WITH MARCELLA KING FROM THE BABY HUB HK

Welcome to this month’s "Meet the Expert" feature, where I introduce you to Marcella King, the founder of The Baby Hub HK. As a specialist in the postnatal care industry myself, I understand the importance of seeking support in various specialized areas when needed, which is why I advocate a holistic approach. It’s no surprise that I often refer my clients to other industry specialists for additional expertise outside of my scope.

Marcella has provided invaluable support to countless families, including mine, during the early days with newborns. Her practical advice and constant reassurance make her a wonderful resource. After every appointment with Marcella, I felt rejuvenated and hopeful. I highly recommend her services to anyone facing challenges with newborn feeding.

Join me as I interview Marcella to learn more about her journey, her background, and how she can support you. Discover where to find her and how she continues to make a difference in the lives of new parents.

PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

I grew up in a town called Naas in Co. Kildare, Ireland and always knew my path would be with children and families largely due to lots of early experiences being surrounded by both!. My weekend jobs always involved babysitting and then working at a Montessori school as a class assistant and subsequently training as a Montessori teacher for a year. That was followed by a two year stint nannying in Paris and there i decided to study Paediatric nursing in King’s College London. Graduation in 1998 I gained jobs as a newly qualified staff nurse in Paediatric A+E and in the medical and surgical ward settings in a London hospital before setting off to travel the world! Whilst travelling, I worked in Sydney, Australia at Ranwick’s Children’s hospital to further fund my travels and adventures.
On my return to London, I met my Kiwi husband Matt at a dance class, we learnt some dance moves and laughed a lot while we danced. Meeting someone that made me laugh as much as he did was a sign that he was something special and we then got married a few years later with a wedding in Ireland and then another celebration in New Zealand 6 months later. It was such good fun we had to do it twice!
Fast forward again several years later and two children later and we were looking for a new challenge in a new location. Matt had applied for a job teaching at an international school in Hong Kong. So we took the plunge and moved in 2014. Our daughter Abby was then age 4 and our son Charlie was age 2. It seemed like the perfect time to have an adventure whilst the kids were small and so off we went waving goodbye to close family, friends and colleagues.

I’D LOVE TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW THE BABY HUB HK WAS FORMED

Prior to moving, I had spent 10 years as a Paediatric Respiratory Nurse Specialist at the well known Royal Brompton Hospital in London. My work there supported families with chronic long-term respiratory conditions, including severe asthma and allergies, both in the home and also in the hospital setting. I loved my role and the multidisciplinary team and so I was in equal measures both sad and excited to embark on a new adventure.
After a period of getting everyone settled in Hong Kong, with Matt in his new job, Abby in kindy and then hiring our first and still to this day wonderful helper,Yeye, i started to look for options for me with my nursing in order for me to maintain my qualifications.
I started work part-time as a GP practice nurse at the then Island Health Discovery Bay (now Central Health DB) and after a time i took over their weekly baby clinic.
It was there that i met you Jade in your role as a concerned Mum to your two gorgeous kids and unbeknownst to all, the idea for Holistic Sleep Edit was beginning to form!
I also embraced a stint in the hospital system in Hong Kong at that time also and worked as a nurse consultant at Kwong Wah Hospital in Monkok where i helped develop nursing protocols for managing children with asthma and allergies and did some home visits for children with asthma in the New Territories.

Then in 2019 I became a Health Professional at PathFinders, a HK NGO where I am committed to supporting pregnant migrant mothers, who often due to visa limitations have no access to hospital care during their pregnancy.After their delivery we also try to ensure that their babies, receive the best start in life and offer support with feeding and education to new Mums around any issues they have. I’m part of an amazing team at PathFinders and feel very thankful to have the opportunity to support others in challenging situations.
During this time, I decided to further challenge myself and to become registered on the HK Nursing Council list.After many years of failing their very difficult exam I finally succeeded and became the 7th ever Paediatric Nurse from overseas to join the register in 2021. It was a moment of absolute pride that i finally succeeded and I was so happy that my kids witnessed my perseverance by not quitting!
My most recent role was as the founder of The Baby Hub HK in January 2023.
This grew out of our time spent at home during covid and through supporting some first time parent colleagues of Matt’s who had delivered their babies in incredibly difficult isolating times, far away from family and with no opportunity to travel and connect. As new parents they were needing support and had all the questions that new parents have and needed gentle, accurate and evidence based information around what was “normal” with their new babies. Doing the home visits I was reminded about how fulfilling it was to be with new parents in their own homes and how much reassurance it brought. It also meant that I could continue to support parents with their children as they reached other milestones as they grew and it was not just about a once off meeting but a relationship that grew over time as I gained parents' trust and we saw their babies' personalities developing and together found solutions to things that came up along the way. In the community where I live, in Discovery Bay, I often meet my families either in baby clinic or at the supermarket or bus stop and it really is a special connection knowing that I visited them with a 1 day old baby and they are now further along their parenting journey and are thriving!

