Home Podcasts The Science of Motherhood
The Science of Motherhood

The Science of Motherhood

Dr Renee White 227 episodes Latest Jun 9, 2026

Knowledge is power and we are all about empowering the mothers of the world! In each episode we will unravel and interpret the latest research and evidence-based practices for pregnancy, postpartum and motherhood.

Episodes

Ep 230. IVF, IUI, and Egg Freezing: A Guide to Trying to Conceive Jun 8, 2026 40:42 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, c
Ep 229. Does Stress Affect Fertility? The Science Behind Your Hormones Jun 1, 2026 22:34 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 sc
Ep 228. What Should You Actually Do Before Trying to Conceive? May 25, 2026 49:36 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 a
Ep 227. Fertility Preparation: What to Do Before You Try To Conceive May 18, 2026 56:44 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,
Ep 226. Why Hyperemesis Gravidarum Is Genetic, Not Psychological May 11, 2026 19:58 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 scienc
Ep 225. Could Holistic Care Improve Fertility and Prevent PTSD? May 4, 2026 01:06:29 ⚠️ 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
Ep 224. Why Your Joints Feel Loose and Unstable Postpartum Apr 27, 2026 09:48 Does it feel like your body hasn't quite come back together yet after you've had your baby? That clicking, that instability, that sense that your hips or knees might give way. It's not in your head, and it's not a sign that something is wrong.So many mums are told that by six weeks, things should be settling. But if you're still breastfeeding and still feeling like your body doesn't quite belong t
Ep 223. How OTs are helping Neurodivergent Mothers Navigate the System Apr 20, 2026 54:51 If you're neurodivergent, the maternity system wasn't built with your brain in mind. The appointments, the environments, the cognitive load of it all. Nobody tells you that's why it feels harder than it should. They just hand you the same pamphlet and send you on your way.That gap matters even more when you're navigating pregnancy, birth and early parenting. It's not just your body being stretched
Ep 222. Being an Autistic Mother: Pregnancy, Birth and the Postpartum Period Apr 13, 2026 01:10:03 Nobody tells you that the struggles so many neurodivergent women experience during pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood might be connected to how their brain is wired. Because so often, nobody knows. Not the healthcare providers, and not the mothers themselves.That missing language doesn't just delay a diagnosis. It delays understanding, support, and the ability to make sense of your own experie
Ep 221. How the Maternity System Is Failing Autistic Women and What Needs to Change Apr 6, 2026 50:52 Most women who are autistic don't find out until they're sitting in a room watching their child get diagnosed. And then everything clicks.And yet most of them navigated pregnancy and early parenthood without any evidence-based support specific to their experience, often without even knowing why things felt so much harder.In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White sits down with D
Ep 220. Why Is My Hair Falling Out? The Science Behind Postpartum Hair Loss Mar 30, 2026 11:05 You survived birth, the sleepless nights and the newborn haze. And then somewhere around three or four months in, you reach up to wash your hair and pull your hand away covered in it.It's alarming, and for most of us, nobody warned us it was coming.This episode is for every mum who has stood over the shower drain wondering if something is seriously wrong. It isn't. But understanding the biology be
Ep 219. Why Does Breastfeeding Protect Against Breast Cancer? Mar 23, 2026 34:05 We've known for decades that breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. What we've never fully understood is why.That question is what makes this research so significant.In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White sits down with Professor Sherene Loi, Medical Oncologist and Group Leader at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, to discuss a landmark

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