After giving birth to her first baby in 2021, Ebony Cohalan struggled with postpartum depletion, lack of support and confusing information during those early days of motherhood. This ignited a passion in her to help other mothers and their little ones to be nourished and thrive. As a certified Pregnancy, Postpartum and Baby Nutrition Consultant, she has made it her mission to support mothers on this incredible new journey they are embarking on. She understands how overwhelming it can be to work out what foods to eat and what foods to avoid when you’re pregnant, how to cope with postpartum health and how to start your baby on solids – all while having to navigate the conflicting advice that comes your way. She launched E-Coh Health to provide women with a safe, friendly and non-judgemental space to come for evidence-based advice and guidance.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
In 2020, I completed a Diploma of Health Science with the goal of continuing on with a Bachelor Degree in Naturopathy. I have always been interested in hormones and women’s health. However, I became pregnant and gave birth in 2021 to my first baby, which showed me just how much support new mums need, and I felt like I was getting the bare minimum! I was given no education on nutrition at all during my pregnancy. Navigating such a vulnerable time in my life and feeling like I had barely any support from health professionals really disappointed me.
I felt so alone, and frankly, scared. I just wanted to be able to ask my mum what to do. So many times during my pregnancy and even now, I still find myself with questions. But my mum passed away in 2017 to cancer. It turned my world upside down. I didn’t know who I was anymore, or what I wanted to do. I felt like I didn’t fit in anywhere.
I’ve always loved learning so I felt so blessed that I found the perfect course that I could become certified in Pregnancy, Postpartum and Baby Nutrition. I just knew that’s what I was meant to do in life when I found the course. It sort of all fell into place (I think my guardian angel may have helped with that) and that’s how E-Coh Health started!
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I only launched my business at the start of this year, so it is still the beginning for me. There were a lot of tears from self-doubt, and sleep deprivation didn’t help my mind. But I knew this was something that so many people needed, so I put my blood, sweat and tears into creating E-Coh Health as a place that I wish I had when I was pregnant. Somewhere I could go to learn more about how to nourish myself and my growing baby. Somewhere that was non-judgemental and someone who I could rely on to give me evidence-based information, not just opinion based.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
Just starting my business has been the biggest breakthrough. I had the accounts made and sitting there with my business name for nearly 2 years, too scared to launch it. But after having my daughter, I got a fierce passion to help people which outweighed my nervousness, and I launched my business this year.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
It’s tough! And it’s something I am still trying to navigate. I have a 10-month-old who insists on standing up and trying to climb on all the furniture and I have started back at my old Real Estate job a couple of days a week. I try to study and prepare all my content when the baby sleeps, on the days I’m not working.
