Motherhood is already a sensory overload at the best of times. But for autistic women, pregnancy, birth and early motherhood can be an entirely different experience that’s often overlooked and misunderstood.

In this week’s episode, Dr Renee White explores a powerful literature review uncovering what’s really happening when autistic women become mothers. From diagnostic bias to sensory overwhelm and stigma in healthcare, this conversation highlights the resilience, love and advocacy of neurodivergent mums who’ve been navigating a system not built with them in mind.

Renee breaks down the research in her signature science-meets-soul style, helping mums, families and healthcare providers understand the reality behind the statistics and why inclusive care matters for everyone.

You’ll hear about

• Why autism in women has been historically under-recognised and misunderstood
• The six key themes emerging from research on autistic mothers and healthcare
• How masking and sensory overload impact pregnancy and postpartum experiences
• Simple ways healthcare providers can create safer, more inclusive spaces
• The remarkable empathy, creativity and strength autistic mothers bring to parenting

This episode is a reminder that every woman deserves to feel seen, supported and safe in her motherhood journey. Whether you’re autistic, supporting someone who is, or simply curious to learn, this conversation will open your eyes and your heart to a more inclusive future for maternal health.

You’re not alone in this, and your needs matter. 💛

Resources and 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 brought to you by Cake Maternity Cake Maternity specialises in high-quality nursing bras that are supportive, functional, comfortable, and stylish because you shouldn’t have to compromise as a mum.

With sizes from 6–22 bands and A to JJ cups, their range includes seamless, flexi-wire, hands-free pumping, and absorbent birthing bras. Explore the collection at au.cakematernity.com and use code FYC15 for 15% off your order.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with another mum who might need to hear she’s not alone.

Disclaimer: The information on this podcast is not a substitute for independent professional advice.

Nothing contained in this episode s 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.

[00:00:31] Dr Renee White: Hello and welcome to episode 195 of The Science of Motherhood. I'm your host, Dr. Renee White, and this episode is proudly brought to you by a brand I personally used and [00:00:45] loved during my breastfeeding journey. It is Cake Maternity. Cake Maternity specializes in high quality nursing bras that are not only supportive, functional, and incredibly comfortable, but [00:01:00] they're also super stylish because you shouldn't have to compromise just because you are a mum.

[00:01:37] Dr Renee White: Boobies they got, they got pretty big, and I was one of those people who didn't. I [00:01:45] didn't feel comfortable enough sleeping at night, you know, completely braless. I wanted something that, you know, gave me a bit of support during the day. Just kind of move [00:02:00] around the house. I was, I produced a lot of milk, so I wanted something where I could, you know.

[00:02:31] Dr Renee White: That's exactly what happened and I popped into a bra shop. I think I was about five days postpartum, five, six days postpartum. And I walked in and I said, please help me, please help me. [00:02:45] And I described all of those things like clearly I, I'm, you know, a full chested kind of mum, and I wanted something really, really nice against my skin.

[00:03:27] Dr Renee White: The first thing you wanna do when you come home from work [00:03:30] is take your bra off. Can I just tell you I slept in cake, maternity bras for 15 months and not, not a peep like I was just like, this is so, so comfortable. [00:03:45] And when I, when I tried it on in the store, I said to the lady, get me two. I want two of these.

[00:04:21] Dr Renee White: Flexi wire, hands-free, pumping bras, or even, you know, absorbent birthing bras. They have [00:04:30] got you covered from conception to breastfeeding. You can check out their range at au.cakematernity.com and use our discount code FYC 15. That's [00:04:45] FYC 15 to get 15% off your order. Um. Thanks cake maternity again, ladies, if you are looking for something luxe that you can sleep in and hang out in the house and you know, [00:05:00] go about your day cake maternity, absolutely.

[00:05:34] Dr Renee White: Often, you know, a young boy with intense interests, who struggles with social interaction. But this is a very outdated view and has left [00:05:45] autistic women and children in the shadows for decades. And when these women become mothers. They face a double invisibility that they can have profound consequences for their health and wellbeing.

[00:06:30] Dr Renee White: So this particular research, as I said, synthesized everything that we know about autistic mothers experiences with maternal healthcare and what they found reveals essentially a [00:06:45] system. That's failing some of our most vulnerable patients, but also highlights the incredible resilience and love that autistic mothers bring to parenting.

[00:07:22] Dr Renee White: So autism affects approximately three boys for every one girl diagnosed, but [00:07:30] researchers now believe this ratio reflects diagnostic bias rather than true prevalence. And so girls and women with autism often present differently than the male stereotype we are used to [00:07:45] seeing. Now, where boys might show that kind of obvious signs like delayed speech or repetitive behaviors, autistic girls often develop what researchers call masking.

