“Our first baby was a surprise. We were always going to have children – just not that soon,” Brooke said. “I lost almost ten kilograms from morning sickness, but somehow got through. Thankfully my lecturers and classmates and my partner were all very supportive.”

Brooke chose to study naturopathy after high school because of her experience with tonsilitis. She had ongoing infections, multiple courses of antibiotics and three hospital stays, including one for the removal of her tonsils. Finally, Brooke took her Dad’s advice and went to a naturopath. “She helped me improve my immune system and gut health, and within months, I was healthy. That’s when I knew I wanted to study naturopathy,” Brooke said.

During her degree, at 20 weeks pregnant, Brooke and her partner moved from the Gold Coast to Adelaide to pursue better opportunities for his trade. “Transferring from one Endeavour campus to another was simple, but it was hard to leave the tight-knit Gold Coast community. I’d made good connections with my classmates there,” Brooke said. “Luckily Adelaide is friendly, and I’ve made amazing friends at the campus here too.”

After her daughter arrived, Brooke found the transition to motherhood challenging, and she developed postpartum depression. “I was missing the social interaction, so I returned to college part-time for the student clinic. It was the best decision,” Brooke said. “I loved the clinic, and I flourished treating people. In the third year, the theory gets hard, and you’re not treating people yet. But, when you get to the clinic, it all starts to fall into place, and you realise how much you know. I asked my lecturers about everything because I wanted to learn as much from them while I could.”

“Through my own experience with postpartum depression, I also realised women need more support from naturopaths after birth. So, I focussed on treating women, babies and young children in the clinic, and started to set up my future business around this even before I graduated,” she said.

With a second child on the way, COVID-19 added another obstacle to Brooke’s final year. “I wasn’t sure if I would finish the clinical hours before my baby arrived. Endeavour helped by giving me special consideration, given the circumstances.”

Just weeks after finishing, Brooke welcomed her son. Now, she is adjusting to life with two children while gradually building her business, Balanced Beings.

Natural Health Heroes

Natural Health Heroes celebrates the wellness journeys of our alumni. From where they began to where they are today, we showcase our alumni’s unique stories, experiences and successes.

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