Meet the Bloggers

Deirdre Casey, Aquababies

Baby & Toddler swim expert

I am a mum of three young children and a qualified swimming teacher with Internationally recognised qualifications from the STA (Swimming teachers association) in baby and pre-school (birth-3years). I co-founded AquaKiddies/babies Ireland with my husband Phil. We aim to provide positive associations with swimming and the lessons are informative, friendly and lots of fun. We teach basic water safety and confidence techniques we are more than simply a splash and fun class – we aim to lay the foundations of future swimming. Along with our completed extensive training and continuing professional development with STA and Swim Ireland we have extensive hands on experience with hundreds of babies & toddlers in the pool each week.
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Derval O’Rourke

First 1000 Days Ambassador

As a former athlete with a love of cooking and keeping fit, I have always been passionate about ensuring my body receives the right nutrition - so when I discovered I was expecting my first baby this summer it was a natural fit for me to come on board with the First 1000 Days movement. Becoming an ambassador for the movement has opened my eyes to the profound long term implications good nutrition can have during this important time. I have the power to set my baby up for a lifetime of good health. Through my blog, I hope to share my journey through the first 1000 days of my baby’s life and inspire other mums-to-be to take action during this unique window of opportunity. I hope you enjoy my blogs!
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First 1000 Days

First 1000 Days Team

Our expert team of dietitians and nutritionists have created lots of articles, tips, advice and recipes all about the importance of good nutrition to help you give your baby the healthiest possible start in life.
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Kellie

Nutritionist & Mum-to-be

I'm a Registered Nutritionist with an honours degree in Human Nutrition from the University of Ulster in Coleraine. Originally from Armagh, I now live in Wicklow with my husband. We live on a big sheep farm so there is never a dull moment! Mum to 1 year old- Ellen. I love trying out new recipes so my pregnancy is giving me a whole new opportunity to experiment with recipes and make them even healthier. I hope you enjoy trying some of my recipes!
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Lucy Wolfe

Paediatric Sleep Consultant

I am a mum of four young children, founder and principle of Sleep Matters – Help Your Child Sleep, a private sleep consulting practice where I enjoy providing knowledge, expertise and valuable support to families across the country. I have completed extensive training and continuing professional development with leading sleep specialists and I am the European Director of the International Association of Professional Sleep Consultants.
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Maeve Whelan

Specialist Chartered Physiotherapist

I am a Specialist Chartered Physiotherapist in Women’s Health & Continence in private practice in Milltown Physiotherapy, Dublin. I have a Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Physiotherapy from Trinity College Dublin in 1991 and a MSc by research from Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2013. My special interests are prevention of pelvic floor disorders ante-natally and the use of manual therapy in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction. www.milltownphysiotherapy.com
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Maura Derrane

First 1000 Days Ambassador

With a busy filming schedule from Monday to Friday on the RTE Afternoon Show and a baby in the house, my life is jam-packed at the moment. I almost can’t believe how quickly Cal continues to grow every day and the First 1000 Days acts as great roadmap through his journey, offering accessible, workable nutritional tips, recipes and advice for parents to be and new parents. Through my blog, I’ll be sharing some personal stories from my First 1,000 Days journey, which I hope will inspire others to take a few minutes each day to plan what they are going to feed their little ones. I hope you all enjoy reading it!
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Michelle

Dietitian

I qualified as a Dietitian in 2008 and am a member of the Irish Nutrition & Dietetic Institute. Shortly after graduating I joined Danone Early Life Nutrition as an Infant Nutrition Specialist. I have a particular interest in the importance of good nutrition during the very early stages of life as it lays a solid foundation for good health across a life time. I think it is extremely important that this message is communicated to pregnant woman and the parents of babies and toddlers so they can ensure that their family achieves optimal nutrition for a healthy life.
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Neven Maguire

Chef & Dad of twins

One of life's simple pleasures is sharing great food with our families. From the age of 10 I was experimenting with ingredients in the family kitchen and over the years my passion for food has bloomed. Having worked in some of the best restaurants in Europe, I took over the family business, MacNean House and Restaurant in Blacklion, Co. Cavan in 2001 which I now run with my wife Amelda. When I became a father to twins Connor and Lucia in February 2012, I was excited to share my love for food with my children. I’ve always been aware of the importance of nutrition but since becoming involved with the First 1000 Days movement, I truly understand how important nutrition is at this formative time of life. My wife Amelda and I know what it is like for families with young children to consistently provide the best nutrition. I’m excited to share some of our inspiring and personal stories from our First 1,000 Day experience with you all.
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Sarah Greene

Chef & First time mum

I recently became pregnant to my delight, shock, awe, terror… you get the idea! I’ve been working as a chef since leaving college and have had the good fortune to have worked in kitchens in New Zealand and France before moving back home to Dublin last year to “settle down”. This involved marrying my boyfriend and then moving back into my parents’ house. I know, I know. There’s something wrong with this picture. In our defence we are currently trying to get a mortgage and saving for our first house so it’s not quite the arrested development that it sounds like. In all I think it’s going okay and my parents are slowly adjusting to the ‘clothing optional’ policy Tom adopts at breakfast time. Currently I work as a café cook in a busy and very popular breakfast and lunch spot in Dublin City.
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