Expert Paediatric Dietitian

Fuelling Little Futures.

“I understand that navigating infant and child nutrition can feel like a minefield. In my clinical roles I have supported hundreds of families to gain confidence in feeding and nourishing their little ones.”
— Little Nutrition

Meet Ailsa

As a Paediatric Dietitian with 14 years of clinical experience I understand the importance of good nutrition for our little ones. It is an essential part of their health, growth and development. Nutrition can also be key to managing problems such as tummy pain, toileting trouble and fussy eating. As a mum of 2 I understand the challenges of managing our little one’s diets, symptoms and navigating all the ‘nutrition noise.’

My clinical approach is supportive, non-judgemental and always evidence-based. You can find out more about why you should ‘Trust a Dietitian’ here.

And you can learn more about my qualifications and experience here.

Ailsa McHardy BSc (Hons), AFHEA, RD

Fuelling Little Futures.

  • I went to Ailsa for support with weaning my baby who has eczema - she gave me the info, ideas and confidence to introduce allergens and progress with weaning generally. Worth every penny!

    Niamh, Mum, Northern Ireland

  • Ailsa has a friendly, down to earth and professional approach which was invaluable when I was a new Mum working out what to feed my baby. She gave sensible, practical and evidence-based advice which was reassuring and realistic, and explained the principles behind her recommendations, which I appreciated. Ailsa gave me the tools and resources to navigate the world of baby and infant nutrition - as a new Mum I was hugely grateful for this. Thank you!

    Mrs A, New Mum, Brighton

  • As a first time Mum, having a premature baby with feeding difficulties and tongue-tie was incredibly stressful and worrying. Ailsa gave me the support, reassurance and advice I needed to navigate those very difficult newborn weeks. Her advice on bottle feeding and expressing was key to ensuring our baby was getting the nutrition he needed. When he was strong enough to transition from bottle feeding to exclusive breastfeeding Ailsa guided me through this process. She was professional throughout, her knowledge and expertise filled me with confidence. She was incredibly kind and supportive at an anxious and emotionally challenging time. We will forever be grateful for her guidance, which has helped us to have a happy and thriving baby.

    Mrs N, New Mum, Bath

  • Ailsa helped us so much with weaning our baby with CMPA. I really wanted my daughter to experience as many foods as possible but was extremely nervous introducing anything new, especially allergens, after some bad reactions. Ailsa gave us the confidence to go ahead and trial foods with her, and held our hands through the initial process by suggesting healthy alternatives and ways to introduce new foods. Our daughter now loves food and we couldn’t be more grateful to Ailsa for the support and advice at what was a very nerve wracking time for us. We were referred to an allergy clinic at the children’s hospital and they commented on the great advice we had been given by Ailsa, and discharged us. We have been so grateful for Ailsa and would highly recommend her. Thank you!

    Fiona, New Mum, Aberdeen

  • I went to Ailsa on a few occasions for reassurance that my child’s plant based diet was adequate. She was friendly, professional, reassuring and incredibly knowledgeable. I wouldn’t hesitate to use her services again if needs be and also recommend to anyone looking for support.

    Ms G, Plant-Based Mum, London

  • Ailsa’s invaluable advice made the start of our weaning journey enjoyable and stress free. Our wee boy struggled with reflux, spitting up after every feed. He struggled to gain weight with the added pressure of being low birth weight. Ailsa’s support provided us with the knowledge and confidence to begin weaning our little one at 17 weeks and after the first month he has gained an amazing 3lb. Thanks to Ailsa’s advice we can now relax and continue our weaning journey knowing that our baby is healthy, and happily enjoying nutritious foods.

    Claire P, New Mum, Aberdeenshire

We can help with …

    • Growth concerns

    • Suspected allergies

    • Breastfeeding and formula feeding

    • Early weaning

    • General weaning support

    • Weaning with allergies

    • Plant-based weaning

  • Item description

    • Suspected food allergy/intolerance

    • Confirmedfood allergy/intolerance

    • Eating well for children with allergies

    • Allergen reintroduction (eg. the Milk Ladder)

    • Plant-based weaning

    • Plant-based children and families

    • Moving towards more plant-based

    • Limited diets

    • Mealtime stress

    • Nutritional concerns

Fuelling Little Futures.

The ‘Little Nutrition’ package

  • This package includes an initial appointment, a review appointment and optional email contact between times. Further reviews can be added on as needed. This package is perfect for addressing concerns about food allergy/intolerance, growth, fussy eating, tummy symptoms and nutritional deficiencies. You can find out more about what appointments and packages involve here.

  • The fee for this package is £195

The ‘Little Wean’ package

  • This package has been perfectly planned to support you with getting weaning off to the best possible start. It includes an initial appointment, 2 x review appointments and the option of email contact between times. You can find out more about what each appointment involves here.

    'Little Wean' is tailored to exactly what you need but can include:

    • When to start weaning

    • Baby-led or spoon-fed?

    • Introducing allergens

    • Weaning with allergies

    • Progressing with textures

    • Growth concerns during weaning

    • Weaning babies born prematurely

    • Weaning with reflux

  • The fee for this package is £265

The ‘Little Green’ package

  • 'Little Green' is our inclusive, plant-focussed package for children and their families. It is the ideal fit for those who either follow a plant-based diet, or those looking to move towards a more plant-based approach. It includes an initial assessment appointment and 1 review - you can find out more about what these appointments involve here. Additional reviews can be added as needed.

    This package helps to equip parents with the knowledge and tools to feel complete confidence in the approach they choose to take. It is tailored to suit exactly what you need but can include:

    • Specific nutrients to focus on

    • Supplementation guidance

    • Optimising growth

    • Meal and snack planning

    • Product suggestions

    • Supporting confidence in your chosen approach - how to manage unsolicited opinions!

  • The fee for this package is £195

FAQs

  • We have a range of appointment packages to suit different needs - you can find out more here.

  • The first appointment we have will last around an hour - this gives us lots of time to go through things in lots of detail and put together a specific plan for you and your little one. Review appointments take around 30-45 minutes.

  • I don’t currently work directly with health insurance companies. Some insurers will reimburse clients for the appointment cost if you send them your invoice but check with your insurer in advance.

  • It is up to you. Some families choose to have their child present at the appointment. It is always lovely to meet your little ones, but some quiet and space to talk through the challenges you are having can also be helpful. So, I leave this decision in your capable hands!

  • I have extensive experience working in paediatric allergy and can diagnose non-IgE allergies based on clinical history. Other types of allergy may require allergy testing - if this is the case I will contact your child’s GP to help get this arranged.

  • I regularly communicate with GPs to request tests and investigations. This might include things like Coeliac Screening, Skin-Prick Testing and assessment of iron levels.

  • I understand that when it comes to your child’s health, you don’t want to wait. I am generally to offer appointments to new patients within 2 weeks, and often even sooner than that.

. . 🤍 One of the questions that comes up in almost every clinic I do is “could these symptoms be due to a food allergy?” 👉 The answer is always ‘maybe.’ 👉 Food allergy is complex. Symptoms can vary very significantly betw
. . . 🍞 🥣 Ultraprocessed Foods 👉 If the constant noise has you worrying that all processed foods are ‘bad’ and should be avoided … 🤍 Then here is your reminder from a Paediatric Dietitian that processed foods are not created