If you’re expecting your first baby and feeling unsure about what kind of support you’ll actually need after birth, this episode is the gentle guide you’ve been looking for. You might have a loving partner, a helpful family, and a stack of baby books on the go… but still find yourself wondering, what's normal? Is this okay? Why didn’t anyone tell me about this part?

In this week’s episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr. Renee White chats all about what postpartum care really looks like for first-time parents. She unpacks the role of a postpartum doula, what support can look and feel like in those hazy early days, and why this kind of care is not just a ‘nice to have’, it’s necessary.

As the founder of Fill Your Cup and a mum herself, Renee combines lived experience with evidence-based insight to show you what it means to feel held, informed, and confident as you step into motherhood.

You’ll hear about:

• What doulas actually do (and how they’re different from midwives)
• Real-life examples of what postpartum support can look like
• How a doula can support not just mums, but partners too
• Why first-time parents often feel overwhelmed and how to find your footing
• What makes Fill Your Cup Doulas unique and how they support your whole family

This episode is a loving reminder that you don’t have to figure it all out alone. Support is out there, and it’s designed to help you feel less overwhelmed and more like you in this brand-new season.

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

🍪If you want to gobble up our famous Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies, look no further!

💛 Explore postpartum support, download the free Quickie Guide, browse the Mama Menu or book a doula, these are all available at ifillyourcup.com

🎧 Want to hear Renee’s birth story? Listen to Episode 3: Dealing with Pregnancy and Postpartum When You're a Type A Personality

🎧 Loved this episode?

Share it with a friend who’s preparing for their first baby, or tag us on Instagram with your favourite takeaway. And if you haven’t already, hit subscribe and leave a review to help more mums find their way to this support-filled space.

Because when you feel supported, you can show up with more calm, more clarity, and more confidence and that’s something every mama deserves. 💛

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.

[00:00:30] Dr Renee White: Hello and welcome to episode 173 of The Science of Motherhood. I am your host, Dr. Renee White. Thank you so much for joining me today. We have got one of our check-in Tuesday, episodes today, and it's something that has kind of uh, okay. I'll give you the backstory.

[00:01:45] Dr Renee White: I'm gonna do a little poddy episode on this because I feel like, you know, as I say, if you get asked the question once, it's great twice, three times. Yeah, maybe. Maybe we wanna create some awareness and education around it. So [00:02:00] what I wanted to talk about in this episode was essentially what the benefits and values are of having a doula as a first time parent, because a lot of our families that we support.

[00:02:40] Dr Renee White: And I also wanted to kind of like debunk a few maybe myths and misconceptions along the way. You know, things like the difference between having a midwife and a private, you know, a private midwife and a doula. Those are the things that I want to kind of talk about in this episode. So. What we're gonna do is I'm gonna walk you through what a [00:03:00] doula does, how they can support you in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

[00:03:29] Dr Renee White: So many [00:03:30] people at the, at the conference was like a jeweler, and I was like, oh, no, no, no. A doula with a d. I was like, I love jewelry, but no, that's not my jam. So, first of all, let's clear up any misconceptions. A doula is not a midwife or a doctor, so we don't perform any medical procedures. Instead, we are essentially like your birth and postpartum cheerleaders.

[00:04:26] Dr Renee White: You, you'll know that I had a very, very [00:04:30] supportive partner, but deep down what I really wanted was someone who just kind of got it. As I said, someone who could answer my questions at like 3:00 AM at night without any judgment. Remind me I wasn't alone in the chaos. And that is exactly what a doula does, right?

[00:05:34] Dr Renee White: You wanna feel like we've totally got this. It's still obviously going to be a big, you know, thing, but you know, you wanna be able to walk into, you know, that entire event with confidence and feeling empowered about it. So once the big day arrives, your doula is there every step of the way in like, you know, offering encouragement, pain management techniques, [00:06:00] and emotional reassurance.

[00:06:22] Dr Renee White: So what it kind of entails is two birth preparations, they're three hours long. If you're still not feeling confident [00:06:30] after the two sessions, we can offer a third. That is totally fine. You obviously get birth support, whether you're home or the hospital. So that's the other kind of real key difference here.

[00:07:04] Dr Renee White: So your doula can actually be there for you at home, which is amazing. And then once you have your baby, you get like beautiful postpartum sessions at home where we make you these delicious meals. We do some lighthouse work, um, we do some baby wearing while you rest and you get a whole bunch of other things as well.

[00:07:56] Dr Renee White: Oh, you know that feeling when you're up at like [00:08:00] 4:00 AM and you're Googling is this normal? And you think, oh my goodness, I can't get my advice from a Facebook parenting forum and you want advice from kind of vetted experts, that's the Full Cup Village. So essentially it is eight of Australia's leading experts, all videoed, answering the top Googled questions by parents.

[00:08:46] Dr Renee White: And I guess if we were to kind of narrow in on that, like what, what's the day to day stuff? You know, what's the nitty gritty? So what does it actually look like in real life? Right? So [00:09:00] imagine this, okay, you're 38 weeks pregnant and the nerves are setting in, right? I know what I was like at 38 weeks pregnant.

[00:09:28] Dr Renee White: Your doula arrives, [00:09:30] helping you breathe through your contractions, suggesting positions to ease that kind of discomfort and pain, and also supporting your partner so they can support you, which I think is a really, I think it's a really undervalued part of having a doula. You know, the fact that that doula is supporting your partner as well.

[00:10:30] Dr Renee White: So lovely shoulder rub. Hold your baby while you go have a shower or a nap. If you're struggling with breastfeeding or you've got some pelvic floor issues or something like that, we are there. We are helping organise, you know, um, allied Healthcare professionals to help facilitate some, you know, meetups and appointments and things like that.

[00:12:01] Dr Renee White: Something in between. We're there to support your choices, not to impose, um, on our own. And I think that's really important note to make and I, I actually, we have had a lot of people kind of come to us who are like, you know what? I am choosing to have an elective cesarean, probably because they've heard my birth story and the fact that I've had an elective cesarean.

[00:12:50] Dr Renee White: As I said, you know, I've got a science background, I've got a PhD in biochemistry. Got over 16 years of experience in health and medical [00:13:00] education, and so we pride ourselves on delivering nurturing care backed by evidence-based practices. You know, we, as I said to you before, the, the menu that we have is backed by science.

[00:13:39] Dr Renee White: So we offer these personalised research briefs because, you know, parenthood comes with questions like lots of them. So what we ask our families to do is, you know, submit your toughest challenges and we will provide a personalised science backed video response so you can make a really informed decision with confidence.

[00:15:02] Dr Renee White: So if you are a first time parent and you're feeling a little bit lost, know this, you do not have to do it alone. Doula care is about more than just birth. It's about feeling held, supported, confident in your transition to parenthood. So if you'd like to learn more about our Fill Your Cup Doula services, head over to our website ifillyourcup.com or reach out on Instagram. I'm always happy to have a chat over [00:15:30] there. We get lots and lots of parents coming over like saying, Hey, can we set up like a meeting? This sounds like really something we're looking for and things like that. Also, if you found the episode helpful, don't forget to share it with an expecting friend who might need a little extra support on their journey. Alright, everyone, until next time, take care and keep filling your cup.

[00:16:06] Dr Renee White: You've just listened to another episode of The Science of Motherhood proudly presented by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village. Head to our website ifillyourcup.com to learn more about our 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, [00:16:30] informed, and empowered so you can fully embrace the joy of motherhood with confidence. Until next time, bye.