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.