‘The most fertile lands were built by the fires of volcanoes.' -Andrea Gibson
We're delighted to have Founder of MUNG BEAN HEALTH, Riannon Page chat to us at M. Magazine.
Riannon is a powerhouse in the world of natural health. With over 15 years of experience in the health field and 9 years as a seasoned Naturopath, Riannon's knowledge and expertise run deep. Her career includes a prestigious role as Head Naturopath for an International Thyroid and Hormonal clinic, where she not only treated patients but trained many other Naturopaths in her field. Riannon's commitment to fertility care has transformed lives, earning her the title of our "Fertility Fairy Godmother."
Mungbean and their team of Naturopaths specialise in Women’s Health and fertility, helping to guide women throughout their preconception, pregnancy, and postnatal journey. They also support a lot of mums with babies and children, providing help with sleep, tummy issues, food intolerances, eczema, and mood disorders.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Riannon Page, I am a mother of 4 beautiful babies, one is an angel & the latest one is in my tummy, my rainbow baby right now! I’m 35 weeks and very excited to meet him.
I am the Founder of a Multi-Award Winning Naturopathy Clinic that specialises in Fertility & Women's Health Mung Bean Health.
As much as you see me working hard in the business, my husband works equally as hard behind the scenes in our warehouse! We make a great team & are only just getting started.
You are known as the "Fertility Fairy Godmother". How has your expertise and experience in your field helped / guided mothers on their fertility journey.
Yes, I absolutely LOVE this name too! It makes me so happy to be able to give other couples the life-changing gift of having their own babies. I know myself it’s not always a straight line and there are so many factors to have a healthy baby, although every single time I help a couple achieve it, I get goosebumps!
Pregnancy announcements are always magic.
Reproductive health is so complex but I see such a difference when couples put in the hard work prior to conception. There is so much you can do to influence your health and your babies health and naturopathy works so beautifully in this space.
Food is Medicine. How does looking after your body in terms of what we eat have far-reaching benefits not only for mood, but for our physical functions too?
Yes, aboslutely, food is medicine! Every meal you eat is either nourishing your body or it’s giving your body extra work.
This is especially important in preconception and pregnancy care.
When you are looking at getting pregnant, you want to ensure you have all of your body processes (liver, digestion, reproductive health etc) working well to ensure a healthy conception. Once you get pregnant, you then want to be eating to maintain a healthy pregnancy & supporting your growing baby.
Again when we talk about postpartum health, I see so many mothers not having any time for themselves & eating barely anything which then can affect their mood, energy levels, digestion etc.
What are some supplements we can take during pregnancy to benefit both mum and baby?
A wonderful question! Firstly, NEVER self-prescribe. Always get advice from your healthcare professional/Naturopath that is prescribed correctly for your case.
We use practitioner-only supplements in clinic which are always of a higher quality & easier to absorb which we will prescribe after having a consultation and then selecting what is correct for you and your case, so in pregnancy, I always suggest a consultation.
If you are waiting on a consultation with us, I have put together a ‘pregnancy bundle’ on our online store which covers some of the general basics (Trimester one > https://mungbeanhealth.com/collections/shop/products/pregnancy-bundle-for-trimester-1 OR Trimester 2 & 3 > https://mungbeanhealth.com/collections/shop/products/pregnancy-bundle-for-trimester-2-3-breastfeeding)
What can a mother do to avoid postpartum depletion?
Definitely work with a Naturopath in pregnancy (or even better in preconception care).
Babies suck the nutrients out of us (in the best way possible) but we need to have enough in our body stores for babies to take & still keep us functioning well. I rarely see women in clinic who come to me already thriving, so then to add a baby on top, can lead to major postpartum depletion.
Working with a Naturopath at Mungbean Health will ensure you and you baby are all covered.
Breastfeeding consumes an enormous amount of energy. What are your tips for what to eat when breastfeeding baby - and how to optimise milk supply?
It certainly does. Breastfeeding creates a huge demand on the body and it obviously just comes after the major event of birth.
Top tips are:
-Definitely stay well hydrated (minimum 3 litres of filtered water per day) with added electrolytes - Hydramama sachets are my favourite.
