Birth prep is not the same thing as birth education, and most pregnant people are only ever handed the second one. In this episode of The Hole Shebang, Kristen Parise sits down with Gina Conley, founder of MamasteFit and author of Training for Two, to talk about the physical preparation that actually makes space for a baby: pelvic floor function, pelvic mechanics and the movement patterns that carry you from labour into postpartum recovery. If you have searched for birth prep exercises, wondered how to prepare your body for birth or been scared by a prolapse diagnosis, this conversation is for you.
This episode is brought to you by kGoal. Shop kGoal smart pelvic floor trainers at blueberrytherapyshop.ca. and use kGoal15 to save 15%.
Gina brings an unusual path to this work. She spent seven years in the army, including a combat tour in Afghanistan, before a difficult first birth sent her back to school for a master's in exercise science. She is now a birth doula who has supported close to 200 births, a mom of four and, at the time of recording, training for her first 100 mile race.
In This Episode
- [01:00] From the army to the birthing room: how Gina's path led to perinatal fitness
- [06:46] Birth prep versus birth education, and why the difference matters
- [07:19] Why wide leg stretches are only one quarter of real birth preparation
- [11:30] Body asymmetry, the pelvic floor and the four movement patterns to train
- [16:44] How a baby moves through the inlet, mid pelvis and outlet, and how to make space
- [20:45] The pushing position debate, and why pressure gradients matter more than gravity
- [29:28] The bounce back lie and adjusting postpartum expectations
- [29:51] Prolapse debunked: why symptomless does not mean broken
- [44:54] What is next for Gina, from Beyond Postpartum to teaching the professionals
What You Will Learn
You will come away understanding why a functional pelvic floor is about movement rather than Kegels, how to think about creating space at each level of the pelvis and why the same prep that helps in labour supports postpartum recovery, including after a cesarean birth. Gina also reframes prolapse and diastasis so a diagnosis feels like a starting point rather than a life sentence.
About Gina Conley
Gina Conley holds a master's in exercise science and is the founder and CEO of MamasteFit in Aberdeen, North Carolina. She is a birth doula, a seven year army veteran, a mom of four and the author of Training for Two (2024). She runs MamasteFit and the MamasteFit Podcast with her sister Roxanne Albert, a labour and delivery nurse and nurse midwife.
Theme Song: an Avicii track (to be confirmed)
Key Topics Covered
- Birth preparation and pelvic mechanics
- Pelvic floor function beyond Kegels
- Labour positions and pushing
- Postpartum recovery and the bounce back myth
- Pelvic organ prolapse and diastasis recti
Resources and References Mentioned
- Training for Two by Gina Conley (2024): mamastefit.com
- MamasteFit Pelvic Mechanics course and Beyond Postpartum program: mamastefit.com
- The MamasteFit Podcast with Gina Conley and Roxanne Albert
Listen to More Episodes Like This
Our Sponsor: kGoal
kGoal makes smart pelvic floor trainers that show you what your pelvic floor is actually doing. Doing Kegels in the dark is the most common reason they do not work, and real time biofeedback replaces the guessing with something you can see.
Blueberry Therapy carries the full kGoal range. The Classic is the insertable trainer most people start with. The Boost is a sit-on-top trainer you use fully clothed, which makes it the one Kristen recommends for pelvic pain, early postpartum and anyone who finds insertion uncomfortable. Both train the pelvic floor to release as well as contract.
Shop kGoal at Blueberry Shop. Not sure which trainer fits, call the clinic at 289-238-8383 and a member of the pelvic health team will help you choose.
Connect with Gina Conley
Website mamastefit.com. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube at @mamastefit.
Connect with The Hole Shebang
Subscribe and listen at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca. Learn more about pelvic health physiotherapy at Blueberry Therapy in Hamilton, Ontario at blueberrytherapy.ca. Leave a review and tell us what you want to hear next.
Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth.
