Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Lisa [no surname's needed, aside from Irish Baby Fairy, that is], I'm a midwife and a mother.
Pitch us your blog
The Irish Baby Fairy blog is my attempt to make women more aware of their choices in maternity care in Ireland. I also look at infertility and parenting. I'm delighted to say my blog is a finalist in The 2016 Irish Blog Awards in the Parenting and the Health & Well-being categories.
Why do you do what you do?
I really enjoy writing and feel that if I can even make the smallest difference to the Irish maternity experience for women and their partners then it's all worth it.
I want women to be more informed so they can make decisions about their care and question their care.
Describe your audience!
Mainly women aged 25-45 but I have had a few surprising conversations with men who read my blog too!
What’s your media diet?
- Twitter is always a good start for getting the most up to date news by checking what is trending.
- RTÉ (obviously!) either online or I listen to 2fm on the radio in the car.
- The third one is www.independent.ie
Three people you respect?
- My mum - it's only now as a mother myself that I realise all she has done for me and she still helps me out, I would be lost without her.
- Katie Taylor - even though the Olympics didn't work out this time, I'm so proud of her achievements and drive.
- Sheena Byrom - an amazing midwife in England that has made a huge impact on maternity care there.
What excites you right now and Why?
Rowing! I used to row myself and since the O'Donovan brothers won silver in the Olympics I am really excited at the prospect of the sport gaining more momentum in Ireland. You just can't beat the adrenaline of rowing one of those beautiful sleek sculls through water so still it's like glass. I will hopefully get back to it myself some day.
Thank you to the judges of @BlogAwardsIE. One very happy blogger here 😊 #LWIBloggies2016 pic.twitter.com/3ekA6CK0Z3
— The Irish Baby Fairy (@IrishBabyFairy) August 31, 2016
Proudest post? Finest moment to date? Most embarrassing moment to date?
My proudest post is an a honest account of my personal struggles with infertility. It was a huge thing for me as very few people knew and suddenly it was out there online for anyone to read. I've had such a brilliant positive response from it.
Finest moment to date was giving birth to my baby boy, it was a strange one being the midwife and the laboring woman!
Most embarrassing moment to date - Probably still the time in a school play in 1996 when I forgot my lines and just stood there like a lemon. The mortification of that moment will haunt me forever.
What channels are your fav and why?
I have a love hate relationship with Facebook, I hate the amount of time I waste on it but it is the biggest traffic driver to my blog so I have to love it for that.
Tell us a secret - something we should know about you?
My best mark in my leaving cert was in metalwork! I kid you not, no idea how those skills transfer to midwifery.
What’s the master plan?
Winning the lotto would be right up there. Back to reality though, I'd love to develop my blog more so people know the name as a place to look for resources for pregnancy and childbirth in Ireland. I'd also love to be able to afford to work less hours in my real job, I could never give it up completely though.
Where do we find you?
You can find me on my blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
