The Science of Motherhood

Miscarriage is far more common than we're told, and the silence around it can leave you feeling like you're the only one. If someone has said "at least you can get pregnant" or suggested you focus on the baby you already have, you're allowed to feel those words missed the mark. Your loss is a loss, and you deserve support that treats it that way.

Whether you're grieving now, pregnant again and carrying a lot of worry, or wondering how to support someone you love, there's more help out there than you might realise.

In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White sits down with Samantha Payne, co-founder and CEO of the Pink Elephants Support Network, to explore early pregnancy loss and the support available. Samantha shares her story of three miscarriages, how her grief became a three-year campaign that changed Australian law, and what care, workplaces and loved ones can still do better.

You'll Hear About:

• Why the 12 week rule needs rethinking
• How a three year campaign changed Australian law
• What free support exists after pregnancy loss
• What current guidelines say after two losses
• How to support someone through pregnancy loss

Grief after pregnancy loss moves at its own pace, and you deserve to feel held, heard and supported through it. Share this conversation with a friend, sister or colleague who could use it. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.

Resources & Links

Connect with Renee

Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_

Connect with Renee on LinkedIn: Renee White

Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services

Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies

Connect with Samantha Payne

Pink Elephants Support Network: pinkelephants.org.au

Instagram: @pinkelephantssupport

LinkedIn: Samantha Payne

Pregnancy loss support

Pink Elephants Pregnancy Loss Helpline, delivered by PANDA on 1300 726 306. It's free and open seven days a week.

This episode is proudly supported by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village, with doulas available across Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart and Perth.

Disclaimer: The information on this podcast presented by Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Nothing contained in this episode is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice.

If you're a Type A personality, you've probably mapped out almost everything, from the pram research to the hospital bag spreadsheet. And if a quiet voice is asking what happens when you can't control it all, that voice belongs to someone who cares deeply and wants to get this right.

Your planning brain is one of your greatest strengths as a mama. It needs a slightly different job description once baby arrives, and the research shows where to point it.

In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White unpacks how to prepare for motherhood as a Type A personality, from the surprising origin of the label to what the research says about perfectionism, your remodelled brain and your baby's body clock. She also shares her two-part framework, control the controllables and embrace the spontaneity, along with a confession about a spreadsheet and an algorithm from her first baby.

You'll Hear About:

• Where the Type A label actually came from
• Why perfectionism makes motherhood feel harder
• How your brain is remodelled for motherhood
• Why babies run on a different clock
• How a two-part framework balances control and spontaneity

Your planning strength has a wonderful home in motherhood, from a stocked freezer to a support team waiting in your corner. With that in place, you get to give yourself permission to let go of the rest and enjoy meeting your baby, one thirsty, hungry or sleepy day at a time. And if the need for control starts tipping into constant worry, reaching out early is one of the most Type A things you can do.

If you know a Type A mama who has a spreadsheet for the hospital bag, send it her way. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.

Resources & Links

Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_

Connect with Renee on LinkedIn: Renee White

Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services

Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies

Hear Dr Elseline Hoekzema explain your changing brain in Ep 237. Pregnancy Rewires Your Brain. Here's What You Gain

Support for new and expecting parents from PANDA on 1300 726 306, Monday to Saturday, or visit panda.org.au

This episode is proudly supported by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village, with doulas available across Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart and Perth.

Disclaimer: The information on this podcast presented by Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Nothing contained in this episode is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice.

You've packed the hospital bag, set up the nursery, and read all the baby books. But there's one family member who's easy to forget until your newborn actually comes home, and that's your dog. The shift from being the centre of your world to sharing space with a brand new tiny human can be a lot for them to process too.

If you've caught yourself wondering how your dog is going to cope, that instinct is worth listening to. Getting it right comes down to preparation you can start well before your due date, and a few small shifts in how you read your dog's cues.

In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White chats with Seb Lemaire, founder and head trainer at Canines on Cue Dog Training on the Gold Coast, to unpack how to prepare your dog for a new baby. Seb draws on his own experience as a dad to a toddler and years of dog training to walk through what those first weeks look like from your dog's point of view.

