Mary Dowswell​

Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Registered Nurse & Midwife | Camden & Bowral

Mary is a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife with 41 years of clinical nursing experience. Her focus is infant feeding and oral function, pregnancy and postpartum care, and child and family care, with particular interest in tongue-tie, oral ties, and complex feeding presentations. Mary was drawn to her profession through a love of babies and families.

Qualifications & registrations

  • General Nursing, Midwifery, Neonatal Intensive Care
  • Intensive Lactation Course
  • Child and Family Health
  • Resus4Kids Training
  • Master of Nursing Education/Critical Care
  • Registered with AHPRA (Nurse: NMW0001087418; Midwife: NMW0001087419)
  • Member, LCANZ, ILCA and ASTOT
  • 41 years of clinical nursing experience
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Additional Training

Recent professional development: Untying Ankyloglossia: The Impact on Infants and Children (2023), multiple tongue-tie webinars and courses (Hazelbaker, GOLD Lactation), sleep and settling course, ASTOT conference, Dr Richard Baxter seminars, and regular LCANZ seminars on feeding, lactation and maternal care.

What Mary helps with

Mary supports families with feeding issues, breastfeeding concerns, unsettled babies, oral ties and oral assessment, expressing and supply concerns, post-procedure care (including post-frenectomy), latch difficulties, nipple pain, mastitis and blebs, sleep and settling, and developmental checks. She has particular experience with complex feeding presentations, including cardiac babies, premature babies, babies with NG tubes, and babies recently discharged from hospital, as well as pregnancy preparation for breastfeeding.

Mary's approach

“I listen, I let them tell their story, I let them decide what they want and need. I give them informed choice and support, and I don’t tell them what to do.”

A typical consultation with Mary starts with building rapport and taking a thorough history of both parent(s) and baby, followed by a top-to-toe assessment and a care plan developed together with the family. Mary describes her approach as thorough, patient, and consistent — she doesn’t rush, welcomes questions, and explains things clearly, while keeping things light along the way.

Mary works closely with osteopathy at Completely Aligned, particularly for post-frenectomy care.

health Fund Rebates

Please check with your individual fund regarding your coverage and eligibility for a health fund rebate for lactation consultation.
Provider Numbers:
HCF: 00310733
Medibank Private: A116328
NIB: 10251324
AHM: 21215619
BUPA: N000098
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FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

This is one of the most common worries Mary hears from parents. Her role is to help you understand what’s going on for you and your baby, without judgement, and to support you in finding what works.

Mary assesses tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) as part of feeding consultations and can guide you through any restrictions, referral for release if needed, and post-procedure care.

These are common feeding questions Mary works through with families as part of a full feeding assessment.

Latch difficulties are one of the most frequent reasons families see Mary — she’ll assess positioning, attachment and any oral factors that might be contributing.

“That I am able to support you in whatever is going on with yourself and your baby, no matter how big or small, and that I will always refer to the most appropriate other provider according to my assessment and discussion with the family.”

Mary enjoys reading (mystery, thriller, forensic), cooking, spending time with her fur babies, picnics, and family time with her husband and children. She loves bouncing on the trampoline, going for walks, a good sticky chai, and making things from scratch — her own baking recipes, kombucha, and candles.

Mary has never been to Ikea.

Kiama