Bel White | Pregnancy + Postpartum Holistic Health Nutritionist
MY FULL NAME IS
Belinda Lee White - I get called Bel for short
Culturally, my background is
English, Scottish and Irish and if you speak to my grandmother she also says Torres Strait Islander.
I live in
The Gold Coast, Queensland - we moved here from Melbourne almost 6 months ago to raise our son closer to nature and being close to ocean was a dream of ours. We are still pinching ourselves daily that we live here.
I am a mother to
Leo White, he is almost 18 months old and although there are challenging times, I feel like it just keeps getting better. He is so much fun and I love that we have little conversations now. Witnessing his rapid development right now is incredible. He makes me laugh so much throughout the day.
I aspire to
Be the best mother and wife I can possible be by constantly learning and leaning in to my intuition. I also aspire to change the direction of health for mothers and their babies. For women to regain their power with knowledge of preconception, pregnancy, physiological birth, breastfeeding and how to nourish themselves and their families.
"I aspire to change the direction of health for mothers and their babies"
On the weekend you'll find me
At the Palm Beach Farmers Market stocking up on all my organic and local produce for the week so I can nourish my family. And most likely the beach hanging out somewhere on the Goldie.
For fun I like to
Create nourishing meals and recipes for my family and friends and going on adventures in nature with my family. This could be a beach, exploring a national park or in the hinterlands at the rock-pools.
I knew I was pregnant when
I actually knew almost right away. Before the pregnancy test was positive haha. I had a deep knowing which I cannot explain. Oh yeah and my first physical sign was super sore boobs.
My favourite part of pregnancy was
I actually loved being pregnant so much. A moment that really stands out was when my husband Marcus felt our son kick for the first time. We both from that moment knew he was a boy (it was a strong kick)
"I used it as a learning to slow down and surrender which became a theme for most of my pregnancy."
The worst was
The morning sickness which came about around 8 weeks and thankfully left about week 14. I used it as a learning to slow down and surrender which became a theme for most of my pregnancy.
To prepare for birth, I
I had a home-birth so I did so much to prepare for birth, so I have quite a lot I could talk about here. The biggest part for me was education on physiological birth, embodiment and emotional blockages that hold you back from succeeding. I watched so many home births and I read so many books, 2 game changers were Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Sarah Buckley and Birth with confidence by Rhea Dempsey. My husband and I would also talk and manifest every day on how I was going to accomplish the hardest thing I would ever do.
Looking back, I feel my birth was
An introduction into motherhood which has many ups, downs and can be full of self doubt. it was a long journey but the most empowering thing I have ever done. It has left me feeling that I can do anything I put my mind to.
"It has left me feeling that I can do anything I put my mind to."
3 words to describe my journey from maiden to mother are
Surrender. Femininity. Slow.
The biggest challenge has been
I found the newborn season to be the biggest challenge, those first 3 months of myself and Leo learning about each other and connecting. Him adjusting earth side and myself becoming a new mother was the most challenging adjustment so far. Sleep deprivation doesn’t help.
If I could turn back time I would have
I would not buy all the consumerist baby “Stuff” I wouldn’t even set up a nursery. I didn’t use a cot or the bassinet for that matter haha… I would re invest the money into a postpartum doula and a house cleaner so that I could just be with Leo with no distractions. The way it should be!!!
The thing I love most about motherhood is
It’s the moments in between the madness where I look at Leo and just say to myself “wow”. I think every parent has these moments and your heart explodes with love. There is no love like the love for your child.
I like to fill up my cup by
Connecting to nature, exercising, making interesting and nourishing food, educating other mothers, spending quality time with my husband and Leo, connecting with my extended family and friends and the occasional party
My one piece of wisdom to share would be
You are the only one who knows what is best for your baby. Block out the noise and opinions and use your intuition.
"I believe if the mother is thriving, so too is the family."
My favourite WOOM product is
Ohhh there are so many! I would have to say the Qiara Pregnancy and breastfeeding Probiotic because it is a single strain Lactobacillus fermentum which is abundant in breast milk which will help nourish a breast feeding mother and her baby, especially if she has been exposed to antibiotics around the time of birth which happens whenever a baby is born via Ceserean section
To me, being a woman means
To be connected to your divine feminine, to understand and use your intuition. Nurture those around you without forgetting about yourself.
My Career Journey
It has been said that when a woman gives birth, she is also reborn. This resonates with me so much as I believe my son guided me to this direction of supporting mothers and babies to be healthy and thriving. It all started with my own health journey before conceiving Leo. I went on a journey with the support of my husband to address some symptoms I had been living with for many years.
I completed a 6 month gut protocol specifically tailored to the findings of my blood and stool analysis. I found I had severe intestinal permeability and a parasite. I suffered from years of bloating, IBS symptoms, extreme food sensitivities, skin issues and irregular periods.
Before trying to conceive I endeavoured to create the ideal environment to grow my baby. The 6 months dedicated to this were hard but also the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I took responsibility for my health with the ultimate act of self-care and dedication to my baby.
Since becoming a mum and experiencing pregnancy, birth and postpartum, I’ve had an overwhelming urge to share my knowledge and support other mothers with postpartum health. Fast forward a few months and my son Leo is now starting solids. Learning how to nourish him has been another part of this journey that has called me to become a certified holistic health nutritionist focused on pregnancy health, the postpartum mother and baby care.
Bel offers a range of services from pregnancy to postpartum, baby health and nutrition. Her coaching is personalised, supportive and is targeted for all stages of motherhood.
Bel help's mothers to thrive by regaining energy, balancing hormones and empowering them to take control of their health and their family's health with a focus on REAL foods that are simple, easy and nourishing. Her focus is all around nutrition and gut health for pregnancy, mothers and babies.
Women can engage Bel for:
- Conscious conception planning
- Pregnancy health support
- Postpartum depletion
- Baby/child health support
- Full Blood analysis
- Nutrition and lifestyle planning
- Supplement and health protocols
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