About our team
A team of passionate, experienced practitioners united by a commitment to evidence-based care, genuine support, and the belief that every family deserves to feel informed, confident, and well looked after.
"Women and their families deserve empathy, information, and nurturing support as they navigate this life-changing transition."
Felicity's journey into midwifery began after the challenging birth of her first child, one of four. Having spent time as a primary school teacher in Australia and the UK, she followed her passion into midwifery, completing a Bachelor of Midwifery at the University of Technology Sydney and training at Royal North Shore Hospital before working as a midwife at Westmead Hospital.
She went on to achieve her lifelong goal of becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in private practice in Sydney and, more recently, became an endorsed midwife offering Medicare rebates up to 8 weeks postpartum. She founded Motherhood Matters to support parents in building confidence and tuning out the noise, whether it is their first or fifth time becoming a parent.
Felicity collaborated with the University of Technology Sydney to create and deliver the first standalone breastfeeding subject ever offered within a Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma of Midwifery program in Australia. She also founded the Motherhood Matters Pathway 3 Mentoring Program and the 95 Hour Advanced Lactation Education Course.
Award for Excellence in Lactation Care
Inaugural award, first recipient. Presented by the Lactation Consultants Association of Australia and New Zealand.
When everyone says it's fine but you know it isn't
I know what it feels like to watch other mothers feed their babies effortlessly while you sit in agony wondering what is wrong with you. To be told it is your nipples, your sensitivity, your anxiety, your milk — and to start to believe it. To wonder if you are the problem. To begin to dread feeding your beautiful baby. To feel like you are failing when you are not failing at all.
Three of my four children struggled to feed. One was very unwell for a long time while I searched for answers that kept being dismissed. One never slept — waking fifteen to twenty times a night — until she was seven years old, when the real reason was finally found and addressed. A year of feeding one baby in near-constant pain. Years of being told everything was fine when it was not.
I did not leave a stone unturned. I trained, and trained, and trained again — not because I wanted a qualification, but because I needed to understand what was happening to my children. That search took twenty years and led me here.
I see my own experience in the families who come to me. The ones who know something is wrong but cannot get anyone to listen. The ones who are exhausted, dismissed, and quietly falling apart while being told their baby is thriving. I want to offer them what nobody offered me — someone who believes them, who looks properly, and who does not stop until they find the answer. That is why I do this work.
With many years of experience in public health and community development, Elle has had the privilege of working with mothers from all kinds of backgrounds. She lived in South Africa for 14 years, where she ran an early childhood health and development course with mothers in disadvantaged communities.
After recognising the real needs mothers have for comprehensive breastfeeding support, she began her lactation training in a government maternity hospital in South Africa in 2021. Since returning to Sydney in 2022, Elle has trained with Felicity and significantly broadened her knowledge base while qualifying as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
Even before becoming a mother of three herself, Elle has been driven by a passion for maternal and child health. She loves coming alongside women in this incredible and often challenging stage of life and helping them and their children to flourish.
"I love coming alongside women in this most incredible and often challenging stage of life and helping them and their children to flourish."
Leonie is a compassionate and experienced parenting expert who truly understands the challenges families face. With three children of her own and a career spanning roles in a Mother and Baby Mental Health Unit, the Education Department, Child Protection, and Disability Forums, she brings a well-rounded perspective to family support.
Her kind, patient, and consistent approach helps families navigate the early years from pregnancy through to age four. She specialises in breastfeeding, bottle feeding, sleep and settling, and child behaviours, offering practical, evidence-based tools along the way.
Leonie also has expertise in oral dysfunction of infants and can identify issues like tongue tie and lip tie, guiding families through the right course of action. She brings a calm, resilient approach to every family she works with, grounded in a deep commitment to their wellbeing.
When she is not supporting families, Leonie enjoys reading, puzzles, yoga, swimming, walking, and camping.
"A calm, resilient approach to family support, with a wealth of knowledge in child development and a deep commitment to the wellbeing of every family."
More practitioners joining soon
We are excited to be welcoming new practitioners to the Motherhood Matters team. Watch this space.
Amy Chimbetete
Home visits in Perth, Western Australia.
Rose Casey
Clinic and home visits in Winston Hills, Hills District and Western Suburbs.
Another new team member joining the Motherhood Matters family.