PLEASE CAN YOU SHARE WITH ME THE MOST COMMON ISSUES MOTHERS FACE REGARDING FEEDING, AND WHY THEY MIGHT CONTACT YOU FOR SUPPORT

In my role as a Lactation Consultant I am often contacted by families who are often feeling totally shocked by the initial difficulties with establishing feeding. They are often exhausted and can be overwhelmed by fatigue and even physical pain from the delivery or managing a wound if they had a c section. Usually hormonal influences are a factor too and all families are usually in need of a friendly face offering practical, kind guidance and solutions as to what the issues are or tips on how to avoid potential future problems. This could be anything from having reassurance about whether the baby is latching on the breast correctly, whether the baby's poop is the correct colour and frequency or it could be how to correctly sterilise and make up a bottle. New Mothers often doubt themselves as to whether they are “doing it right” and my role is to be almost a cheerleader, always celebrating your efforts and validating that what is being done is great and that everyone is doing well.

WHEN SHOULD A MOTHER CONSIDER CONTACTING YOU – WHAT ARE THE KEY SIGNS THAT EXPERT SUPPORT IS NEEDED?

Contacting me for support sooner rather than later can “nip the problem in the bud” and stop several small issues snowballing into larger problems and thus avoid feelings of overwhelm. It’s so easy to spiral out and to hold all your anxieties about your newborn in your head where the problem can become so huge. I guess that it is true even for the rest of us in our day to day lives when we are all in this day and age juggling so many things. My honest view is that no question is a silly question and if it’s bothering you then you should come right out and ask it!

CAN A MOTHER PREPARE BEFORE HER BABY IS BORN IN ANY WAY TO ENSURE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF HEALTHY FEEDING PRACTICES?

Being ready to embrace the fact that in the early days a newborn will not be feeding to a strict schedule can be so helpful. The idea of demand feeding is challenging for some people to accept but in order to pace the increase and growth of a baby's tiny tummy with the Mother’s growing milk supply is one that can establish a fabulous healthy feeding practice later on. There are of course guidelines to follow but this tip is helpful for long term success.

IN YOUR OPINION HOW CAN FEEDING ENHANCE OR DISRUPT SLEEP QUALITY FOR A BABY?

Once again, strict scheduling or routines in the early days can have the reverse effect on feeding and sleep quality in small babies. Being aware of tiny babies hunger cues and sleep cues can be so helpful in anticipating your baby's needs especially as you get to know and fall in love with your baby.If you can begin to know the signs that your baby is hungry and tired then just like a good detective you can really avoid those meltdown moments when it’s likely that everyone could end up over-tired and upset and possibly in tears!

WHAT TOP THREE TAKEAWAY TIPS CAN YOU OFFER OUR READERS IF THEY ARE FACING FEEDING CHALLENGES IN THE EARLY STAGES?

1.I would recommend looking for support from your network and that includes your partner, family or a trusted professional for early guidance. Early access is key and can save a considerable loss of confidence.
2.Try not to put huge pressure on yourself. Feeding, especially breastfeeding, is often a marathon of a process and not a sprint so, slow and steady is often the best route.Be kind to yourself and be ready to embrace a change to what you perhaps thought feeding would look like.
3.Ask lots of questions from trusted sources!No question is a silly question and the answers can be variable depending on your personal circumstances and the temperament of your little one. It takes a village to raise a child as they say

PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR ROLE AND HOW TRANSFORMATIVE YOUR WORK CAN BE FOR THE MOTHERS AND BABIES THAT YOU WORK WITH.

The variety in my day is often immense! I absolutely love it as no visit is the same! At times my relationship can begin before the baby is born when I'll perhaps catch up over a coffee and get to know the parents before their little one even arrives. At other times it could be that I'm doing a zoom call while the family is in hospital and want my help establishing those very first few latches. It could also be when I assist parents with the first bath and help video it so that a special memory is captured. Watching people grow in confidence and getting to see their baby's personality emerge is incredibly satisfying so that they can all have some really special and fun times to counteract the tough times when the fatigue can be consuming.

AS A POSTNATAL CARE PROVIDER, WHAT OTHER AREAS OF EXPERT SUPPORT DO YOU OFTEN RECOMMEND TO YOUR CLIENTS AND WHY – IN WHAT SITUATIONS?

If i feel that a new Mother is really struggling with a low mood, I will without hesitation want her partner and often her GP to be aware so that we can plan for additional support. This comes from years of working with families and being a member of a great multi-disciplinary team at a family GP practice where we can offer multiple layers of support for varying reasons.

FINALLY, IF THERE IS ONE PARENTING TIP YOU CAN OFFER, FEEDING RELATED OR NOT, FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

My top tip is to be open minded to all possibilities and that your baby has needs that are unique to them. Not fixating on perfection can also be helpful and doing what is good enough can be just the thing to do and to get your through . Being kind to oneself and doing your best is all we can do as parents and one day that is exactly what we will tell our grown up children that when all is said and done that is what we tried to do!

Thank you so much, Marcella, for sharing your journey with us. If you're considering support in this area, please don't hesitate to reach out to her through her website https://thebabyhubhk.com/

THE SLEEP DIARIES: EDITION FIVE