What qualifications and experience does Clare Meynell have?

Updated

Clare Meynell is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) with over 20 years of certification, a retired registered midwife with more than 20 years of integrated midwifery experience, and a state registered nurse. She has also served as Co-Ordinator of Lactation Consultants of Great Britain for two years and is a La Leche League Peer Support Trainer. If you are looking for breastfeeding support from someone with both clinical training and lived experience, her background covers both.

Professional qualifications

Qualification Details
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) Certified for over 20 years; the international qualification must be recertified every 5 years to ensure up-to-date, evidence-based practice
Registered Midwife Retired; worked as an integrated midwife for more than 20 years, supporting women and babies immediately after birth
State Registered Nurse Listed among her qualifications
La Leche League Peer Support Trainer Trained to support peer breastfeeding counsellors
Co-Ordinator of Lactation Consultants of Great Britain Held the role for two years

She also states that she is insured, and that any information shared with her is strictly confidential.

Experience supporting families

Beyond her formal qualifications, Clare describes years of hands-on work with families as a children's nurse and midwife. She says she has helped countless families with their babies, and that her own three breastfeeding experiences mean she has "been where you are" and can pass on both knowledge and personal experience.

The support she offers covers areas such as:

  • Ante-natal preparation and birth plans
  • Tongue tie diagnosis
  • Post-natal support
  • Anxiety reassurance
  • Baby sleep reality

Policy and advocacy work

Clare attended the first international breastfeeding conference, which she says set her vision — together with three other colleagues — on improving UK policies that support families, especially mothers, using the WBTi assessment tool. The first report was published in 2016.

What this means for you

If you want to check whether Clare is the right person to help with a specific breastfeeding concern, her IBCLC credential is the key marker: it is an international qualification that requires recertification every five years, so it reflects current evidence-based practice. Her midwifery and nursing background means she can also speak to birth-related and post-natal questions, not only feeding technique.

You can find more about her services and get in touch through the Honeysuckle Cafe website.