You'll Hear About:

• How to read your dog's subtle stress signals
• Why your dog's breed says less than you think
• What to prepare before your baby comes home
• How to handle that first at-home introduction
• Why crate training helps your dog switch off

A little preparation now means your dog and your baby get the chance to feel safe together from day one. You don't have to navigate this alone, and with the right groundwork, your home can hold space for both of them.

If you know a dog owner counting down to their due date, send this one their way. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.

Resources & Links

Connect with Dr Renee White

Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_

Connect with Renee on LinkedIn: Renee White

Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services

Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies

Connect with Seb Lemaire

Learn more about Seb and explore: Canines on Cue

Connect with Seb on Instagram: @caninesoncue

Learn more about Seb’s course: Safe Start — How to Introduce Your Dog to Your Newborn Safely

This episode is proudly supported by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village, with doulas available across Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart and Perth.

Disclaimer: The information on this podcast presented by Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Nothing contained in this episode is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice.

Somewhere between announcing baby number two or three and the baby actually arriving, there's a question nearly every mother asks, how do you stop your toddler from resenting the baby. Underneath it sits a quieter fear, that loving a second child might mean taking something away from the first.

Decades of research on sibling adjustment paint a far gentler picture than we once assumed. This transition responds beautifully to preparation, the same way baby's arrival does.

In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White unpacks how to prepare your toddler for a new sibling, from the first conversation to the everyday job that makes the shift feel like theirs. She covers the play-based science behind emotional regulation, a ritual for protecting your quiet moments, and two ways to ask for support.

You'll Hear About:

• Why toddler sibling transitions rarely become a crisis
• When to start talking about the new baby
• How giving your toddler a real job helps
• Why play does more work than you'd think
• Two ways to ask your village for help

Your toddler can move through this gently, with the groundwork you lay now. Every small job, every basket, every hand from your village adds up to a softer landing for both your children.

Share this episode with a friend expecting baby number two or three, she'll want this before the due date. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.

Resources & Links

Connect with Dr Renee White

📲 Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_

🌐 Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services

🍪 Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies

🎧 Catch up on the power of play with Tina Payne Bryson in Episode 236

A few books worth having on hand before baby arrives:

• Waiting for Baby by Rachel Fuller
• I'm a Big Sister / I'm a Big Brother by Joanna Cole
• I'm Going to Be a Big Sister / Big Brother by Brenda Bercovici
• The New Baby by Mercer Mayer
• Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

This episode is proudly supported by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village, with doulas available across Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart and Perth.

Disclaimer: The information on this podcast presented by Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Nothing contained in this episode is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice.

You're sent home with a breast pump after birth and left to work out the rest of your pumping and breastfeeding journey on your own. No one mentions flange size, settings or the fact you might not need to sterilise a single part.

Pumping comes with more variables than most mums are ever told about, and working them out alone in the middle of exhausted, hormonal days makes everything harder than it needs to be. Understanding what actually matters can take a lot of that pressure off.

In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White chats with Fotini Gniel, founder of Nurturing Flow and breast pump and flange fitting specialist, to work through everything mums are rarely taught about pumping, from flange sizing and settings to choosing the right pump and caring for exclusive pumpers. Together they bust some of the most common myths mums are told in hospital and beyond.

You'll Hear About

• Why flange sizing changes your whole pumping experience
• What pump settings actually support comfort
• Why sterilising pump parts isn't strictly needed
• How to choose the right pump for you
• What exclusive pumpers need and rarely get

With the right information, pumping can feel manageable, straightforward and genuinely doable.

If this conversation changed how you think about pumping, share it with a mama figuring hers out alone. Subscribe to The Science of Motherhood to keep these conversations coming to your feed.

Resources & Links

Connect with Dr Renee White

📲 Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_

📲 Connect with Renee on LinkedIn: Renee White

🌐 Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services

🍪 Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies

Connect with Fotini Gniel

📲 Connect with Fotini on Instagram: @nurturing.flow

🌐 Learn more about Fotini’s work: www.nurturingflow.com.au

This episode is proudly supported by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village, with doulas available across Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart and Perth.

