Hi! My name is Brenda. I am a mum of two and the founder of The Gentle Village. I have worked as registered nurse/midwife for over 12 years before becoming an IBCLC. I love supporting women, and the family unit, as they experience the journey through pregnancy and beyond. However, I found that my passion grew working in private practice as I was able to expand my knowledge even further and provide families with for specialised support in the community.
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When it comes to infant feeding, my special interest is working on suck anomalies/dysfunctions in infants and how it may be impacting their health. My passion for this came through my own personal breastfeeding journey with my two children. It was only as I became an IBCLC and began learning on oral ties that a lot of what my children (who are now school aged) experienced as infants, and have continued to experience as they age, was all related to the oral dysfunction and compensations they developed from an undiagnosed tongue tie.

The journey to get answers was a tough one, especially for my eldest and it quickly became something I would like other families to not have to experience. Therefore, my passion to provide high quality care and early intervention therapy and support for infants with feeding difficulties and oral dysfunction stems from my own experience with my children.

Hi! My name is Mel and I am a registered nurse/midwife and a proud mum to 3 beautiful children.

Ever since I was little I knew I wanted to help mum's with their babies. As I grew up I realised being a midwife was the best way I could do this. I completed my nursing qualification first before becoming a registered midwife over 12 years ago.

As much as I loved welcoming babies into this world, including my own, I realised there was a huge gap in support networks for families postnatally and that I really wanted to make a difference to help others avoid feeling the way I felt, back when I had my first baby.​

As a registered midwife and IBCLC,  I am passionate about empowering and helping families prepare for their new arrival and provide them with support, once they have welcomed their baby into this world. My special interest is in food intolerances/allergens in infants.
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Education:

(2007) Bachelor of Nursing ~ Murdoch University
(2008) Postgraduate Diploma in Midwifery ~ Curtin University of Technology
(2022) International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Examination
(2023) 28 Hour Foundation Course in Orofacial Myology - The Autralian Orofacial Myology Collaboration
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