About me

Hi, my name is Abbie. I am a registered midwife and an IBCLC Lactation Consultant. I live in the Harrogate area with my three beautiful children, my very supportive husband, and our snuggly cockapoo, Sunny.

Having worked in the NHS for over a decade I have supported many families with complex feeding needs. Making feeding plans, supporting individual needs and most importantly improving feeding journeys. I also have experience of breastfeeding my own children for a total of six years. These experiences have deepened my understanding of the complexities of infant feeding and strengthened my commitment to supporting families. I strongly believe that getting infant feeding right in the early days and beyond is vital for a positive and enduring feeding relationship.

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I qualified from the University of Bradford with a First-Class degree in Midwifery in 2016. Following qualification, I have worked at two local NHS maternity units, gaining experience in labour and birth, antenatal, and postnatal care both in the hospital and community based settings. I am still currently practicing as a registered midwife in the NHS.

Throughout my career, I have developed a special interest in infant feeding, home birth, water birth, and complementary therapies. I have actively pursued further training and experience in these areas to better support families. My professional journey has been strongly influenced and supported by my family, pregnancies, birth, and postnatal experiences. My continuous journey into motherhood has been fundamental in the creation of The Harrogate Lactation Consultant. I am also a strong advocate for water births and home births, having experienced three water births and two home births myself.

In 2023, I successfully completed the UNICEF Qualifications Framework Programme and gained the Baby Friendly Initiative Qualified Leader (BFIQL) qualification. This training strengthened my confidence in delivering evidence-based care, enhanced my understanding of infant feeding research, and provided valuable insight into national infant feeding challenges. Working in line with UNICEF Baby Friendly Standards is central to my practice, supporting parents to make informed decisions, establish breastfeeding successfully, and nurture loving relationships with their babies.

In 2024, I commenced specialist lactation training with Gold Lactation Academy, covering infant wellbeing, anatomy and development, the biology and nutrition of human milk, and supporting families through breastfeeding challenges and goals. This training enabled me to enrol for the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) examination in September 2025.

In February 2025 I started working within the private sector at Cocoon pregnancy and wellness clinic in Harrogate. Supporting families through parenthood and beyond. I continue to work at Cocoon alongside my NHS role as a registered midwife.

I was delighted to achieve my IBCLC qualification in December 2025. This has enabled me to begin my specialist infant feeding practice, supporting families across Harrogate and the surrounding areas. The care I provide is evidence-based and underpinned by extensive specialist training. My aim is to empower and support families through their individual feeding journeys with compassionate, personalised care.