Disclaimer: The information on this podcast presented by Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Nothing contained in this episode is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice.

You might wonder what a doula actually does, or whether having one is worth it when you've already got a partner and a midwife by your side. There's a lot of noise out there about what the role really involves, and most of it doesn't reflect what a doula is actually there to do. A doula's real job is to be a steady, judgement-free presence, there for exactly what you need and out of the way for the rest.

There's a lot to untangle about where a doula fits, what they actually do in the room, and how that support changes depending on how your birth unfolds.

In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White chats with Amanda Down, Fill Your Cup's longest-standing birth doula, to unpack what doulas actually do and how they fit alongside midwives and partners. Amanda draws on years of supporting mamas through pregnancy, birth and postpartum to explain how doulas build trust, advocate in the birth space and adapt to whatever a family needs on the day.

This is Part 6, the final instalment, of our Pregnancy and Birth series.

You'll Hear About:

• What a birth doula does day to day
• How doulas differ from midwives in your care
• Why prenatal sessions focus on trust first
• How doulas support partners through labour
• What the BRAIN tool helps you decide

Wherever you land on the spectrum of support you want, you get to decide what your birth looks like and who stands beside you for it. Amanda's approach is a reminder that you don't need permission to trust yourself, only the right people in your corner.

Share this with a friend who's weighing up whether a doula is right for her birth team. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.

Resources & Links

Connect with Dr Renee White

📲 Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_

📲 Connect with Renee on LinkedIn: Renee White

🌐 Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services

🍪 Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies

This episode is proudly supported by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village, with doulas available across Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart and Perth.

Disclaimer: The information on this podcast presented by Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Nothing contained in this episode is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice.

Someone in your life has probably already told you what pregnancy is "supposed" to feel like, whether you asked or not. When what you're going through doesn't line up with that, it's easy to wonder what's wrong with you instead of questioning where that advice even came from.

These are the myths mums are told to accept without question, pulled apart to show what happens to your confidence when you stop challenging them.

In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White sits down with Dr Emma Black, Clinical and Perinatal Psychologist, to bust some of pregnancy's most persistent myths. Together they unpack where these beliefs come from, why they stick around for generations, and how mums can start trusting their own judgement instead.

This is part 5 of 6 in our Pregnancy and Birth series.

You'll Hear About

• Why the nesting instinct myth doesn't hold up
• What the 12 week rule was really protecting
• How to respond when unsolicited advice keeps coming
• Why gender disappointment is often grief in disguise
• How to build confidence to do pregnancy differently

You're allowed to question the rules you were handed and keep only the ones that actually serve you. Trust builds when you start choosing what fits your family instead of what's expected of you.

If this conversation helped you see one of these myths differently, share it with a mama who needs permission to let it go too. Subscribe to The Science of Motherhood so new episodes land in your feed each week.

Resources & Links

Connect with Dr Renee White

📲 Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_

📲 Connect with Renee on LinkedIn: Renee White

🌐 Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services

🍪 Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies

Connect with Dr Emma Black

Learn more about Emma and her work:

🌐 motherhoodmyths.com.au

🌐 townsvillepsychologist.com.au

📲 Follow Emma on instagram: @emmablackpsych

📲 Follow Emma on Facebook: emmablackpsych

📖 The Pregnancy Myths Guide now available in bookstores or online

✨ This episode is proudly supported by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village, with doulas available across Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Central Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart and Perth.

Disclaimer: The information on this podcast presented by Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Nothing contained in this episode is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice.

Maybe your birth went exactly how everyone told you it should, and you still can't shake the way it made you feel. Maybe it didn't go anywhere near the plan, and somehow you came out the other side feeling strong. Whatever your birth looked like on paper, if it left something behind that you're still carrying, that's worth taking seriously.

This is for you if you've never quite known what to call what happened to you. It's for you if you're getting ready to give birth and want to understand what actually helps when things don't go to plan.

