Thanks so much for your guidance with bottle feeding and tongue tie with Tasmillah, it has made so much difference to know I was listened to and what I was feeling was true!

Before we met I was nervous I’d be palmed off again with another ‘she’ll grow out of it’ or ‘try a different bottle’.

You listened, observed and, supported me with the journey required. And, while we’ve still a long way to go before we have less stressful feeding, I know that my intuition is right and, that there are people out there who do listen and do know what they’re talking about!

Midwife, Lactation Consultant & mum to two wonderful girls

“I suffered with oversupply issues with my first baby which made our breastfeeding experience very difficult at times (both for myself and my daughter). I thought I was prepared for my second baby but I was in crisis by day three post birth. I was so engorged that I could not even hand express a drop of milk and the pain was excruciating. My very sleepy and jaundiced 37 weeker baby needed to feed well in her very short wake windows. I struggled to think clearly. As an infant feeding specialist midwife, there’s many people I could have reached out to. After a year of being IBCLC students together, I knew Rea would be able to help me. I was always so impressed by her level of knowledge and clinical expertise. Rea supported me via telephone (I’m based in Edinburgh) and she gave me a clear plan that was easy to follow. She helped me make a follow up plan once my supply had safely reduced. 

It was clear to me that she has tacit knowledge and this plan didn’t come from a textbook. She just knew what to do. 

I am happy to report that I managed to exclusively breastfeed my baby (despite some professional pressure to give formula due to her prolonged jaundice). We are still happily breastfeeding and I have only experienced one episode of mastitis on return to work. I didn’t believe in myself enough to know that I could have a pain free feeding journey. I have Rea to thank for that. 

I may be a midwife and fellow IBCLC. But I was a very vulnerable second time mother who needed someone with expertise to help. I highly recommend Rea as an IBCLC. She really cares and you won’t doubt it for a second when you speak to/meet her.”

Rea was incredibly helpful when I was unsure about my baby's latch in the early days.

I was recommended to message her even though I lived four hours away.

She was so generous in wanting to help us and offered for me to send videos and or do a zoom consultation.

She gave me some really helpful tips on getting my little lady in the correct position and we are still going strong four months in.

I never knew breast feeding would be such a journey but I'm so grateful that there are people like Rea who are so passionate at helping all of us on this journey.

Rea has been a truly special part of my breast feeding journey this second time of new motherhood.

The reassurance, gentle and informative expert advice along with a none judgemental ear sprinkled with a little confidence boosting was exactly what I needed and much more than I anticipated during my 1:1 lactation consultation with Rea.

Rea even weighed my baby letting me know the weight was on track and the tips on variations of breast feeding positions really opened my eyes upto how creative you can get with your baby.

I hope one day every new breast feeding parent gets a Rea as part of their breast feeding journey. Highly reccomend.

Rea really is an investment for new nursing mums and completely transformed my breastfeeding experience from distressing to enjoyable!

I could not recommend Rea more as she really was a lifesaver in the 4th trimester when I was trying to get to grips with breastfeeding and adjusting to life as a first time mama.

She advised me before and after the birth, providing almost daily advice for the first six weeks (including weekends).

She always made herself available and her support transformed a challenging time for me into a more positive experience.

Uniquely among breastfeeding consultants, Rea provides ongoing advice rather than a one-off session.

This gave me time to build up the skill and provides comfort in what can be a very emotional and isolating time. Rea provided me with very clear guidance and tangible advice about how to get my baby to latch and how to increase my milk supply.

She really knows what she is talking about and was incredibly supportive.

She made me feel like my troubles and concerns were completely normal and totally surmountable. I could ask her anything (about breastfeeding and beyond!)

Rea is a wonderful human who is passionate about breastfeeding and her enthusiasm, patience and support really sets her apart from the rest!

When my daughter was 14 months old and we were still breastfeeding I became really ill and it had a huge impact on my supply, it all but tanked it. I was completely freaking out, in total panic mode as it was effecting my daughter too.

That’s when I found Rea - and my lord. I am so glad we did!

I had no idea the inpact and support we would get from her until our appointment and I was blown away.

We had an online consultation and I’m a very anxious person. She made me feel at ease so quickly, we had a thorough chat about everything right from pregnancy through to now & she formulated a plan for me to get my supply back to how it was.

She brought me out of panic mode & into focus. I truly couldn’t have done it without her as I was in such a space of worry. 

The support after our appointment remained fantastic and she was only a message away.

Happy to say my supply is back to normal & me (and my daughter!) are over joyed as we aren’t ready to stop our journey yet.!

