FAQ

Let’s discuss your needs over a free 15-minute no-obligation phone call so I can start building a picture of your concerns. You can also check I’m the right fit for your family.

I then visit your home to observe baby feed and answer your questions and concerns.

You’ll receive a bespoke feeding plan to move you closer to your breastfeeding goals. A week of follow-up support is included by text and phone calls.

I travel to Essex, East London, North East London, and East Hertfordshire.

If you are outside these areas, additional travel costs may be applicable, or I may be able to recommend another IBCLC closer to you.

A map of the area I cover can be found here.

I often receive distress calls to visit families urgently, and I do my very best to respond as quickly as I possibly can. Most of my home visits take place the same or next day following a free initial call.

I recognise how crucial timely support really is. I prioritise medical urgency such as suspected or established infections and significant baby weight loss, so please trust I will honour your request with the attention and significance it deserves.

So I can attend you with clarity and assurance, I send an online form to complete before my visit.

This requests practical information such as your name and address, medical information as is relevant to you and your baby, as well as considerations around feeding frequency and nappy output. It also includes a consent form and payment information.

Yes! It’s a common misconception that lactation consultants are rigid and dogmatic in their pursuit of breastfeeding for each and every family.

In our professional code of conduct, we agree to adhere to the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, which has some tightly evidence-based guidance on how professionals can influence feeding practices both positively and negatively.

We advocate for and promote breastfeeding, but that absolutely doesn’t mean we pursue it at all costs. IBCLCs don’t seek to persuade or coerce. We listen and support, share information, and keep our practices up to date.

I have been lucky enough to have breastfeeding journeys with my own children, I have never felt the need to force anyone into doing what I have done. I’m here to support your journey with your unique family; my personal family experiences are irrelevant.

A home visit is a substantial and in-depth service. I thoroughly review your clinical history, symptoms, and concerns. I watch baby feed from both breasts and/or other feeding methods where relevant.

We work together to create a feeding plan which you feel is achievable and meets your needs. I often take photos and videos on your phone while I’m with you so you can ‘see what I see’ and view it even after I’ve gone.

Families find this particularly useful when making changes to positioning and attachment at the breast, as they can see a ‘before’ and ‘after’ photo to remind them of the changes we made together which made feeding more comfortable and effective.

A typical visit is most often around two hours, but I can stay as long as is necessary; we are on ‘baby time’.

Seven days of phone and text support is included in my home visit package. Should further follow-up appointments be required, for example following a tongue tie release or a significant change in circumstance, these can be provided.

However, it’s most often just one comprehensive visit that’s required. Currently, approximately 10% of clients require me to visit them again for a follow-up appointment; it’s always rewarding to visit a family again to learn how far they’ve come in the time I’ve been supporting them.

Of course you can. Call, text, or email whenever suits you, anytime day or night. I check my work phone regularly; it will be switched to silent if I’m on a home visit and also overnight.

I always return calls, texts, and emails as soon as possible. My free appointments are available to book online if planning ahead works better for you.

I send an invoice with your feeding plan which is payable within five days by bank transfer.

I do everything I can to avoid adding travel charges; currently, these are only added to London postcodes with congestion and emissions zones.

As an IBCLC, I hold the highest international qualification in breastfeeding support.

It means I’ve studied for over 90 hours at postgraduate level, dedicated a minimum of 1000 hours to supporting families with lactation, and passed a rigorous exam in all areas of infant feeding. While every IBCLC will have this common achievement behind them, they all bring something unique to the role, and it is their personal journey that shapes the services they offer.

My personal journey started when I trained as a peer supporter over 10 years ago, listening to women who were staying on the postnatal ward of my local hospital. I was breastfeeding my first child at the time, which was a pre-requisite for the role.

Then I accredited as a breastfeeding counsellor with La Leche League, where a minimum of a year of personal infant feeding experience was required and over three years of training to prepare for seeing more complex cases and supporting mothers for the longer term with newborn feeding, transition onto solid foods, toddler feeding, and all the related concerns from biting to tandem feeding, twins, and breast infections, to name a few.

I have been privileged to be invited into the homes of hundreds of families who have all shared their journeys with me. I learn something new with every visit and relish the opportunity to learn with another unique family. It is this experience I bring to you.