
Show Notes
Anita Lambert is a Registered Pelvic Health & Orthopaedic Physiotherapist with a focus on #prenatal, #birth prep and #postpartum care, as well as the co-host of the To Birth & Beyond podcast. She’s one of the few #physiotherapists in Canada to have completed physiodoula training which blends physiotherapy expertise with birth doula support and now assists this professional course taught in Canada. She joins me today to talk about preparation around stage 2 in labour - what happens in the body, how can we help with breath and #pelvicfloor, where do physiotherapists play a role. Links for today: www.holistichealthphysio.com www.bumptobirthcourse.com www.tobirthandbeyond.com IG: @holistichealthphysio FB: @holistichealthphysio
More of Anita's bio: Anita is passionate about helping #pregnant physiotherapy clients connect more with their body including their pelvic floor plus keep you active and comfortable during pregnancy while you prepare for birth which will give you a head start on your postpartum recovery. She enjoys helping postpartum clients navigate their recovery and return to activities they love including exercise, sports and dance without pain and pelvic floor symptoms. Anita created her Bump to Birth online course which guides you step by step to prepare you, your pelvic floor and core for birth and co hosts the To Birth & Beyond podcast to share this information to help people around the world. Growing up as a ballet dancer and athlete, Anita was always fascinated with how the body moved and healed. Her love for sport led her to become the team therapist for the McMaster University women’s rugby and basketball teams. She completed her clinicial Pilates rehab training during her final physiotherapy clinical placement in Brisbane, Australia alongside working with semi-professional ballet dancers. She brought this knowledge back to Toronto to start off her physiotherapy career including becoming an on-site physiotherapist for Canada’s Ballet Jorgen and Past President of Healthy Dancer Canada, an organization that fosters and facilitates communication and collaboration among the dance community, health professionals and researchers. Outside of work, you can find Anita practicing yoga or Pilates, strength training or enjoying the outdoors and spending quality time with her husband and energetic 4 year old daughter and 2 year old son.
Queensland Health Clinical Guidelines for Perineal Care
Upcoming courses/lectures discussed:
Smart Education PowerTalk : "Strength training and the female pelvic floor: what we all need to know
IUGA International Symposium on A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Prevention and Management of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Listen and enjoy and a big thanks to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of The Pelvic Health Podcast. Head to Always Discreet to learn more about bladder leak tips, management and incredible bladder leakage protection!
More from The Pelvic Health Podcast
Pelvic pain care doesn’t just involve patients learning to feel safe, it demands clinicians feel regulated too. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Thea Bowler, a gynaecologist and fertility specialist with advanced training in pelvic pain, pain management, and laparoscopic surgery. Thea combines evidence-based medicine with a compassionate, whole-person approach, helping patients and practitioners understand that true healing begins with safety and awareness of the nervous system. Alongside her is Paula Hindle, a physiotherapist and educator known for her integrative, nervous-system-informed approach to pelvic health. Paula blends movement, breath, and body connection with trauma-informed care, helping women (and the clinicians who treat them) move from protection into trust and ease. Together, this powerhouse duo from Vera Wellness discuss the nervous system’s role in pelvic pain, and how their new resource supports both patients and practitioners. We explore what it means for clinicians to regulate themselves, how that helps prevent burnout, and why our own state directly influences patient outcomes. Unfortunately we are missing the wonderful Dr. Peta Wright, who is part of this brilliant team and founder of Vera. This conversation is for anyone treating or living with pelvic pain — and for every practitioner who needs the reminder that you can’t pour from an empty cup.
On this episode of The Pelvic Health Podcast we were joined by Dr Laura Whitburn, Senior Lecturer and researcher at La Trobe University, to explore The Meaning of Labour Pain and the groundbreaking research behind it. Dr Whitburn’s work reframes labour pain—showing that the way women interpret and give meaning to pain during childbirth plays a pivotal role in their experience and coping, and that pain perceived as purposeful and productive is often associated with greater resilience and more positive outcomes. Drawing on qualitative studies and contemporary pain science, she highlights how social context, mindset, and supportive care can shape women’s pain experiences in labour. Tune in to hear her insights on how this research can empower women and inform more woman-centred approaches to childbirth.
Part 2 is finally ready for everyone to listen to - or watch on YouTube! If you haven't listened to or watched Part 1, head back catch up, this is our continued conversation. Jo, Tam and myself dive further into my PhD studies - looking at pelvic floor symptoms between women doing CrossFit and women only running, objectively assessing pelvic floor support in supine versus standing, and more of the ins and outs of a PhD. We also discuss some more benefits of transperineal ultrasound in the clinic. For more info on learning this: Lori's online courses HERE Tam's wonderful PELVIC HEALTH COMMUNITY Jo: The Physiotherapy Clinic Lori's PhD THESIS!!!! Enjoy!
🎙️ NEW EPISODE ALERT! 🎙️ We're thrilled to share our conversation with Alison Deslandes, specialist sonographer and endometriosis researcher, who's breaking down the game-changing role of ultrasound in endometriosis detection. If you are missing out on the current action at the World Congress on Endo, catch her here and stalk her on insta. ✨ In this episode, we dive into:
In Part 1 of this special series, Jo and Tam flip the script and interview the newly Dr. Lori Forner about her PhD research on exercise-based heavy lifting, pelvic organ support, and the use of transperineal ultrasound in physiotherapy. We explore her research, specifically exercise-based heavy lifting and pelvic organ support in Part 1 where the next episode (Part 2) discusses the use of transperineal ultrasound in physiotherapy and her research exploring assessment positions. 💡 Grounded in evidence, clinically relevant, and just the beginning... 🎥 And we’re now on YouTube! You can watch this episode there too! Don't forget about the upcoming PB Conference in Sydney, June 13, 2025. Check it out HERE and register!