I think our short story shows the impact that a really amazing IBCLC can have on your feeding journey even further down the line not just when you’re finding your feet with breastfeeding.

Thanks so much Rea lots of love Bek & Nova xx

I’ve been meaning to send this for a while now, to say Thank You.

I felt so positive after our session and found it all so inspiring. I really want to say what an amazing job she does – inspiring huge amount of confidence in women – making their lives and their journey into motherhood so much better.

Things are so much better than they were, and we have done some brilliant feeding since I saw Rea – long may it continue. 

And, if I struggle again, I know who to call for help and reassurance!

“I am so beyond grateful for the huge breastfeeding support and essential advice that I received from Rea.

Without her, my breastfeeding journey would look totally different and that first bit of motherhood, even more challenging.

I went from nearly giving up at day 5 postpartum, to continuing to breastfeed my now One year old daughter.

Her knowledge, enthusiasm, non-judgmental advice, and genuine care is something I will never forget.

I without a doubt, will continue to recommend Rea to anyone needing help.

Thank you again for everything you do.”

As a first time mum, I didn’t anticipate how much of an impact feeding could have had on my new baby.

I was given Rea’s details after struggling with our 8 week old baby.

With a diagnosis from the GP of silent reflux and medication to try, we were in the trenches with a baby who didn’t sleep, seemed constantly unsettled/unhappy and would cry what felt like relentlessly. 

Rea straight away diagnosed Rory with a tongue tie which had not been checked by medical professionals due to him putting on weight and a lack of significant pain whilst feeding. Alongside the tongue tie, Rea supported us with a wealth of knowledge and reassurance that our baby wasn’t broken and helped me to “chill out” respectfully. The difference was significant in the next few days with Rory (and me!) being so much more calmer. 

Although the tongue tie procedure was instrumental to Rory’s improvement, the holistic approach that Rea took had such a massive impact on me and has led to a very successful breastfeeding journey so far.

We are still feeding at 9 months old and do not have any plans to stop. I am so thankful to Rea for her support, I can not recommend her more highly.

She saved not only my breastfeeding journey but my mental health also xx

Rea was well known as the “boob witch” within my circle of Mum friends and came highly recommended.

Although I had no major concerns around feeding, I did still have some niggles that I wanted checking, and so I reached out to Rea.

She assessed my little girl and advised I saw an osteopath to help ease a little bit of tension before we worked together. I wouldn’t have even thought of seeing an osteopath without Rea’s recommendation and in one session we saw a different with my little girl’s neck tension. Rea then came to see us at home and I shared my concerns.

Rea was really thorough when assessing my little girl, yet so gentle and caring.

One thing I absolutely love about Rea - she EXPLAINS what she’s doing and why.

 I am someone who loves information and Rea is full of it! She is professional, yet so friendly and personable, that she instantly makes you feel at ease and comfortable. Rea watched me feed my baby and gave me tips on positioning that were more comfortable than your traditional feeding positions (thank goodness for laid back feeding!). 

For me, the most valuable thing Rea gave me was CONFIDENCE in myself and my instinct.

Goodbye tracking apps and hello responsive feeding - what an absolute weight lifted.

I am so confident in my breastfeeding now but equally, I know she’s there when I need support again (and I have needed it again).

I wanted to breastfeed for as long as possible and I saw my 1-1 session with Rea as an investment in mine and my daughter’s breastfeeding journey together.

I am still exclusively breastfeeding her with no plans to stop.  

I absolutely sing Rea’s praises and  recommend her to anyone in a heartbeat. 

If you are considering reaching out to an IBCLC, whether it’s because breastfeeding isn’t going as smoothly as you’d hope, or because (like me) you just have a few little queries and concerns - Rea is the one! 

She is worth her weight in gold. 

Thank you Rea for being my cheerleader!

Everyone who wants to breastfeed needs and deserves a Rea.

I found Rea with my first daughter. I suspected that she had a tongue tie (despite literally every GP, midwife and health visitor saying it, "didn't look like she had a tie") and Rea came up on the website for registered tongue tie practitioners.

When I say that my first breastfeeding got off to a rocky start, I'm not exaggerating. I had a planned c section due to placenta praevia and I believe this put breastfeeding on the backfoot as neither of us were ready at 38+2.

Despite 3 midwives being present in my recovery room, not 1 suggested or supported feeding. My daughter lost 12.5% of her birthweight despite, "the latch looking fine" on one brief inspection before being discharged 24 hours after birth.

