When you’re weighing up birth decisions, it can feel like there’s a mountain of opinions and not enough clarity. One recent study stirred up a lot of conversation online and for good reason. It looked at whether planned deliveries at 39 weeks (like inductions or scheduled caesareans) could be safer than waiting for spontaneous labour.

In this Check In Tuesday episode, Dr Renee White walks you through the findings, breaks down what the research actually says (and what it doesn’t), and unpacks why it created such a stir. You’ll get a clear, compassionate perspective to help you make confident choices that align with your values and circumstances.

Because your birth experience matters, not just the outcome, but how you feel along the way.

You’ll hear about:

• What the new Australian study actually found about planned delivery at 39 weeks
• Why this research went viral (and what the comment section revealed)
• What the study missed when it comes to maternal wellbeing
• The difference between correlation and causation (and why it matters)
• How to use this info to advocate for your birth choices

This episode is here to help you feel informed, not overwhelmed. Whether you’re planning, waiting, or still figuring it out, you’ve got options — and we’re here to walk beside you.

Resources and Links

📲 Want to chat more about this? Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_

🌐 Want to learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services

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🎧 If this episode sparked something for you, share it with a fellow mum or tag us on socials. Let’s keep the conversation going.

Disclaimer: The information on this podcast presented by the Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice.

Nothing contained in this podcast 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.

[00:00:27] I'm Dr. Renee White, and this is the Science of Motherhood. Hello and welcome to episode 185 of The Science of Motherhood. I am your host, Dr. Renee White. Thank you so much for joining me today. This episode is proudly brought to you by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village that provides science backed birth and postpartum care that actually works.

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[00:02:45] And Emily said, Fill Your Cup is a godsend for new mamas. Well, thank you. Thank you, thank you. You can have a look at the reviews that we've got on our website and also our Google reviews. They are glowing. Okay. You know, like it is so nice to have those beautiful words said about Fill Your Cup and our gorgeous doulas.

[00:03:31] All right, everyone. Let's dive into today's episode, which is a Check In Tuesday episode. This is where I am flying solo, and I talk about all things motherhood, all things research, because hello, I used to be a medical researcher and I cannot help myself. Every Monday I get served up some amazing research that has something to do with pregnancy, birth, you know, women's health, you name it.

[00:04:32] And boy, oh boy, did she explode. Oh my goodness. Nearly half a million pregnancies. Studied some pretty compelling findings and a comment section on the post that. Well, let's just say it sparked some intense conversations. So today what I wanted to do was walk you through exactly what this research found, why it's creating such polarized reactions, and most importantly, what it actually means for you and your birth choices.

[00:05:30] Now, this research was published in the Lancets eClinical Medicine Journal, and it looked at 472,520 to be exact low risk. Singleton pregnancies in Queensland, Australia between the years 2000 and 2021. Now that is a huge sample size, so we are looking at, you know, nearly half a million births now the researchers wanted to answer a specific question, and that question, I guess, has been brewing in obstetrics for a while.

[00:06:43] Now here's what they found, and these numbers are pretty striking. The first, perinatal mortality, so that's baby's deaths during pregnancy, birth, or shortly thereafter, dropped by 52%. That translates to preventing one death for every 2,220, uh, 78 planned deliveries. The second severe neurological complications in babies.

[00:07:44] So for perinatal uh, mortality, specifically scheduled C-sections reduced risk by 61%. While inductions didn't show a statistically significant reduction. But inductions had their own advantages according to this study, 46% reduction in emergency C-sections, 47%, uh, fewer severe perineal tears and 27% fewer cases of, uh, shoulder dystocia, if that's how you pronounce it.

[00:09:00] Now, I have seen beautiful stories from people who had positive experiences with planned deliveries At 39 weeks, I am one of those people, you know, people sharing how their inductions went smoothly, how they felt empowered by having a plan, how their scheduled C-sections felt really right for their family.

