About Me

Hi, I'm Louise — and I'm here to help you find your way through feeding

Becoming a parent is one of the most extraordinary things you'll ever do. It's also, if we're honest, one of the most overwhelming. When feeding isn't going the way you hoped — when it hurts, when your baby isn't gaining weight, when you're surviving on no sleep and pure determination — the last thing you need is to feel alone in it.
That's where I come in.
I'm Louise Bicknell, an IBCLC-certified lactation consultant and tongue tie practitioner based in Polegate, East Sussex. I offer home visits across East Sussex and Zoom consultations for families further afield. Whether you're struggling with latch, supply, pain, or something you simply can't put your finger on, I bring calm, clinical expertise and genuine warmth to every family I work with.

About Louise

My Background

My journey into lactation support didn't happen overnight — it grew out of over thirteen years working as a staff nurse in the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at Conquest Hospital in Hastings.

Those years shaped everything about how I work today.
On SCBU, I cared for some of the most vulnerable newborns imaginable — premature babies, babies with complex medical needs, tiny little ones who had arrived into the world far earlier than planned. I sat with their parents through some of the most frightening moments of their lives. I helped mothers establish milk supply for babies who couldn't yet feed at the breast. I watched families navigate uncertainty with extraordinary courage, and I was privileged to support them through it.

That environment taught me that feeding support isn't just clinical — it's deeply human. It requires patience, sensitivity, and the ability to meet each family exactly where they are, without judgement and without rushing.

It also gave me a thorough, hands-on grounding in infant feeding, neonatal anatomy, and the kind of complex feeding challenges that other healthcare professionals sometimes find difficult to unpick.

I've seen a lot. I've supported a lot. And I bring every bit of that experience to the families I work with now.

Alongside my nursing career, I pursued specialist training to deepen my expertise in lactation and infant feeding.
I hold the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) credential — the gold standard qualification in lactation support, recognised worldwide. Achieving IBCLC status requires thousands of hours of clinical experience, rigorous academic study, and passing an internationally recognised board examination. It is not a weekend course. It is a serious, evidence-based qualification, and I’m proud to hold it.
I am also a qualified tongue tie practitioner, trained to assess and divide tongue ties (a procedure known as frenulotomy) in infants. Tongue tie is one of the most commonly missed causes of breastfeeding difficulties, and having the skills to both identify and treat it means I can offer families a joined-up, seamless pathway — from assessment right through to feeding support after division — without the need to be referred to multiple different practitioners.
I keep my knowledge current through ongoing professional development, and I work in line with the latest evidence-based guidelines in infant feeding and lactation care.
After more than a decade on SCBU, I knew I wanted to take the expertise I’d built and bring it directly into the homes of families who needed it. Not in a hospital setting, not when things had already become a crisis — but early, warmly, and practically.
Because the truth is, so many feeding difficulties are entirely resolvable with the right support at the right time. And so many parents give up on feeding goals they really wanted to achieve, not because they couldn’t do it, but because they didn’t get the right help soon enough.
I started my own practice because I wanted to change that — one family at a time.
When I come to your home, I’m not there to judge your choices, tell you what you should be doing, or rush through a checklist. I’m there to listen to you, watch your baby feed, understand your whole picture, and work with you to find solutions that are realistic and right for your family.
Whether you breastfeed exclusively, combination feed, or decide that formula is the right path for you — my job is to support your feeding journey, not prescribe one.
When I’m not supporting families, you’ll find me curled up at home in Polegate, either crafting or playing with my children. I know this area well, I’m deeply rooted in this community, and I genuinely love being able to support local families close to home.
 
I also know from both professional and personal experience just how isolating early parenthood can feel. My door — and my inbox — is always open, and I never want anyone to feel like their question is too small or their concern isn’t worth raising.
 
No question is too small. No worry is too minor. If something doesn’t feel right, trust that instinct and reach out.
Get in touch
Alternate headshot showing Louise

Qualifications at a Glance

Registered Nurse for Children (RNC)

13+ years clinical experience in Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), Conquest Hospital, Hastings

International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)

Qualified Tongue Tie Practitioner (Frenulotomy)

Ongoing CPD in lactation, neonatal care, and infant feeding