A woman with long brown hair, wearing a white dress with black polka dots, leaning on a white kitchen island, smiling, with pink flowers in a glass vase nearby.

Hello, I’m Alicia.

A Little About My Journey

My career begun in 2014 as a student paediatric nurse at a world-leading children’s hospital in London. I trained across many paediatric areas, including NICU and PICU, but it was during a health visiting placement that something clicked. I knew I had found my calling - supporting babies and families through those earliest, most vulnerable months. Then, in 2017, while on placement in the NICU, I attended a breastfeeding study day and my mind was blown - I knew I had to learn more.

I qualified as a Registered Children’s Nurse (RNC) in 2017, and a year later began training as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN - Health Visitor). It was a tough year, both academically and personally, but it gave me the foundation I needed to support families in a truly holistic way.

During this time I completed the mandatory UNICEF Baby Friendly breastfeeding training, and realised how little training most health care professionals receive in such an important area. I left the two-day course eager to learn more and I couldn’t stop thinking: How can something so important be so underfunded?

Why I Became an IBCLC

I’ve never been someone who settles for surface-level knowledge, especially when it comes to supporting new families. The more I learned about infant feeding, the more I wanted to understand it deeply. I read, I studied, I volunteered, I listened. I became the Infant Feeding Champion in my NHS team and advocated for better support at every opportunity. Then when I had my first baby and was struggling feeding her, I realised - I still didn’t know as much as I should!

Eventually, I decided I had to take the leap. I self-funded my journey to become an IBCLC while working, parenting, and growing my second baby. In September 2024, I sat the exam… and found out I had passed just weeks before my baby arrived.

It was the proudest moment of my career.

It’s lovely to meet you!

I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Health Visitor, and Registered Paediatric Nurse based in East Sussex. I bring over a decade of experience working with babies and supporting parents through some of the most vulnerable and important moments of their lives. I’ve supported hundreds of families with breastfeeding, chestfeeding, bottle feeding, and all aspects of early parenthood.

Families often reach out to me when they are experiencing feeding difficulties - such as pain when latching, worries about milk supply, or questions about combination feeding and weaning. My role is to bring both professional expertise and compassionate, non-judgemental support, so you feel confident and reassured in your feeding journey.

I am honored to be a trusted partner on your unique parenting journey.

A family sitting on a couch, with a mother breastfeeding a newborn, a father sitting beside her, and a young girl leaning on the father, all sharing a tender moment.

Why I Started My Own Practice

After qualifying as an IBCLC, I knew I wanted to offer families the kind of support that is too often missing in the current system - care that is evidence based, inclusive, timely, and truly centred around your individual needs. Every family’s feeding journey is unique, and I believe you deserve access to skilled help when you need it most, without long waits or judgement. My practice is built on listening first, tailoring my guidance to your goals, and creating a safe, respectful space where all parents feel heard, supported, and confident in their feeding choices. Read more about the infant feeding support I offer here.

I still love health visiting - it’s so much more than a job to me. It’s the greatest privilege to be invited into a family’s home during those precious early days, and even more so to be the person a parent calls to celebrate a new milestone, as well as the one they lean on when things aren’t going quite to plan. But over time I’ve watched the service change. Fewer families see a registered health visitor unless there are known risks. The personalised, universal care that should be the foundation of early parenting support is becoming rare. Read more about the health visiting services I provide here.

A Bit More About Me

When I’m not talking about your lovely babies, I’m at home with my two wonderful children and my incredibly patient husband. We live in East Sussex, in a home we’re renovating ourselves. I love interiors (though I struggle with the big decisions - sorry, Mr Cole!) and I’m a novice but enthusiastic gardener. I continue to work in the NHS as a health visitor, and I also occasionally return to bedside nursing to keep my clinical skills fresh and up to date.

Like many of the families I support, I’ve navigated my own feeding challenges - including tongue tie, painful latch, cows milk protein allergy, reflux, mastitis and dysphoric milk ejection reflex. These experiences have given me not just professional knowledge, but a deep personal understanding of how emotional, physical, and complex feeding can be.

I combine my clinical knowledge with warmth, empathy, and a deep respect for your instincts as a parent. You know your baby best, and I’m here to help you feel empowered, informed, and supported every step of the way.

If you'd like to work together, book a consultation or get in touch - I'd love to hear from you. You’re doing an incredible job. You’ve got this!

Qualifications & Affiliations

Alicia Cole

IBCLC Infant Feeding & Independent Health Visiting Services

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