[00:10:04] You know, birth people aren't just vessels for delivering healthy babies. They are whole humans whose experiences, preferences, and wellbeing genuinely matter. And then there's the polarization. Some people are reading this as, you know, everyone should have a planned deliveries at 39 weeks and others are pushing back hard feeling like this is another example of overmedicalization of birth. I get it. Both reactions make sense, but they're missing something crucial and that is, the limitations of this research, you need to read this study as a whole.

[00:11:13] Now the first thing is, okay, everyone ready? The first thing is very important. This is an observational research study, not about causation. That's a huge distinction. Now, the study shows associations, so patterns, but it can't definitively prove that planned delivery at 39 weeks causes better outcomes. There could be other factors at play that we are not seeing.

[00:12:15] The second is that this data comes from a single healthcare system. Queensland Australia healthcare practices, cultural approaches to birth population characteristics and resources vary dramatically around the world. And so what works in one system might not translate to your local hospital at all.

[00:13:05] Instead, they're analyzing decisions that were already made often for reasons that. We can't fully account for. Okay the fourth thing that we need to be aware of is that there is potential selection bias. We don't know all the reasons why some women had planned deliveries. Were there subtle clinical factors that influenced these decisions?

[00:14:02] And finally, you know, generalizing kind of questions. This study included low risk pregnancies only really excluding people with things like diabetes, hypertension, advanced maternal age and other conditions.

[00:14:47] They themselves have called for randomized control trials before implementing major practice changes, and that in and of itself is really responsible science. So that's good to see that. Alright, so with all that said, what does this mean for you as an individual, as someone who's maybe pregnant or thinking about having a baby?

[00:15:49] So if you had a planned delivery at 39 weeks and it was positive woo go girl. Like I'm all for it. Your experience is valid and it's important, and if you are considering your options for an upcoming birth, which many people who privately dmd me are doing this research gives you, I guess more. More data points for conversations with your healthcare provider, but it's not a directive.

[00:16:41] So, you know, ask them about their approach to birth timing. What factors do they consider? How do they balance potential benefits with individual circumstances? And I guess, what does the research landscape look like beyond this one study? Right. The third thing I wanted to highlight is, remember this, that you know, correlation does not equal causation.

[00:17:35] We want things like birth satisfaction, mental health, long-term wellbeing. These all matter. And I know that there are groups doing this. Hello, big shout out to Hannah Darling whoop, whoop. But you know, this is, this is the positive. Let's turn it into a positive of like, okay, look, this really polarized people and angered some people that it was missing all of these maternal experiences.

[00:18:23] Is how hungry we all are for nuanced, thoughtful discussions about birth research. We want studies that consider the whole person. We want research that includes diverse populations and respects the complexity of human birth experiences. And as birth workers, advocates, and you know, birthing people, we really need to keep pushing for things like, research that values maternal experience alongside, you know, neonatal outcomes. We need studies that include diverse populations and healthcare systems. We really need investigations into the psychological and social impacts of different birth approaches. Um, ideally we would love to see randomized control trials, you know, obviously where ethically possible, and we really, really need to understand and recognize that correlation doesn't equal causation.

[00:19:51] You know, with that particular experiment, and that answer is then going to give you 10 more questions to then answer and so on and so forth. It is like opening Pandora's box, but we just need to take it one step at a time. So just to wrap up, here's what I want you to take away from today's episode.

[00:20:40] You know, whether you are planning, waiting, or somewhere in between, you absolutely deserve support. You deserve accurate information and providers who listen to your concerns and preferences, your birth experience matters, all of it. Not just the clinical outcomes. So I want you to keep asking the hard questions.

[00:21:33] If you loved this episode, please hit the subscribe button and leave a review. If you know someone out there who would also love to listen to this episode, please hit the share button so they can benefit from it as well.

[00:22:09] Ensuring you feel nurtured, informed, and empowered so you can fully embrace the joy of motherhood with confidence. Until next time, bye.