In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, Nicole speaks with Copa, physical therapist for the Houston Dash, about the real-world process of returning elite footballers to performance after pregnancy. Copa shares how she developed a postpartum RTP framework after managing three pro-player cases back-to-back, and what clinicians can do, especially in resource-limited women's sport settings, to support postpartum athletes safely and confidently.
Topics include:
Early postpartum priorities and tissue healing considerations
Pelvic floor cueing and progression into impact, sprinting, and sport demands
Structuring return to run + strength training, and why recovery drives decisions
Progressing workload week to week (when to repeat, when to push)
Readiness for team training, contact exposure, and match minutes using key metrics
The overlooked essentials: fueling demands (including breastfeeding), fatigue, and long-term monitoring
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