One-in-three women in Ireland miscarries a pregnancy, yet it is something that isn’t always spoken about openly.  Here, three people share their raw and real experiences… Karen, Dublin, 40 I got pregnant on my honeymoon. I was 37 and I had wanted to have a child for a long time so I was delighted. But […]

4 years ago

Troublesome times.

8 years ago

Nikki Walsh is a writer and editor with a passion for what makes us tick. She lives in Dublin with her husband, her son and a heap of books, mostly on psychology. So, what do Irish women really think about motherhood? Nikki collects experiences and rants from women across the country: Molly’s story: “No one told me […]

8 years ago

“I could not have asked for a better support team.”

9 years ago

Nikki Walsh brings us more rants from the regions. This week she chats to Ciara, 33, from Dublin.  “The other day I met a friend of mine who has just had her first baby. The labour was quick, the baby – a boy – is healthy, and breastfeeding has been easy. In other words, she’s off to […]

9 years ago

Ireland has the lowest numbers of breastfeeding women in the world. By six months, only one per cent of Irish women are exclusively breastfeeding. Nikki Walsh talks to five mothers, who all ended their breastfeeding relationships before they wanted to, about what went wrong. Ciara, 31 “I didn’t know much about breastfeeding; I just knew it […]

10 years ago

Nikki Walsh brings us more rants from the regions. She chatted to three mums who experienced low milk supply, and they told her in their own words about the challenges they encountered.  Rachel, 41 I wasn’t that fussed about breastfeeding – I came to motherhood late, and friends had already warned me not to get my […]

11 years ago

Nikki Walsh talks to three inspirational women who changed their careers after passions shifted and lifestyles changed after having children.  Aine, 31, Wexford My daughter was ten-months-old when I returned to live in Ireland following two years of living and working in Beijing, China. Unlike most mothers who have had a baby, I didn’t have […]

11 years ago

Mums, they are truly the best. Nikki Walsh chats to five women as they reflect on the wonderful things their own mums have instilled in them.  Lesley-Anne, 45, Cologne My mum was an incredible listener. She made me feel everything I had to say was precious and worth hearing. I think if I have one […]

11 years ago

What happens when the credit-crunched decamp to their in-laws? Nikki Walsh talks to a new generation of women playing a different kind of house. Karen, 39, Dublin Living with my mother-in-law wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when baby number two came along, but like most young Irish people up-and-down the country in our age […]

11 years ago

Does your job fit your life? More and more new mothers are wondering how they can sidestep into a flexible and fulfilling new career, without retraining. Nikki Walsh asks career experts and smart mums for pointers. 1. Network If you consider that 50 per cent of Irish jobs are gained through the use of a […]

11 years ago

Too much to do, and not enough time to do it? 5 Amazonian mothers tell us how they get stuff done. 1. Focus Managing your time effectively takes forward planning and smart thinking. That doesn’t always mean multi-tasking: according to the experts true productivity is about focus. So find out what your chief distractions are […]

11 years ago

What gems of advice do our mothers have for us, if we could only bring ourselves to listen to them? We asked six much-loved mothers and grandmothers for their hard-earned insights on parenting. Here are their responses… Teresa, 62, is the mother of four children and the grandmother of nine “Be in the present. It’s the […]

11 years ago

Irish men have never been more involved in day-to-day parenting. And since the Mancession, more and more of them are at home with their children. But despite a seismic shift in attitudes, there are still some women who feel they are parenting alone. We hear their stories and ask is old Ireland alive and well? […]

11 years ago

In this week’s Rants from the Regions our columnist, Nikki Walsh offers her tips for toddler clinginess. 1. Practice acceptance Rather than thinking you’ve done something wrong in your parenting approach, accept your toddler’s clinginess as a facet of his personality and as age-appropriate behaviour. This frees you up to enjoy him for who he […]

11 years ago

Nothing prepared me for the physicality of motherhood, says Sinead, 42, mother of Fin. I knew about the lack of sleep, but no one ever told me about all that trekking about with the buggy, the endless chasing after toddlers, the walks home with a three year old on your back. That’s before you’ve mopped the […]

11 years ago

Why is it so hard to meet other mothers? Asks Sarah, 29. “I made so many new friends,” other mothers said to me, when they had their babies. “It really opens up your world.” Two years on, I have met a small number of mothers, but I don’t see anyone regularly. I have tried. Almost every […]

11 years ago

Parenting strategies don’t work. Why? Because mothering is an art, not a science, says Karen, 34. I don’t believe in parenting strategies. Nor do I believe in parenting experts. I’m a scientist and after a year at home with a baby I know that there is no objective way of knowing if a certain approach […]

11 years ago

Nikki Walsh brings us more rants from the regions. This week she chats to three mums who decided to become stay-at-home mothers.   Lucy, 38 If you had told me when I was pregnant that I would end up at home with my son, I would have been so shocked. I have always been very driven […]

11 years ago

Nikki Walsh chats to Louise, mother-of-two. “Oh, go with your instincts,” mothers said to me before I had the baby. Then I had the baby. “He’s very small, isn’t he?” “What about formula?” “There’s no such thing as colic.” “Where’s his dodo? Arah you have to let him have a dodo.” “He should be on solids. […]

11 years ago

Nikki Walsh chats to Marie, mother of two. In the early days of motherhood, I was amazed by the camaraderie of other women. In Dublin’s hotel foyers and cafés, women I had never met before stopped to congratulate me on my daughter, often offering to hold her while I went to the bathroom. I was amazed […]

11 years ago

Nikki Walsh brings us more rants from the regions. This week she chats to Amy, mum of one. “It’s the only way to go,” good friends told me when I was pregnant. Others handed me natural birthing books or recommended workshops or doulas. It soon became clear that giving birth naturally was not only the best […]

11 years ago

Rants from the regions

11 years ago