The Science of Motherhood

Your parents or your in-laws are going to tell you they did things differently and you turned out fine, right in the middle of a conversation about sleep safety or feeding choices, and you can feel the eye roll building before they've even finished the sentence. Their love is real, and you don't have to brace for it each time they visit.
In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White unpacks what grandparents and in-laws genuinely need to know before the baby arrives, cutting through outdated advice to share what the current evidence actually supports, what's changed, and what's genuinely worth doing differently.
You might be pregnant or newly postpartum and quietly dreading the moment a well-meaning relative tells you how it used to be done. If you're the grandparent listening in, most of those moments come down to a gap in information that's easy to close. Start the conversation early, and you give your village the chance to actually hold you up, the way you deserve.
You'll Hear About:
Why vaccinations protect newborns before six weeks
How updated safety guidance differs from old advice
What matrescence means for the woman you love
Why cuddles are something to be earned
How to offer help without the unsolicited opinions

You don't have to manage anyone else's feelings while you're still learning your own baby. The right people in your life will meet you with curiosity instead of correction, and that's the kind of village worth building around yourself and your baby.
Share this with the grandparent, aunty, or friend who wants to support you well, and with the parent who needs the words to start this conversation early. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.
Resources & Links
📲 Follow 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
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.

The mental and emotional weight of trying to conceive doesn't disappear once you're pregnant, or once the baby arrives. For many women, it quietly shapes everything that comes after.
Sometimes the hardest part isn't the fertility treatment itself. It's carrying the aftermath of it into motherhood without anyone acknowledging that you went through something significant to get there.
In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White sits down with Dr Edna Lekgabe, certified perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist practising in Melbourne, to explore the mental health dimensions of the trying to conceive journey. They cover the difference between normal anxiety and clinical anxiety, how IVF trauma shows up in the body long after treatment ends, and why perinatal mental health challenges are never a personal failing.
This is the final episode of the six-part Trying to Conceive series on The Science of Motherhood.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
Why what you're feeling is a nervous system response, not a character flaw
How to recognise when anxiety has moved from visitor to renovation
What IVF trauma looks like in the body and why it often goes unidentified
How medication decisions are made with a risk-versus-risk framework
Why reaching out early makes a difference

Your mental health through this journey is part of the journey. It deserves the same attention as everything else. There is support available, and you deserve to use it.
If this resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe to The Science of Motherhood so you never miss an episode.
Resources & Links
Connect with Renee
📲 Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_
🌐 Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services: ifillyourcup.com
🍪 Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies
Connect with Edna
📲 Connect with Dr Edna on Instagram: @drednalekgabe
🌐 Dr Edna Lekgabe's website: drednalekgabe.com.au
🌐 Wraparound mental health care for women and parents: warmhealthcollective.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.

The emotional side of a fertility journey is real, and it's the part that often goes unspoken. You can walk into treatment prepared with every medical question imaginable and still feel blindsided by the weight of the waiting, the uncertainty, and the grief that can come when things don't go to plan.
That gap deserves more airtime than it gets.
In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White sits down with Dr Giselle Crawford, fertility specialist and gynaecologist with more than ten years of experience in obstetrics, gynaecology, and infertility care, to explore the emotional terrain of fertility treatment and what genuinely good care looks like from the inside. They cover everything from managing expectations through the IVF process, to navigating grief, supporting your relationship, and knowing when to pause.
This episode is Part 5 of the Trying to Conceive series on The Science of Motherhood.
You'll Hear About:
Why emotional preparation matters as much as medical readiness
How to understand the concept of attrition in IVF
What stress actually does (and doesn't) do to fertility outcomes
How partners can move from spectator to co-pilot
Why stopping treatment isn't giving up

Having language for what you're going through makes it easier to carry. This episode gives you that, alongside the science to back it up.
If someone you love is navigating fertility treatment right now, this is the episode to share with them. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.
Resources & Links:
📲 Follow Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_
🌐 Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services: ifillyourcup.com
🍪 Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies
🌐 Dr Giselle Crawford's website: www.drgisellecrawford.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.

If you've been trying to conceive for a while, you've probably found yourself down a research rabbit hole at some point, reading forum threads at midnight and trying to decode acronyms you barely know. IVF, IUI, FSH, ICSI. The information is out there, but it doesn't always feel like it was written for you.
Understanding the difference between your options, and knowing the right questions to ask, can make a conversation with a fertility specialist feel far less overwhelming.
In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White sits down with Dr Denise Nesbitt, obstetrician, gynaecologist, and fertility specialist at Hunter IVF, to unpack the key differences between IUI and IVF, including when each is recommended and what to actually expect from both processes. They explore sperm health, egg freezing, success rates, and what's really happening during the two-week wait.
This episode is Part 4 of the Trying to Conceive series on The Science of Motherhood.
You'll Hear About:
How doctors decide between IUI and IVF
What actually happens during each fertility cycle
Why sperm health matters more than most people realise
What success rates mean and what influences them
How to emotionally prepare for the two-week wait

Starting this journey is brave. Having the right information means you can walk into that appointment knowing the right questions to ask, and feeling far less alone in the process.
If you know someone who's navigating fertility treatment, share this episode with them. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.
Resources & Links
Follow 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
🔗 Learn more about Dr Denise Nesbitt and book an appointment at Hunter IVF
🔗 Your IVF Success — calculate your personalised IVF success rate using Australian data
🔗 Egg Freezing Australia — calculator to help you understand how many eggs you may need
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 probably been told to "just relax" at some point on your fertility journey. Maybe by a friend, a family member, or even a health professional. And if you're anything like most people trying to conceive, you probably wanted to throw something at them.
That advice isn't just unhelpful. It's both slightly right and completely missing the point.
In this episode, Dr Renee White unpacks the real science behind stress, mindfulness, and fertility, cutting through the noise to tell you what the evidence actually supports, what it doesn't, and what's genuinely worth trying.
This is part three of our six-part Trying to Conceive series.
You'll Hear About:
Why stress and reproduction are biologically competing systems
How chronic stress disrupts your cycle and hormones
What mindfulness reliably improves (and what it doesn't)
Why pregnancy rate claims need more evidence behind them
Five evidence-backed practices worth integrating now

The fertility journey asks so much of you. It can feel like your body is working against you, when the science tells a more nuanced story. Your nervous system and your reproductive system are in conversation, and understanding that relationship puts something real back in your hands.
Share this episode with someone who's been told to "just relax" and deserves a better answer. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.
Resources & Links
📲 Follow 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
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.