Our Child Health & Pregnancy Team

At Embrace Life we have the unique expertise of a Child Health Nurse and Lactation Consultant, plus the services of midwives in our Child Health Clinic and centre.

  • Sharon Armstrong – Child Health Nurse & Lactation Consultant

    Qualifications:

    Dip Applied Science Nursing, Masters of Nursing, BSc (Hons) Public Health (Health Visiting), IBCLC.

    Techniques:

    Working with parents and babies to develop confident happy families, supporting breastfeeding, sleep and behaviour.

    Passion:

    I spent my adolescence babysitting and working with families, from this I have travelled the world working as a nanny and nursing with families from all walks of life. My greatest joy comes from seeing families discover the love of parenting and growing happy children.

    What can Sharon help you with?

    • Sleep and settling of your baby or toddler
    • Feeding: breast, bottle or solids
    • Child behaviour: toddler tantrums, toilet training
    • Growth and development screening
    • Parenting support and education

  • Barbara Hastie – Registered Midwife, Registered Nurse

    Qualifications:

    Registered Midwife, Registered Nurse, ICU Certificate, Certificate IV Workplace Assessment and Training.

    Techniques:

    Working with parents and babies to develop confident happy families

    Passion:

    I am thrilled to be returning to Embrace Life assisting, supporting parents and their infants in the drop in Child Health Clinic. I have returned to Queensland. Doing PT at 5 am at minus 6 c or at 42 c at 4 pm was tough in rural NSW these past 5 years.

    I am a mother of two incredible young adults and now a grand mother of four. I love watching how my children are embracing parenting and the challenges they present. I have two rather special dogs Baillee a cocker spaniel and little rescue boy Charlie, a papillon. I enjoy the many doggie walks along the waterfronts of Moreton Bay.

    Past community experiences include the setting up a Neighbourhood Centre and many supportive community services such as a DV Resource Centre, emergency housing and emergency relief funds, 60 & Better programmes and job search training for disadvantaged youth/women. I was involved in setting up a Team Midwifery care at Redcliffe Hospital in 2006. I was a private practicing midwife 2007-14 from Brisbane Valley to North Brisbane gaining eligibility as an endorsed midwife.

    Being able to support parents without judgement, offering wisdom and experience as a nurse/midwife in a wholistic way empowering families without judgement is important to me. I subscribe to attachment parenting and the Circle of Security philosophies. I support parents becoming informed in making choices that will enhance their child’s growth and development. Natural Therapies being an aspect of the wholistic approach to parenting and well-being.

    Being a new parent can be a challenge in the early days. Getting to know your baby, the many feeding options you have and ways of settling an infant. Enabling parents’ space to ask questions and feel listened to and then knowing they are not alone is essential for healthy parenting.

  • Sophie Falkenhagen – Child Health Clinic Midwife & Lactation Consultant

    Qualifications:

    BaNurs/BaMid, Dip Youth Work, EpiQ Tr Critical Care, IBCLC

    Passion:

    Sophie has been a member of our Child Health team as a Midwife for 7 years and is passionate about family focused health care. She believes that maternal instinct is worth its weight in gold and strives to support families in achieving their vision of contentment and happiness. In 2022, Sophie qualified as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

    When Sophie isn’t at the clinic as a Midwife, Sophie is also Registered Nurse, providing support for young Mums.