I went back in for feeding support and ended up having to triple feed through pumping. It affected my confidence and I didn't trust myself to follow my baby's cues. I used an app to track everything and became obsessed.

Through pumping I ended up with mastitis (which wasn't picked up through A&E even though I was saying I was breastfeeding and had a 1 week old) and horrendous over supply with a fast let-down. I also had nipple thrush which I kept getting creams for including steroids which made things worse, until I begged for tablets which cleared it up instantly. Through poor latch, I got a large crater in one nipple and just generally had a miserable time. 

By the time I saw Rea, I was unhappy and the baby that we longed for, cried most of the time. 

Rea saved my first breastfeeding journey. She divided my daughter's tie after extensive feeding support and oral examination. She also suspected that she had CMPA which gave me the confidence to push for support with this, instead of being patronised with, "How is your mood?", "Are you a first time mum?" "This is normal baby behaviour" (in reference to mucousy nappies). Going dairy free changed my daughter's demeanour and along with Rea's support and the knowledge and empowerment that she gave me meant that I breastfed exclusively until my daughter chose to stop just shy of 18 months (when I was 5 months pregnant) 

When feeding felt tricky second time round, I know who to contact straight away (after the "latch looks fine" and "definitely no tongue tie" comments from various health care professionals). 

Rea's messages were so supportive and not once was I ever made to feel like it was my fault or that my emotions were not valid. 

One meeting confirmed a tie and Rea kindly fit me in. She offered breastfeeding support as well aa cutting the tie. She explained everything about where the tension was and how osteopath body work would further support the release. Rea also recommended a little exercise to use post release to further support tongue movement. 

In summary, everyone needs a Rea.

I'm so fortunate to have had her as a contact and it saddens me that so, so many women will give up breastfeeding feeling like they have failed when in reality, they are the ones who have been failed.

In 2024, with everything we know, it should not be a privilege to breastfeed, reserved for the 2% that make it beyond 6 weeks. I'm sure if there were more Rea's, there'd be more breastfeeding mamas.

As a mum, even when you’ve done this before, you need to feel that the person you’re asking to help you knows exactly what they’re doing – and she does!

I trusted her completely, I put everything in her hands. She told me, then showed me what to do and she saved me.

 I’m so thankful. I can’t wait to do it all again!

Rea was an incredible source of inspiration and support throughout my pregnancy. She was calm, incredibly knowledgeable and efficient and always knew how to calm my fears and put me at ease. She was very intuitive and the continuity she provided allowed me to have a seamless pregnancy and home birth, which without her, I might not have had the confidence to ask for.

Rea is still incredibly important to us and my husband, and even now, we often talk about how amazing she was and what a difference she made to our journey with Tobias.

Rea was great at reassuring myself and my husband that a home birth was safe and attainable. She provided us with all the information we needed to make an informed decision and went above and beyond her duty as a midwife to allow us to have amazing support and care.

Rea won my husband around on day one and we both instinctively trusted and utilised everything she said.

She was great with regards to information about hypnobirthing, yoga and even had me doing yoga poses the day before I birthed to improve my baby's position and help encourage labour.

We feel like we stuck gold when we met Rea and will forever be grateful for her calm and reassuring presence and great sense of humour.

She has left a huge impact on myself, my husband and my son’s life and I wish all women could experience the amazing care we received!!

Rea helped me a great deal just after the birth of my first child; I was struggling with breast feeding and she provided one-on-one help, followed by a group session with other mums.

I felt like I'd got breast feeding under control at the hospital but when I got home and my milk came in, my baby couldn't latch on anymore and it all fell apart. I was really struggling to feed my child and that coincided with the help at the hospital coming to an end. Rea taught me how to express, both by hand and by machine. She helped me to get my baby latched on properly and showed me different positions for feeding that worked for us. We also wrote a plan for how I would manage my milk with expressing and feeding so that I could feed my baby properly and get my supply under control.

I don't know what I would have done without Rea's help. What she did with me was not available anywhere else. One-on-one time was invaluable for me. I found that the midwives at the hospital didn't help with feeding, they just had a cursory look and said it was fine. Then, when my milk came in, I was alone and nobody had warned me that it was going to be different from the colostrum and more difficult. I had expected it to be easier! The community midwives who visited me never even fully assessed a feed! I felt like they were too busy to help and weren't there when I needed them.

Rea was so calm and caring and made me feel reassured. She is firm and clear in what she tells you which I feel is exactly what you need when you are a sleep deprived and panicky new mum!

I would pay for a one-on-one service, or indeed a group session as that can be even better - to also be with other new mums. It's the best value for money service for any new mum. You can't put a price on feeding your child and restoring your confidence in your abilities as a mum.