In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White chats with Claire DiCarlo, perinatal counsellor and founder of Rad Parents, to get honest about what birth trauma really is and why it's so often missed. Claire brings both her clinical experience supporting mums through birth trauma and her own birth story, which didn't go to plan, to explore why the people around you matter more than the outcome, and what real support looks like once it's over.

This is part four of the six-part Pregnancy and Birth series.

You'll Hear About:

• What birth trauma actually means
• What actually makes a birth feel unsafe
• Why women blame themselves for someone else's actions
• When birth debriefing actually helps
• How to protect yourself before you give birth

There's no timeline for making sense of your birth, and no version of your story that's too small to matter. However long it takes you to get there, you deserve the space to talk about it.

Share this with a mum who's never had the words for what her birth left behind. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.

Resources & Links

Connect with Dr Renee White

📲 Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_

📲 Connect with Renee on LinkedIn: Renee White

🌐 Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services

🍪 Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies

Connect with Claire DiCarlo

🌐 Learn more about Claire’s work with Rad Parents: www.radparents.com.au

🌐 Learn more about Claire’s work with Beyond Birth: www.beyondbirthcourse.com

📲 Connect with Claire on Instagram: @clairedicarlo_radparents

✨ This episode is proudly supported by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village, with doulas available across Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Central Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart and Perth.

Disclaimer: The information on this podcast presented by Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Nothing contained in this episode is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice.

For generations, birth belonged to community, culture and country. That belonging is being reclaimed inside hospital rooms across Australia today, one birth at a time.

That's the belief driving birthing on country, a way of caring for mothers built on trust, culture and community.

In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White sits down with Melanie Briggs, a proud Dharawal and Gumbaynggirr woman and endorsed midwife who manages the Birthing on Country program at Waminda, to explore what birthing on country truly means. Together they unpack the model's remarkable outcomes, the systemic barriers First Nations families still face, and the personal calling that led Melanie to this work.

This is part three of six in our Pregnancy and Birth series.

You'll Hear About

• What birthing on country truly means
• How Waminda's model transformed birth outcomes
• Why continuity of care changes outcomes
• What racism still looks like in maternity care
• How Melanie found her purpose in this work

Birthing on country is a powerful reminder that culturally safe care is every mother's birth right. When community leads the way, mothers and babies thrive.

Share this episode with a mother who deserves to know her birth rights matter. Subscribe to The Science of Motherhood for more conversations that put evidence and community at the heart of birth.

Resources & Links

📲 Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_

📲 Connect with Renee on LinkedIn: Renee White

🌐 Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services

🍪 Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies

Connect with Melanie Briggs

📲 Instagram: @birthingoncountry_waminda

📘 Facebook: Waminda - Birthing on Country

🌐 Website: waminda.org.au/maternity/birthing-on-country

This episode is proudly supported by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village, with doulas available across Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart and Perth.

Disclaimer: The information on this podcast presented by Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Nothing contained in this episode is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice.

Most mamas picture birth happening in a hospital room, because that's the only version most of us have ever seen. There's another path many don't even know exists.

Hospital can feel like the only option on the table, but there's a wider spectrum of care available than most mums realise.

In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White sits down with Jaimee Smith, endorsed private midwife and manager of the Launceston Birth Centre. Jaimee shares how relationship based care shapes calmer births and why continuity with the same midwife changes the experience for mums.

This is part two of our six part Pregnancy and Birth series.

You'll hear about

• Why continuity of carer changes birth outcomes
• What actually happens inside a birth centre
• How midwives support birth after caesarean
• What private midwifery costs across Australia
• Why home birth differs from free birth

Understanding the full spectrum of care available means you get to choose what feels safest and most supported for your family.

Share this episode with a friend who's exploring her birth options beyond the hospital doors. Subscribe to The Science of Motherhood so you never miss an episode.

Resources & Links

📲 Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_

🌐 Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services

🍪 Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies

Connect with Jamiee:

Website: themidwivesmidwife.com

Instagram: @themidwivesmidwife_

Facebook: The Midwives’ Midwife

Launceston Birth Centre

This episode is proudly supported by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village, with doulas available across Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart and Perth.

Disclaimer: The information on this podcast presented by Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Nothing contained in this episode is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice.