Meet Our Experts

NCT Experts

Our Ask the Experts Section is run by a knowledgable and dedicated team who have years of experience in helping new parents through the transition to parenthood, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

 Jane Saville has been a Breastfeeding Counsellor for two and half years. In that time she has
been involved with the NCT Breastfeeding Line, teaching antenatal classes, and more
recently postnatal sessions and weaning classes. She is also a peer support trainer and delivers classes locally for the NHS.

Heather Neil has been a NCT breastfeeding counsellor and tutor, training other women to be
breastfeeding counsellors for many years. One of her special interests is in helping mothers
realise how valuable and rewarding breastfeeding can be to their relationship with the baby,
and in building mothers' confidence in their ability to breastfeed their babies for as long as they
wish. She has written a number of NCT materials on infant feeding and postnatal mental
health.
Clare Charlton is an NCT antenatal teacher based in the Midlands who has taught in many parts of the UK. She has 3 children, 2 of whom were born at home.  She has been involved in running Home Birth Workshops for her local NCT branch, is particularly interested in supporting normality and encouraging women and their birth partners to find the time and space for making decisions that are right for them. Clare also has experience in occupational safety & health and public health issues.
Nadia Higson has been teaching antenatal classes for the NCT for around ten years. She has a doctorate in biochemistry, and particularly enjoys researching the scientific evidence around birth and childcare. She lives in South East England and has two teenage sons.

Kirstie Blackwall is an NCT antenatal teacher living in Wiltshire. Since moving to this area in early 2009, she has been actively involved in working with health professionals in the area to improve both local maternity services and antenatal education.