed psychotherapist. Divya specializes in perinatal mental health, trauma, and the life transitions related to pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Surabhi and Divya discuss parenting and the challenges of being a South Asian parent within Western society. Join the conversation as Divya explains how to manage your triggers when it comes to parenting and explores how race and culture impacts parenting.

We discuss:

1. Forming Identity as an Immigrant

2. Sacrifice as a Parent

3. Intergenerational Healing

4. Strategies for Self Awareness

5. Dealing With Your Own Trauma & Triggers

6. Living in a White World

7. Cultural Appropriation

8. South Asian Food

9. The Namesake

If there’s one thing we learn even less about than postpartum, it’s menopause! This week on Mom Strength, Surabhi chats with menopause and midlife health coach, Samantha Montpetit-Huynh to discuss tips for dealing with menopause symptoms, how to embrace aging, as well as hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

We discuss:

1. Menopause & Perimenopause → 0:02:35

2. Embracing Aging → 0:08:11

3. Advice & Tips for Menopause → 0:11:48

4. What to Expect with Menopause → 0:19:40

5. Hormones → 0:21:13

6. Symptoms → 0:24:45

7. Societal Pressures with Menopause → 0:35:22

8. Coping with Menopause → 0:38:30

9. Weight Loss → 0:45:37

10. Meditation → 0:48:33

11. Advocating for Yourself in the Workplace → 0:50:36

12. Hormone Replacement Therapy → 0:52:32

13. Additional Resources → 0:57:12

Are you terrified to tear your vagina during childbirth? Have you heard that your pelvic organs can hang outside your vagina after delivery? Instead of feeling afraid or stuck in fear, learn 10 tangible and actionable ways you can reduce your risk of pelvic trauma during birth. Improve your pelvic health during pregnancy so you can reap the benefits now and later!

A pessary is like a sports bra for your vagina! Surabhi is thrilled to interview Cara McDougall, a pelvic health physiotherapist specializing in pessary assessment and fitting. Cara discusses how pessaries support people with pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, and who makes an ideal candidate, including the success rate. Let’s debunk common myths and ditch the stigma around pessary use (it’s been around forever!).

We answer these questions:

What is a Pessary?

History of Pessaries (it was around in ancient Egypt!)

Helping Patients with Pessary Care

Symptoms of Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP)

Who is the ideal candidate for Pessary Use?

What are unsafe circumstances for Pessary Use?

Common Myths about Pessaries

Gaining relief of symptoms with a pessary

Trial Pessary

Sex & Pessary Use

Periods & Pessary Use

What are pessary fittings like?

Pregnancy & Pessary Use

Pessaries & Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)

Your ultimate guide to mastering pelvic floor exercises, including Kegels and Reverse Kegels. Learn creative cues to visualize your pelvic floor contract and relax, including analogies like flower blooming and milkshake sipping. Understand how excess pelvic tension can exacerbate pelvic pain, leakage or prolapse, and why Reverse Kegels are often more important than Kegels itself.

Don’t erase us from our own birth stories! Part 2 of this conversation with Sarah Sayed continues, where we talk about the guilt around precipitous birth, erasure of women in birth stories, societal views of birth, and exercising as a parent.

This week’s episode features Sarah Sayed, a mom who’s part of my Instagram community! We connected and when I heard her birth story, I knew I had to have her on Mom Strength! Unexpectedly, Sarah had a precipitous birth (which is a fast and short labour) while she was at home and ended up birthing her baby boy on her couch! Tune in to hear all about Sarah’s birth story, how she gave birth, alongside her husband, in her living room.

We discuss:

1. Midwifery Care

2. Precipitous Birth

3. What happened after her home birth

4. Genetics Role in Precipitous Labour and Births

5. Informed Consent during Pregnancy and Birth

6. Birth Expectations

7. Postpartum

8. Co-sleeping

9. Returning to Exercise After Birth

Surabhi Veitch interviews Aarti Inamdar, classical hatha yoga teacher, on the hierarchy in modern day yoga, parenting, Hinduism, and how to disrupt and challenge the status quo within the yoga space.

We also discuss:

1. Parenting & Yoga

2. Responsibility of Teachers

3. The Hierarchy in Yoga

4. Fighting Against Cultural Appropriation & Colonization

5. Disability & Yoga

6. Importance of Pelvic Physiotherapy

7. Prioritizing Mental & Physical Health as a Parent

8. Hindu Stages of Life

9. Identity Shift as a New Parent

10. Self Care

11. Serving Humanity

12. The Comfort Book

13. Changing Hearts & Minds of Political Leaders

Join host Surabhi Veitch as she sits down with Aarti Inamdar, a yoga teacher and student of classical hatha yoga. With over 15 years of experience, Aarti has a passion for sharing the teachings and wisdom in the sacred ancestral traditions of yoga. You won’t want to miss these episodes as we discuss spiritual healing in yoga, inclusivity within the yoga space, and how the practices of yoga can make you a better parent.

We discuss:

1. Yoga as a Way of Life

2. Inclusivity: Any Body is a Yoga Body

3. Body Shame

4. Parenting & Yoga

5. Spiritual Healing Through Yoga

Join Surabhi Veitch and pelvic physical therapist Dr. Darshana Naik as we chat about vaginismus, religion, shame and how to overcome painful sex. We discuss:

1. Importance of Meeting Patients in the Middle

2. Painful Intimacy

3. Sexual Shame and how it influences Vaginismus

4. Painful Sex

5. Religion & Sex

6. Psychology of Painful Sex

7. Pleasure Matters

8. New book on Amazon: Girlfriend's Guide to Pain Free Sex

9. Growing Your Small Business

Mothers are often admired for how much they do for their kids. But how about how much you do for yourself? Traveling without kids, either for business or for pleasure, can be an important way to fill your cup.

I share my experience from my 6-day trip to LA for Boss Up - a conference put on by Dr. Shanté Cofield aka The Movement Maestro and Jill Coleman aka JillFit. I also share how and why we need to release mom guilt when we take the time to do things for ourselves.