It depends on the type of support your baby or child needs. A paediatrician focuses on diagnosing and managing medical conditions, while an infant feeding specialist or paediatric dietitian supports feeding, nutrition, growth and practical day-to-day feeding challenges. Your first point of call would be an infant feeding specialist if your baby or child is experiencing: Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding difficulties Poor weight gain or growth concerns Reflux or feeding aversion Starting solids or weaning challenges Fussy eating Suspected food allergies or intolerances Questions about nutritional intake A paediatrician may be more appropriate if there are concerns about an underlying medical condition, developmental issues, severe illness, or if your child requires medical investigations or prescriptions. In some cases, families benefit from support from both professionals working together. As a specialist paediatric dietitian and lactation consultant, I can help assess feeding and nutritional concerns, provide practical strategies, and advise when referral to a paediatrician may be appropriate. I have access to various specialist paediatricians in the GSTT Specialist Care Network.

I am doubly certified as a paediatric dietitian as well as a lactation consultant, and my approach combines specialist NHS paediatric dietetic expertise with infant feeding and lactation support, allowing me to look at feeding difficulties through a more holistic lens. I have experience working in leading children’s hospitals and specialist neonatal settings, supporting babies and children with a wide range of feeding, growth and nutritional concerns. This means I can provide evidence-based support not only for breastfeeding and bottle feeding, but also for more complex issues such as poor weight gain, reflux, allergies, faltering growth, tube feeding, and selective eating. I also keep in touch with all of my patients after consultations and maintain open lines of communication, so families feel supported and able to reach out if questions or concerns arise as things progress. Families often tell me they value the combination of: Specialist clinical expertise Calm, compassionate support Practical and realistic advice Individualised care tailored to their family Continuity and ongoing guidance rather than one-size-fits-all recommendations My goal is to help parents feel confident, supported and reassured while creating feeding plans that are achievable in everyday family life.

I can assess feeding difficulties that may be associated with tongue tie and support you with breastfeeding, bottle feeding and infant feeding challenges, but I do not perform tongue tie division procedures myself. During your consultation, I will take a detailed feeding history, assess how feeding is going, and carry out a HATLFF (Hazelbaker Assessment Tool for Lingual Frenulum Function) tongue function assessment. This helps provide a more objective assessment of tongue function and whether a tongue tie may be contributing to feeding difficulties. If I feel a tongue tie division may be beneficial, I can refer you to a specialist paediatric plastic surgeon within the GSTT Specialist Care team. It’s important to remember that not all feeding difficulties are caused by tongue tie, and many babies benefit from feeding support, positioning adjustments and feeding strategies without needing a procedure. My aim is to ensure families receive balanced, evidence-based advice and the right support for their individual situation.