Who We Are

Read about the team members, their specialisms and how we can best support you in your parenting journey

Since 2002 The Family Zone has been helping families in Hong Kong navigate the journey of parenthood in both ante and postnatal capabilities. We now have a strong team covering a multitude of areas to ensure we can help you and your family through each exciting new stage.

Dr. Michelle Ng

Director, Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Postpartum Doula, First Aid & CPR Instructor, Accredited Tongue-Tie Assessor

MBBS BSc (Psychology) (Lond), IBCLC, CPD

Michelle is a British-qualified and registered medical doctor. In addition she is:

An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
A Certified Lactation Counsellor (Childbirth International).
A Certified Postpartum Doula (Childbirth International).
A First Aid & CPR Instructor (Nuco Training Ltd.)
Accredited Tongue-Tie Assessor (Infant Feeding Academy UK).
Accredited Practitioner with the Foundation of Infant Loss Training UK.

Michelle became a first-time mother in the summer of 2020, and it was through her own struggles with breastfeeding that she became passionate about supporting and empowering mothers in their breastfeeding journeys. She is especially interested in the relationship between breastfeeding and postpartum well-being.

For the last decade, Michelle has been a UK educational consultant and academic tutor specialising in boarding school and medical school entrance. She also brings her extensive experience as a mentor and former board member (2013-2024) of the KELY Support Group, a Hong Kong charity that aims to equip young people with the skills to support themselves and achieve their full potential. In addition to this, she is a freelance lifestyle and medical journalism writer.

Hugo Busbridge

Director, workshop instructor, dad support services

BA Hons, PGCE

Hugo 'wears many hats' as a professional in Hong Kong. Whilst being a full-time secondary school teacher at international schools in Hong Kong, he took over the directorship of The Family Zone with his wife Michelle. His role primarily revolves around business operations, media management, promotions and client support. However he also deploys his extensive skills as a classroom teacher to the workshops that we run, helping to create memorable and lasting learning experiences for all the participants. He also heads up our dad-support services and hosts our monthly dad workshop: 'Hold My Beer Baby'. Hugo's ambition is to build a strong and broad-reaching support network for dads-to-be and dads-that-are which will help dads to navigate, in a no nonsense way, their progression into fatherhood.

Vicki Marks

Certified Midwife & Lactation Consultant, IBCLC

Vicki is a UK and Hong Kong Registered Midwife with over 20 years experience across the NHS and a mum of three. She believes in providing evidence based, high quality, friendly care throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period. Before moving to Hong Kong, Vicki was a community midwife in the UK looking after a caseload of women throughout their pregnancies, during labour and birth in both hospital and home setting in the Wirral and Greater Manchester area.

Vicki loves all aspects of midwifery but especially loves helping new mums' in the postnatal period. Since obtaining her registration in Hong Kong, Vicki has worked for Familyzone, Matilda International hospital community team, and is now running Mum's The Word HK that was founded by midwife Melanie Clough. Having had three young children under the age of 4, living in Melbourne with very little support, Vicki understands just how important support and reassurance in the postnatal period is.

Kierstin Pennington

Lactation Consultant, IBCLC

Kierstin is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Certified Clinical Lactationist from the U.S. and a mother of two young kids. Overcoming obstacles in her own breastfeeding journey led her on a path of wanting to pursue the highest certification in lactation.

As an IBCLC, she has a wealth of knowledge and experience with latch difficulties, weight gain concerns, tongue tie, low milk supply, oversupply, mastitis, and more.

Kierstin is passionate about supporting families through education and empowering them to achieve their own breastfeeding goals.

Gemma Fisk

Sleep Consultant

Adult Sleep Coach (IPHI) CBT-insomnia (PESI)
Infant Sleep Coach (Sleep Nanny Academy)

Gemma is a Certified Infant and Adult Sleep Consultant based in Hong Kong. She believes in a holistic and science based approach to help adults and our children to sleep better.

As a mother of two and the wife of a cargo pilot, she is also witness to the complications of disturbed sleep of someone who has irregular working hours and sleeping patterns. This has been a huge drive to begin the journey of a sleep coach and specialist in chronic insomnia.