HRV + Pregnancy PH332

Pursuing Health

Julie Foucher Brown MD, MS.

Health & Fitness

4.8 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2026

⏱️ 21 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this special compilation episode, we explore the evolving science of pregnancy, exercise, and recovery through conversations with two innovative voices in women’s health: Dr. Shon Rowan and Dr. Lindsey Mathews. Dr. Shon Rowan, an OB-GYN and researcher, shares groundbreaking insights from his work studying heart rate variability (HRV) throughout pregnancy and postpartum. His findings reveal fascinating physiologic adaptations—including measurable changes in HRV and resting heart rate that begin almost immediately after conception, reverse in the weeks leading up to delivery, and may ultimately rebound postpartum to levels even higher than pre-pregnancy. Dr. Lindsey Mathews, a Doctor of Chiropractic and prenatal movement specialist, offers practical guidance on how women can use HRV as a tool to better understand stress, recovery, and readiness—helping inform training intensity during pregnancy and postpartum in a way that honors the body’s changing needs. Together, these conversations challenge outdated beliefs about pregnancy and exercise, highlight the incredible adaptability of the female body, and offer a more informed, empowering perspective on movement during one of life’s most transformative seasons. In this episode, we discuss: How HRV and resting heart rate change during pregnancy Why postpartum HRV may exceed pre-pregnancy levels Using HRV trends to guide training and recovery Why pregnancy research has historically been limited The future of wearable technology in women’s health How exercise can support—not hinder—a healthy pregnancy and recovery Related Episodes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1019070179?i=1000532952176Ep 210 - HRV + Pregnancy with Dr. Shon Rowan Ep 263 - Resilience, Recovery + Performance with Kristen Holmes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1019070179?i=1000564649843 If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. I recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

Transcript

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0:00.0	In today's episode, I'm sharing a special compilation featuring two innovative voices in women's health.
0:11.9	Dr. Sean Rowan and OBGYN and researcher is helping expand our understanding of how pregnancy changes the body,
0:18.9	from exercise physiology to heart rate variability.
0:22.3	Lindsay Matthews, a doctor of chiropractic and prenatal movement specialist,
0:26.3	brings a practical lens to supporting women through pregnancy with confidence, strength, and trust in their bodies.
0:32.3	Together, Sean and Lindsay are challenging outdated beliefs about pregnancy and exercise,
0:37.4	and helping create a more
0:38.5	informed, empowering path for women during this incredible season of life.
0:48.8	Dr. Sean Rowan's research offers an incredible glimpse into the body's adaptation during pregnancy. After months
0:55.6	of increased resting heart rate and lower HRV, postpartum HRV may actually rise above pre-pregnancy
1:01.3	levels, suggesting that with appropriate movement, pregnancy can be a season of physiologic
1:06.0	growth, not just recovery. So I got the idea to do some research on this. After my wife had done through pregnancy,
1:12.4	my sister was pregnant, another friend of ours was pregnant,
1:15.8	and they were getting very mixed signals from their providers
1:18.2	about what they could do in pregnancy,
1:19.8	and some of them just didn't really make any sense at all.
1:22.2	So that led me to do a deeper dive into what's out there in research,
1:26.3	and there was nothing. There's very
1:28.0	little on really a lot of things in pregnancy because pregnant women are often excluded from studies
1:33.6	for various reasons. So let us to say, hey, let's do something to see what we can change here.
1:40.2	And tell us a little bit about how that research was set up. So what we did is we found women who were looking to get pregnant in the next four to six months
1:50.0	that were exercising at least three times a week.
	...

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