In the latest episode of her YouTube podcast, veteran Nigerian actress and host Shaffy Bello sat down with singer Waje and lifestyle influencer Sisi Yemmie for an honest conversation about the realities of motherhood, career balance, postpartum challenges, and family dynamics.
What stood out most was Shaffy Bello’s deeply personal disclosure about her decision to undergo tubal ligation (tying her fallopian tubes) more than two decades ago. Far from a casual aside, her revelation came during a broader discussion on choosing when and how many children to have, highlighting personal autonomy, cultural expectations around large families, and the freedom that comes with knowing your own limits.
Shaffy Bello was unequivocal about her motivations. She never aspired to a big family and felt certain about her desired family size from early on. Speaking candidly, she said:
“For me, I didn’t want a lot of children. I wanted to stop.”
She elaborated that the decision stemmed from self-awareness rather than external pressure or hardship:
“I was determined to do everything possible not to have anymore and for me it was simply because first of all I’m not a lot of children kind of person.”
Even with her two children (now adults), Bello noted she would frequently take them to her sister’s home — where her sister had four children — because the environment suited them better. She observed clear differences in how people approach parenting and family life:
“We’re all very different.”
Her sister loved having the kids around; Bello, by contrast, knew her own capacity and chose to respect it.
Her ex-husband once pleaded for another child, but she wasn’t having it. Having already raised two children to adulthood, Bello has repeatedly described her “nest” as full.
The episode framed Bello’s story within themes like the guilt some mothers feel when prioritizing career or personal limits, the cultural pressure to keep having children, and the relief that comes from decisive family planning.
In her own words, the decision was never about fear or exhaustion alone. It was about intentional living: knowing her capacity, honoring her two beautiful children, and closing the chapter on further pregnancies with clarity.