Much of that is a distant memory for the expert lactation consultant, and midwife, who has helped thousands of women in her four decade-long career in Tamworth.

After raising three kids and being the go-to girl for thousands of mothers through her trailblazing work, Mrs Ryan and her husband, Dr Nick Ryan, are leaving town for Orange.

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"We'll be closer to family, which is always lovely and we're young enough to go and make some new friends," she told the Leader.

"We'll see how it all pans out but we're excited to embark on this new adventure."

Mrs Ryan worked on a farm out the back of Dungowan, before taking a job as a midwife, and eventually trained as a lactation expert.

"Well I met this guy at the hospital, and then we got married, and Nick was working between here and Newcastle when we got married in 1987, and we just stayed on," she said.

A lifetime of memories will move with the couple, and Mrs Ryan said some highlights from the decades spent in Tamworth included raising her kids and working with local ladies and babies from all walks of life.

"It's really fulfilling looking after people in the local community - watching women birth and become mothers and then watching them become grandmothers, that's been very exciting,: she said.

"The Tamworth community is a great community to raise a family and the community really gives back."

Mrs Ryan said breastmilk is "liquid gold" and going on the feeding journey with local women had been special.

"I think it still needs championing, I think that society probably doesn't give enough support for women," she said.

"There is still a lot of work to do there but I do think supporting women to transfer to motherhood and supoprt their breastfeeding goals is something that they really appreciate."

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