The Science of Motherhood

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.

Most of us weren't taught that what happens before conception matters. You were told to take a folate supplement, book in when you got a positive test, and go from there. But there's a window of time before you even start trying that can shape not just your pregnancy, but your child's long-term health.
The science on preconception care has moved significantly, and most people still aren't hearing about it.
This is Part 2 of our six-part Trying to Conceive series.
In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White sits down with Dr Eliza Hannam, GP, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and founder of Nurtured Medical, a specialised perinatal clinic in Sydney, to explore what genuinely evidence-informed preconception care looks like. Together they unpack what the periconception window actually means, what testing is available and when to seek it, and what both partners can do to optimise health before pregnancy begins.
You'll Hear About:
Why preconception health affects your child's long-term metabolic health
What a thorough preconception GP appointment covers
Which supplements and nutrients matter most before conception
How to read your cycle beyond what any app can tell you
When to seek fertility support without waiting 12 months

The periconception window is a gift of time, and knowing how to use it well changes things. You don't need to be a biochemist to understand it. You just need the right conversation.
If you know someone who's thinking about starting a family, share this one with them. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.
Resources & Links:
Connect with Dr Renee White:
📲 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
Connect with Dr Eliza Hannam:
🌐 Website — www.nurturedmedical.com.au perinatal GP clinic, Sydney Inner West (telehealth available Australia-wide)
Follow Eliza on Instagram: @dr.eliza.hannam | @nurturedmedical
Start the Trying to Conceive series from the beginning — head to Episode 227 on The Science of Motherhood feed.
Mentioned in this episode:
Mackenzie's Mission — government-funded carrier screening for cystic fibrosis, fragile X, and spinal muscular atrophy
Mothersafe — free medication helpline, NSW
In the Flow by Alisa Vitti

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.

Fertility preparation begins months, sometimes years, before you start trying to conceive. Knowing what to look for, and when, could change the entire shape of your conception journey.
If you've ever wondered whether your body is actually ready for pregnancy, or whether there's something your results aren't telling you, this conversation will change how you think about your health.
In this episode, Dr Renee White sits down with Megan Haralampou, degree-qualified Naturopath, Nutritionist, and Biomedical Science graduate, to unpack what a truly comprehensive pre-conception blood panel looks like and why the standard tests often aren't enough. Together they explore iron absorption, thyroid antibodies, cycle tracking, postpartum blood work, and how to read your results through an optimal lens.
This is episode one of our six-part Trying to Conceive series.
You'll Hear About:
Why "normal" blood results can miss a fertility concern
What a complete iron picture actually looks like
How to track your cycle beyond a period tracking app
When to get blood tests done after having a baby
What postpartum thyroiditis has to do with depression

Understanding your body before pregnancy, and after, is one of the most practical things you can do for your health. You deserve care that looks at the full picture, not just what fits inside a reference range.
Share this episode with anyone who's thinking about trying to conceive and wants to go in prepared. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.
Resources & Links
Connect with Renee
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
Connect with Megan
Website: thebiomedicalnaturopath.com.au
📲 Follow Megan on Instagram: @thebiomedicalnaturopath
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.

Have you ever been so sick in pregnancy that you couldn't keep water down, lost weight, or ended up in hospital wondering how your body was supposed to sustain a baby when it couldn't sustain itself? If that's your story, or the story of someone you love, you've probably also been told at some point that it was stress, anxiety, or something you just needed to push through.
It wasn't. And the science has finally caught up with what HG patients have been saying for decades.
In this episode, Dr Renee White unpacks the genetic and hormonal research that proved once and for all that hyperemesis gravidarum isn't psychological. It lives in a gene, it runs through a receptor, and it has nothing to do with how much you wanted your pregnancy.
You'll Hear About:
Why HG is a distinct condition from morning sickness
How a placental hormone called GDF15 drives severe nausea
Why your baseline levels before pregnancy predict your risk
What the beta thalassemia finding revealed about sensitivity
How pre-pregnancy desensitisation could prevent HG entirely

Your body wasn't failing you. It was responding to a hormonal contrast it hadn't been prepared for, and now researchers know exactly why. The science sees you, and it's moving fast.
If someone in your life has been through HG, share this episode with them. It might be the first time the biology's been explained in a way that finally makes sense. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.
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
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.

⚠️ Content note: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, suicide, and depression.
If you've been through fertility treatment, you already know it's more than a medical process. It's months, sometimes years, of appointments and numbers and waiting, with very little space given to how you're actually doing.
There's research showing that nearly 50% of people in fertility treatment develop PTSD, regardless of whether they get pregnant. Not because they're fragile. Because the system they're moving through wasn't built with their nervous system in mind.
In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White chats with Nicole Lange, a trauma-informed acupuncturist who has spent 20 years working exclusively at the intersection of women's reproductive health and trauma. They explore why stress matters more than we've been told, why it matters less than we've been blamed for, and what whole-person fertility care actually looks like in practice.
You'll hear about:
Why the stress of trying to conceive is on par with a cancer diagnosis
How chronic stress affects every system involved in fertility
What the 25/75 framework is and how it changes outcomes
How acupuncture supports circulation, immunity, and nervous system regulation
Why whole-person fertility care is the most evidence-based option available

You are not just a fertility outcome. And the care you receive shouldn't treat you like one.
If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone navigating their own fertility journey. And 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 Nicole Lange
Nicole's website: www.lifehealinglife.com
Follow Nicole on Instagram @notafixer
Follow Nicole on YouTube @thebabyyouwant
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.