Belle Lucia is an Australian-born model and influencer who's worked with many popular fashion brands from around the world. With over 1.4 million followers on Instagram and over 117 000 subscribers on YouTube, Lucia has proven to be a popular and in-demand influencer time and time again. Outside of her career, Lucia and her long-time boyfriend are the proud parents of a beautiful four-month-old son. Needless to say, she's one busy woman!

We were lucky to have a chance to speak with Lucia earlier this month. In this exclusive interview, we discussed her pregnancy, her birth experience, and being a working new mom.

Babygaga (BG): Please give some background on your life and career.

Belle Lucia (BL): I started modeling at 14 years old,-a little too young in my opinion, as I wasn’t very confident in myself at that age. But I continued to model part-time during school and whilst at university. I then switched to modeling full-time roughly five years ago. I really love it now because I’ve been in the industry for a long time and have seen it change in a positive way so much throughout the years.

BG: Do you believe your nurse education help prepare you for pregnancy & birth?

BL: I don’t believe studying nursing helped me prepare for pregnancy and birth because I never specialized in those subjects. To be honest, I don’t think anything can really prepare you for pregnancy or birth! It’s such a primitive experience which your body takes over completely.

BG: What sparked the first criticism of the size of your baby bump during your pregnancy?

BL: I’m not too sure what exactly sparked the criticism. I wanted to document my pregnancy journey, and I know that all journeys are unique. But I don’t think people realized that some pregnant women don’t have prominent bumps- myself included. I wanted to illustrate throughout my pregnancy that all women show differently and that’s a beautiful thing.

BG: How did you manage to deal with such online criticism during such a wonderful time in your life?

BL: It didn’t bother me too much because I’m used to it from being an online personality. There was definitely a lot more love than hate, so that's what I focused on.

BG: You’ve mentioned that giving birth was such a positive experience for you. Why do you think that is?

BL: I absolutely loved my birth! I went into it with lots of positivity. I prepared my body and mind in the weeks leading up to it. Even though it didn’t exactly go to plan (I wanted an all-natural water birth, but ended up having to be induced and monitored), it was still perfect! I think a lot of people attach birth with negative emotions but it’s such a beautiful and positive experience, it went too fast. Trusting your body really helps- letting the contractions take over and breathing through them while knowing that each one is bringing you closer to life is such an incredible feeling!

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BG: What prompted you to share your initial struggle with breastfeeding?

BL: I didn’t realize how difficult breastfeeding would be, so I thought sharing my struggles might help others feel less alone. At the time, I felt there was something wrong with me for struggling with breastfeeding. My boy was born tongue-tied and couldn’t latch. I also have relatively flat nipples, which didn’t help. I was pumping and feeding him for the first week, but then I developed mastitis and ended up in the hospital. But we finally pulled through! I really enjoy breastfeeding now and feel proud of myself for getting so far.

BG: Why did you choose to not share your baby’s name and face on social media?

BL: I had mixed feelings about sharing too much of my son online. I was in a physically and mentally domestic violent relationship in the past, so I worry about something happening to my son because of that experience. I do want to show little parts of him because I think he’s the cutest thing in the world- but nothing identificational like his name and date of birth. That way, no one can Google him.

BG: Since you’re a model, did you feel more pressure to get back to your pre-baby weight?

BL:  I didn’t feel too much pressure. I know my partner would love me whatever my weight is, and I was also too preoccupied in the newborn bubble to worry about my what I weighed. I actually loved my new curves! I used to have to wear chicken fillets for shoots, and now I don’t have to. I’ve been lucky to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight through breastfeeding, but it wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t. Once you become a mother, those things don’t really bother you anymore. I liked being a little heavier, I’ll miss it!

BG: How do you manage such a demanding career while being a new mom?

BL:  I didn’t think I’d be back at work until my son was one year old- not after six weeks postpartum haha! But I had also never given birth before, so I didn’t know what to expect. I missed working after I had him and felt ready within myself. My partner is incredibly supportive and looks after him when I work. There have been some really tough days, but I really wouldn’t be able to do it without my partner! Sometimes I also take my son with me to work, which is so nice.

BG: What advice would you give to any moms-to-be?

BL: A perfect mother doesn’t exist. But you are and will be perfect for your baby! Also, even though mothers look like they know what they’re doing- they don’t. We are all going with the flow and working it out day by day. Enjoy the ride- it goes fast!

Thank you so much for talking with us! You can check Lucia out on Instagram and YouTube.