Hi, I’m Gayle
✢ I’m a writer, economist, lactation consultant, educator and researcher.
✢ My background is a little unusual. I’ve worked across corporate, charity, clinical and academic settings and that mix has shaped the way I think about life, breastfeeding and lactation science. I’m interested not just the biological and relational aspects of lactation, but in how research, policy and real life intersect for families and the professionals who support them.
✢ My work is shaped by experience across both finance and healthcare. My long career in investment banking in involved working on a trading floor and presenting internationally to hedge funds and corporate clients. Alongside deep analytical work, this role required communicating complex ideas clearly and confidently—often to large audiences.
I now bring this same clarity, structure and confidence to my writing, clinical, teaching and speaking work.
✢ Research and writing have always been at the core of my work. I spent many years writing, producing and communicating research in the finance sector.
✢ That experience continues to shape what I do today, particularly my writing work and interest in how we translate research into practice and communicate science in ways that are clear, thoughtful, and genuinely useful.
✢ I am an Editor with the Journal of Human Lactation, as well as a peer reviewer and published author. I’m an Editor with the Journal of Human Lactation, peer reviewer and published author.
✢ I’m an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) working both privately and within the NHS, supporting families with a wide range of breastfeeding challenges. Working directly with parents keeps everything grounded. It reminds me every day that behind every research paper, guideline or policy decision is a real family trying to feed their baby.
✢ Alongside clinical practice, I teach healthcare professionals around the world about breastfeeding and human lactation as an Associate Fellow and Tutor at the Centre for Breastfeeding Education and Research.
Today my work includes
I work across healthcare and organisational settings to improve how families are supported during early parenthood.
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I write for both professional and public audiences and contribute editorially to ensure information is accurate, evidence-based, and accessible.
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I provide evidence-based, compassionate support to families navigating infant feeding, grounded in both clinical expertise and evidence-informed practice.
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I work with organisations to design and deliver effective lactation support for employees, balancing individual needs with organisational realities.
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I deliver teaching and continuing professional development across healthcare and workplace settings, translating evidence into practical, usable knowledge.
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I contribute to and collaborate on lactation research, insights and knowledge transformation. I am also a regular peer reviewer for lactation journals.
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I support practitioners to strengthen their clinical practice, including developing confidence in writing and publishing. Alongside this, I work with researchers and academics to bring their work closer to real-world care, helping bridge the gap between evidence and practice.
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I speak at conferences and professional events on infant feeding and how systems can better support families.
Experience Across Community, Healthcare and Organisations
My work within the charity sector supporting community breastfeeding programmes. This experience highlighted the importance of accessible support networks for families and the role of community organisations in improving breastfeeding outcomes.
Combined with my clinical work and research interests, this experience has shaped my approach to strengthening breastfeeding support across healthcare systems, communities and workplaces.
