Meet Dr Ali Hodgkinson
I am a mother of twins and a specialist general practitioner with a passion for all things women’s health, fertility and child health.
My clinical practice focuses on providing personalised, sensitive care to women and families from preconception, through pregnancy to the postpartum period and beyond.
I am privileged to assist families from the very beginning of their parenting journey with pregnancy planning and fertility assessments. Having my own lived experience of infertility, I appreciate the physical and mental toll that trying to conceive can have on prospective parents. I work with Genea Fertility supporting patients as they navigate the unique challenges of their fertility journey.
I support families with breastfeeding, baby sleep and cry-fuss problems as an NDC practitioner. My keen interest in breastfeeding medicine has led me to train to become an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant. I invite you to read more about my approach below.
Dr Eliza and Dr Ali at Nurtured Medical
Qualifications
BMedSc, MBBS, DCH, FRACGP, NDC Accredited
I became a fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in 2017, after graduating from the University of Notre Dame, Sydney and undertaking placements all over Australia including Alice Springs and Darwin.
I have completed additional training reflecting my focus of practice, including a Diploma of Child Health from the University of Sydney and Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health with Family Planning NSW. I am qualified to perform Implanon insertions and removals, IUD removals and I am registered to provide antenatal shared care through The Royal Hospital for Women.
I am an accredited Neuroprotective Developmental Care Practitioner with The NDC Institute (formerly ‘Possum’s & Co’) offering evidence-based support for infant sleep, settling and feeding challenges. The Possum’s programs support maternal mental health whilst promoting secure psychological attachment and infant neurodevelopment.
Currently, I am undertaking accreditation to become an International Board-Certified lactation Consultant through the mentorship pathway with my esteemed colleague Dr Eliza Hannam. Dr Eliza is a GP, IBCLC and NDC Practitioner. Dr Eliza and I work together at Nurtured Medical. We offer families feeding and sleep support and limited GP appointments at our practices in Annandale and Avalon, via Telehealth and in the comfort of your home.
My approach follows the evidence-based Neuroprotective Developmental Care Principles, understanding infant neuroscience, evolutionary biology and responsive parenting or ‘cued care.’ Neuroprotective Developmental Care resonated with me on a personal and professional level, aligning with my values as both a mother and a clinician. With this approach I am able to offer a truely gentle alternative to sleep training to help parents overcome the sleep and settling challenges that they may face in early parenthood.
The NDC approach of ‘Gestalt Breastfeeding’ principles, allows me to offer comprehensive and holistic lactation support for mothers and babies. I enjoy helping mother’s achieve their feeding goals through supportive and realistic advice and care.
Recognising that every baby has a unique temperament and needs, and each family has different goals and values, finding workable solutions is a process of discovery and not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. My goal is to empower families with evidence- based information and options, so they can experiment and find what works for their family unit and relax into enjoying their new baby.