Anxiety, stress, and physical pain are more connected than many people realize. If you've ever been told your symptoms are "all in your head," the truth is that your nervous system plays a real role in how your body feels pain and tension.

In this episode, we talk with NYC based psychiatric physician assistant Victoria Starner (PA-C, CAQ-Psy) of Curated Mental Health. We cover how a nervous system stuck in fight or flight can affect your body, what to expect at a first psychiatry visit, and why starting medication doesn't have to be scary or permanent.

We also discuss sexual side effects from medication, mental health medication during pregnancy, early signs of postpartum depression, PMDD and symptom tracking, and how to find a mental health provider who's the right fit.

A lot of pregnancy advice focuses on the baby, but what can you do to prepare your own body for birth and recovery?

In this episode, Dr. Emma Codman, a pelvic floor physical therapist based in NYC, discusses pelvic health during pregnancy, with a particular focus on the final weeks before delivery. We cover changes to the pelvic floor, common pregnancy symptoms, movement and exercise, preparing for labor, perineal massage, pushing positions, and what pelvic floor physical therapy can offer before birth.

We also talk about what symptoms shouldn't simply be dismissed as normal and how preparing before delivery may make postpartum recovery easier.

How often should you have a bowel movement? Is straining normal? And what does your pelvic floor have to do with constipation?

In this episode, Dr. Emma Codman, a pelvic floor physical therapist based in NYC, talks about the basics of bowel health, including constipation, stool consistency, straining, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, fiber, hydration and bathroom habits.

We also explore how the pelvic floor helps coordinate bowel movements, what happens when those muscles aren't working together properly, and how pelvic floor physical therapy can help with certain bowel symptoms.