-Eat plenty of protein rich foods! Many mums are hardly eating enough postpartum, so its best to ensure your food & snack choices are rich in protein! Even sourcing a delivery meal service (like @mealsformummas) will take the guess work out if it for you!
-If you are having issues with your milk supply, or want to try and avoid any issues with breastfeeding, we have amazing herbs in clinic that will work perfectly on supporting your supply & breastfeeding journey.
I am told all the time by clients how mums can really feel the difference in their supply when they have missed their herbs for a day or two.
Your top 3 pregnancy products you feel are a must?
Oooo this is really hard!
Non-negotiable’s/the very basics are:
1- A prenatal (sometimes extra folate is needed)
2- A very high quality Omega supplement (not for everyone as need to be conscious of medication interactions)
3- A high quality probiotic
PLUS a quality calcium supplement (not only important for pregnancy but also breastfeeding)
Sorry I couldn’t stop at three!
Low-tox living. How can this shift in living improve life for us all? Your recommendations on where to start to incorporate this approach. How is this beneficial for family with young ones too?
I want you to remember it is ‘low’ tox not NO tox! I find people get caught up with thinking they have to live a life without any toxins which is unfortunately impossible in this day and age because as soon as you walk into a car park you are surrounded by toxic car fumes.
So even making small changes for you and your family at home can be so supportive of your health.
The more we minimise toxins, the more we give our liver a break! The liver has over 500 functions already, we don’t want to add an extra burden which can contribute to skin issues, digestive complains, immune issues, reproductive complaints etc etc
I usually suggest to start with what you are directly putting on your skin and in your body.
If you have the option to, start eating organic produce as although an investment, it’s an easy change.
Also start to think about what you are putting on your skin, are you using a natural deodorant? Are you using natural body wash & face wash? What are you using each day in the shower? I love the Lust Minerals range for make up & skincare along with Weleda.
You can also change your cleaning products across to a natural range like Koala Eco, to avoid extra chemicals.
Changing these over to natural products makes a huge difference, not only for your health but also your fertility.
Your personal journey of being a mother - what does motherhood mean to you?
How can I even put it into words?
Motherhood is everything to me! It’s the reason I work so hard at Mungbean health to give other couples this amazing feeling too!
Every night when I’m laying next to my sleeping babies & thinking about my beautiful angel baby Winnie, I kiss them on the face & know I’m the luckiest mother in the world.
Being their safe place will always be at the top of the list for me.
I am so blessed.
Your breastfeeding journey - the highs and lows?
I have been lucky with my breastfeeding journeys so far!
I fed my beautiful Evi for 17 months until I fell pregnant with my little boy Tate.
Then I was able to feed Tate until 17 months but the end was taken out of my hands when we lost our little Winnie (spending 5 days in hospital was the end of my breastfeeding journey with Tate).
Excited for my breastfeeding journey to start in a few short weeks.
I definitely did the work prior to breastfeeding though, practicing what I preach & doing what I suggest to my clients all the time definitely supported each of my journey’s.
It's never easy in the start (not like they make out in movies that's for sure) as not only are you re-learning with each baby, but it's their first time trying! So keep trying mumma!
Tips on how you navigate business, mothering your children, whilst being pregnant :)
It’s definitely not for the faint hearted.
I am lucky to have great support with my husband, my mother in law & our little ones go to daycare a couple of days a week so we have a good plan in place at the moment! Although this is about to change with our newest little bundle due end of April.
Having our own business is definitely challenging but I wouldn’t change it for the world! Mungbean is our baby too & the amazing results we are able to spread across Australia make it all worth while!
We'd love to hear what you think of our MUMMA MILLA leakproof bras.
Absolutely love them, they are so so soft & comfy! I have worn mine in pregnancy since approx 20 weeks.
I am so excited to trial it after baby is here & see how to goes with supporting breastfeeding leakage.
Its not one of those bras you want to take off as soon as you get home, its so comfy you forget you are wearing it.
Riannon wears our leakproof bandeau bralette. Shop it here