I came to Rea in case there was anything else I could be doing to alleviate pain post my daughter’s Tongue Tie procedure.

I didn’t expect a quick fix, but the support I’d had before seeing Rea was certainly lacking.

In a non-judgmental and supportive way, Rea immediately made a difference in my feeding positioning - the pain was reduced within 5 minutes of Rea walking through the door!

Rea went on to share a wealth of knowledge and actionable information that got me back on track with my feeding journey, which I have no doubt has meant I will be able to breastfeed for as long as we choose to. 

I’d encourage anyone facing issues to invest in a session with Rea, I have no doubt you’ll feel the value too.

I was a week postpartum and recovering from a c-section when Rea came to help.

I was healing well and my milk had come in no problem, but physically trying to breastfeed was agony. I had only been able to syringe feed Juno with hand expressed colostrum and had to top her up with formula.

I had always assumed that breastfeeding would be instinctive for both of us, but didn’t realise it is very much a skill my baby and I both had to learn.

Rea was great at teaching me the various positions and holds, and great tips for getting a deeper and more comfortable latch.

Within two hours she had me successfully feeding, and started me on a journey to breastfeeding comfortably and confidently.

A later successful frenulotomy combined with the skills learned from Rea mean that I have been confidently combination feeding now for four months.

If you’d told me that I’d have made it this far when I was only a week postpartum and in all that pain, I wouldn’t have believed you!

Rea is also a midwife so was able to check my baby for tongue tie related issues, and check on my healing progress while she was here too which was great.

She’s able to provide you with a tailored plan for feeding going forwards and is full of helpful tips for pumping and expressing too

I met with Rea during my pregnancy with my first baby. I was anxious as I have inverted nipples and feared the complications this would bring. The practical advice and expert reassurance that she gave me filled me with so much confidence that I didn’t doubt we could do it. 

My baby is now 6 months and I have been able to exclusively breastfeed.

It has been a lovely journey and I will treasure it forever but when there have been hard and anxious times I have reached out to Rea and things have been okay again very quickly. She just knows what to do. 

There's a lot of misinformation around boobs and around breast milk and it can be quite daunting but Rea’s knowledge is incredible and she helped me trust my instincts so I could make informed decisions. 

She also changed the whole game around labour and birth for me. I was envisioning labour being an agonising 36 hour stint of screaming and pain relief like you see in movies & like my mum had. But she said it didn’t need to be like that and instead I absolutely loved my birth and have amazing memories. She told me about the AIMS books, of which I read every single one (so good!).

My waters breaking early meant that I had to go on the ward rather than the birth centre like I'd planned.. but despite that I felt so in control of my birth and had my baby with no coaching to push and only paracetamol, and I was able to work WITH my body.

My baby was 9lb.5oz!

It was awesome, thank you. 

Our sleep is so much better since we saw you!

We were struggling with ‘sleep windows’ and had a bay who would be a struggle to get to sleep, we were sleeping in shifts, and someone was always holding her!

When we met, we were so blown away with your knowledge and understanding of newborns that the initial consultation was a gateway to an amazing improvement ahead!

Cannot thank you enough!

We’re doing so well now since the division of his frenulum (tongue tie). We can’t thank you enough.

Our feeding journey wasn’t what I’d expected, but it really made a difference to know it wasn’t my ‘fault’ and that we could continue to feed Alfie with some of my milk and know he’s getting the best I can offer – and that’s more than enough.

SO, Thank you. I feel well and he is thriving, which wouldn’t be the case if we hadn’t reached out to you.

I met Rea at a breastfeeding group she ran in September, five weeks after I had given birth. It was without doubt, the biggest help I had learning about breastfeeding and the session gave me the confidence to keep going far longer than I would have otherwise.

Rea made the entire experience comfortable and reassuring and I would happily recommend her to any new mother struggling with the difficult task of asking for help with breastfeeding for the first time.

Rea is a very warm person who is ideal to seek out for any help. For me, it was my breastfeeding which needed very fine-tuning which made a big difference. For example, whilst my baby and I took to breastfeeding easily, there were little things that Rea pointed out that could be improved like trying different feeding positions (which made the feed more efficient and more comfortable for me).

The big thing for me was winding; no-one tells you when and how you should start. Rea showed me different ways and gave me the confidence to handle my baby with less anxiety. 

Rea really listens and provides useful, practical information in a kind and gentle way. I'd recommend speaking to her, even if it's just to check that all is going well and if there are any subtle changes that could be made.