[00:08:27] Dr Renee White: This masking [00:08:30] comes at an enormous cost. So studies show that 36 to 40% of autistic women experience severe depression, anxiety, or stress, and they're often misdiagnosed with [00:08:45] conditions like borderline personality disorder, leading to years of inappropriate treatment and misunderstanding. And I guess what we're seeing is by the time many autistic women reach motherhood, [00:09:00] they've likely spent decades navigating medical systems that really don't understand them, advocating for themselves without proper support and managing sensory and social challenges that are [00:09:15] largely invisible to others.

[00:10:10] Dr Renee White: Now, the first theme was negative experiences with [00:10:15] staff. The most pervasive findings was stigmatizing treatment from healthcare providers. So picture this scenario an autistic woman discloses her diagnosis to her midwife [00:10:30] and is then asked, quote unquote, how can you be a mother if you are autistic?

[00:11:02] Dr Renee White: Now during labor, autistic women were more likely to have their pain dismissed, especially if they appeared calm and providers didn't understand that autistic people [00:11:15] might not experience pain in typical ways. The second theme with, I guess inaccessibility. So the healthcare environment itself created barriers.

[00:12:04] Dr Renee White: And Dr. Nicole Gale leads the charge over there. And when she was setting up her practice, this was some of the things that she was so aware of and [00:12:15] it was fascinating doing the walkthrough of the practice and she was describing to me about the textures and the light placement and where things were gonna go in relation to the positioning of [00:12:30] mothers and their babies, and really having a deep understanding and respect for people who have neuro diversities because of these sensory overwhelms.

[00:13:03] Dr Renee White: Prenatal classes were too loud, too large, they had too much pressure to socialize and only 67% felt they [00:13:15] knew when to seek help compared to 89% of non-autistic women. The third theme that they found was sensory and physical impacts. So I guess [00:13:30] pregnancy really intensified existing sensory sensitivities.

[00:14:17] Dr Renee White: The fourth theme is inadequate support. So autistic mothers receive significantly less support across all areas, and they were less likely to see the same [00:14:30] midwife, consistently, less likely to receive accommodations even when disclosed and more likely to feel judged and isolated. I guess the executive functioning demands of New [00:14:45] Parenthood, you know, managing complex routines, multitasking, adapting to that constant change, um, with our newborns were particularly challenging and only 47% found they were [00:15:00] coping with parenting responsibilities compared to 85% of non-autistic mothers.

[00:15:33] Dr Renee White: They described intense bonds with their children, deep empathy and protective instincts that contradicted stereotypes about autistic people lacking emotion or [00:15:45] connection. Come on guys, let's get to the party here. Like, you know, this is, yeah. I'm so glad this research is out. So, many developed creative coping strategies, touring birth rooms beforehand, bringing [00:16:00] advocates to appointments like a doula, seeking out other neurodivergent parents for support and finding ways to make their environments more manageable.

[00:16:36] Dr Renee White: Heavy geographic bias towards white English speaking Western populations, small sample sizes in [00:16:45] many individual studies, kind of limit that generalisability and most research was conducted without autistic researchers leading the work. Only one study disclosed having an autistic author, so that is [00:17:00] something that we kind of need to reflect on.

[00:17:40] Dr Renee White: So what does this research mean for autistic women and their families and healthcare providers? [00:17:45] Well, first of all, for autistic women disclosure decisions are complex, right? We saw that from the research. It really validates concerns about discrimination while also showing benefits of [00:18:00] appropriate support.

[00:18:27] Dr Renee White: For healthcare providers, you know, basic [00:18:30] autism education is desperately needed in maternal health training absolutely. Simple accommodations can make enormous differences. Like I said at Juno, dimmer Lights, consistent providers, written [00:18:45] information, extra time. These are game changers. Understanding that autism presents, you know, very differently especially in women and you know, across the spectrum as well.

[00:19:31] Dr Renee White: This intense empathy, deep connection with their children and creative problem solving skills. And so I guess, the path forward really requires recognition [00:19:45] that neurodiversity is part of human variation that deserves accommodation and respect, not stigma and discrimination.

[00:20:20] Dr Renee White: So if you are an autistic woman considering pregnancy or currently expecting, know that your concerns are valid. Your needs matter, and [00:20:30] there are providers and communities working to make things better. You deserve care that honors both your neurological differences and your fundamental humanity. Alright, until next time, I will see you [00:20:45] bye.

[00:21:10] Dr Renee White: Head to our website I fill your cup.com to learn more about our [00:21:15] birth and postpartum doula offerings where every mother we pledge to be the steady hand that guides you back to yourself. Ensuring you feel nurtured, informed, and empowered so you can fully embrace the joy of motherhood with confidence. [00:21:30] Until next time, bye.