Triple boost for breastfeeding support in Worcestershire

New parents across the county are benefiting from even more specialist expertise after a trio of talented midwives earned the top qualification to become lactation consultants.

Caroline Thunder and Julia Lyons, Infant Feeding Specialist Midwives at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, have successfully completed year-long study and passed the rigorous four-hour exam set by the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultant Examiners’ (IBCLE). They join their colleague Becky Davenport who gained the accolade of International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2024.

 All three Specialist midwives now have the highest qualification attainable in breastfeeding support, and are using their enhanced expertise to help new families who may need additional support to feed their baby.

Caroline said: “I am proud to have qualified as an IBCLC. I am trained as a Nurse, Midwife, Neonatal nurse and have worked within the field of lactation care/ infant feeding for over twenty years. As I had my own children I realised there are many challenges to feeding your child, so this is where my passion for my specialty came from.

“It was a long journey to get here; experience is essential to sit this exam and I was very pleased to pass first time. I will share all my knowledge, as I have always done, to empower mothers, families and my colleagues.”

Julia added: “Most people understand the benefits of human milk and breastfeeding but often stop breast or chest feeding before they are ready to. My aim, every day is to support people to reach their individual feeding goals and have the confidence to understand how lactation works, and how it can work for them and their baby. Studying to pass the IBCLC exam has been a challenge, but I have absorbed so much new knowledge which I feel is crucial to being able to offer families the specialist support they need and deserve during feeding challenges.”

Justine Jeffery, Director of Midwifery at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “I would like to congratulate Caroline and Julia who have now joined Becky on gaining this magnificent achievement. Having three Lactation Consultants at the Trust is a wonderful feat and shows our commitment to providing excellent infant feeding services.”

The Acute Trust’s infant feeding service supports new parents with feeding concerns up to six weeks after birth, at which point they can access ongoing support through Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust who offer support groups, home visits and IBCLC specialist knowledge.

More information is available at www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/maternity-services/