Hormones, Periods, and Pelvic Floor Health | Dr. Sara Reardon

As a Woman

Natalie Crawford

Health & Fitness, Medicine

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 November 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dr. Natalie Crawford, OBGYN and REI, sits down with pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Sara Reardon to dive into a part of women’s health that’s often overlooked—but incredibly important. In this conversation, they break down the mysteries of the pelvic floor, explore how hormones shape your daily experiences, and share actionable steps to help you feel empowered in your body. Key Topics: 1. Understanding the Pelvic Floor - What the pelvic floor is and why it matters in daily life - How it’s connected to different parts of your body - Reasons it might not be “feeling right,” and what that could mean 2. Listening to Your Body’s Signals - Signs you shouldn’t ignore related to periods or discomfort - Why certain symptoms may not be “just normal” - The importance of knowing your own body cues 3. Hormones Through Every Stage - How monthly cycles, pregnancy, and menopause impact what you feel - When hormone changes could affect more than you expect - Ways to be proactive before, during, and after big life changes 4. Making Pelvic Floor Care Accessible - Steps you can take in your own home to support your health - What to expect if you see a pelvic floor therapist - Helpful resources and how to advocate for your own care Pre-order Dr. Crawford's debut book, The Fertility Formula, now! ⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠ Follow Dr. Reardon on IG @the.vagina.whisperer and TikTok @thevagwhisperer Buy her book Floored Check out her website thevaginawhisperer.com Join her V Hive app for pelvic floor workouts Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠nataliecrawfordmd.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive updates, Q&A, special content, and freebies If you haven’t already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every Tuesday. Plus, be sure to follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@nataliecrawfordmd,⁠⁠⁠⁠ check out Natalie’s YouTube channel Natalie Crawford MD⁠⁠⁠⁠, and if you're interested in becoming a patient, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Fora Fertility. Join the Learn at Pinnacle app ⁠to earn FREE CE Credit for listening to this episode! This episode is brought to you by The Pinnacle Podcast Network! Learn more about Pinnacle at learnatpinnacle.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Painful periods, pain with intercourse, bladder problems, constipation, and pelvic pain that might be easy to ignore or see normal, but it's actually not. Some folks don't even know they have a pelvic floor until they have a pelvic floor problem. If you don't know what's normal, you don't know what's abnormal, and women are really tough, so we just adjust and accommodate. I think the narrative for pelvic floor health is we've always heard, just do your kegles,
0:21.6	just do your kegles, but kegles are not the right prescription for everyone. It's information about your body, it's just facts. Your body is the way that it is. And it's important for you to understand it so you can start to make those changes and ultimately live a healthier, longer, happier life. I think most women feel like, oh my goodness, I wish I would have known this sooner.
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1:15.4	Welcome back to the As a Woman podcast.
1:19.2	I'm your host, Dr. Natalie Crawford, and today we're talking about something that doesn't get enough attention, which is your pelvic floor.
1:21.7	These muscles are the foundation of your body, literally, and they support your bladder,
1:25.7	uterus, and bowels.
1:26.9	And when they're healthy, you might feel strong, confident, and pain-free. But when something's off, it can
1:31.3	show up in many different ways, painful periods, pain with intercourse, bladder problems,
1:36.5	constipation, and pelvic pain that might be easy to ignore or seem normal, but it's actually
1:42.3	not. Joining me today is Dr. Sarah Reardon, a pelvic floor physical therapist, author of
1:47.1	Floored and founder of The Vagina Whisper.
1:49.6	She has helped thousands of women heal, reconnect with their bodies, and take back control
1:53.6	of their pelvic health.
1:55.0	In this episode, we're going to talk about how your hormones influence your pelvic floor,
1:58.8	what pain is not normal, and whether it's your period,
	...

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