Kia ora, I’m Dr Sophie Mace
I’m a General Practitioner and Lactation Consultant (GP/LC) in Nelson/Tasman with a passion for helping babies and their parents thrive in the early years of life.
Difficulties with feeding, sleep deprivation, and unsettled infant behaviour (crying and fussing) can all work to undermine your confidence and intuition as a parent, and I want to change that.
So what do I know, anyway?
Formal qualifications:
Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB)
Post-graduate Diploma of Obstetrics and Medical Gynaecology (PGDipOMG)
Fellowship of the Royal NZ College of General Practitioners (FRNZCGP)
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
Further training
Neuroprotective Developmental Care - Accreditation & working towards Fellowship
Holistic Sleep Training (mini professional course)
NCAST Parent & Child Interactions Feeding and Teaching, and Newborn Observations (infant mental health)
Perinatal Training Centre - Perinatal & Infant Mental Health Intensive Training
I also regularly attend breastfeeding and sleep-related conferences and keep up to date through peer review, webinars, and other online training.
Professional Affiliations:
Medical Council of NZ
Royal NZ College of General Practitioners
Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
Infant Mental Health Association Aotearoa New Zealand
RNZCGP Breastfeeding Peer group
NZ Lactation Consultants Association
Other:
Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Aotearoa - Clinical Advisory Committee
Neuroprotective Developmental Care / Possum’s - Education and Fellowship committees
Nelson Marlborough District Health Board - Hei Pa Harakeke - First 1000 Days clinical and strategic groups
South Island Alliance - Te Pa Harakeke - First 1000 Days strategic & guideline development group
Te Waipounamu Child Health Alliance, primary care representative
Nicky Cooper trained as a Nurse in 1991 in the UK, where she worked in critical care before emigrating to New Zealand in 2004. Here she met her husband (a 4th generation farmer) and had three sons.
While working in Murchison as a Rural Nurse Specialist, she singlehandedly created a wraparound service for perinatal and child health, caring for the whānau of children aged 0-18.
Nicky and her family now live in Tasman, where she works in vulnerable population health at Te Whatu Ora. She passionately advocates for infant/parental health, working upstream within the first 1000 days of life.
Nicky is a trained facilitator in the Circle of Security and Incredible Years programs and has training in infant mental health (Parent-Child Interaction (PCI) Feeding & Training). She is currently studying Neuroprotective Developmental Care (Possums). In addition, Nicky is an accredited professional life coach with ANZCAL (Australia and New Zealand Coaching Alliance).
