Meet the Speakers
Nancy Mohrbacher
Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA began helping nursing families in 1982 as a volunteer peer supporter. She became a board-certified lactation consultant in 1991 and spent 10 years growing a large private lactation practice in the Chicago area, where she worked one-on-one with thousands of families. Nancy wrote three current books for nursing parents and two for lactation specialists, including her 2020 comprehensive, evidence-based-based resource, Breastfeeding Answers, Second Edition. Her Breastfeeding Solutions app is used worldwide and her YouTube channel has nearly 2 million views. She currently contracts with hospitals to improve lactation practices. She created and presents a 90-hour training course in China to prepare aspiring lactation consultants for the IBLCE exam and speaks at events around the world. Nancy was in the first group of 16 to be honored for their contributions to breastfeeding with the designation FILCA, Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association.
Sabina Higgins
Sabina Higgins is the wife of President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, who was inaugurated President on the 11th November 2011 for a seven year term, and again on 11 November 2018. With over a million votes he had the highest ever number of votes of any politician in the history of Irish election. Sabina Coyne, now Higgins, was born in Cloonrane on the Galway-Mayo border and went to school in Ballindine and Claremorris, Co. Mayo. At 18 years of age Sabina moved to Dublin to work in the office of the Land Commission. She began to study acting using the Stanislavsky method after Deirdre O Connell's wedding to singer Luke Kelly (The Dubliners) and became, with Deirdre, one of the founding members of the Focus Theatre where she worked with Tom Hickey , Timmy McDonald, Mary Elizabeth Burke Kennedy, Joan Bergin, and many others. Sabina met Michael D. Higgins at a party in Dublin and in 1974 they were married in Dublin's Haddington Road Church. Sabina moved to Galway, where in addition to working as a partner with Michael D. in every campaign and in public life for over thirty years, she maintained her involvement with Theatre and community arts, working with the world renowned Druid Theatre, An Taibhearc and other groups.
Ashamole Clive
Ashamole Clive is a practising midwife with over 25 years of experience. She believes in breastmilk to be the best food for the baby. She completed her nursing and midwifery degree in India, and then trained as a midwife in UCD. She qualified as an IBCLC in 2011 and she holds a M.Sc. Midwifery She has a huge passion for midwifery and has specialist knowledge in breastfeeding. She practised as a Clinical Midwife Specialist in Lactation in National Maternity Hospital. She is currently working as a Clinical Tutor in Trinity College Dublin and is the academic lead for the Breastfeeding committee of Healthy Trinity
Prof Brian O'Connell
Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Trinity College Dublin
Dr Anne Doolan
Dr Anne Doolan is a Consultant Neonatologist working in the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise and CHI, Crumlin. She qualified as a doctor from UCD in 2002 and started her training in paediatrics the following year. She trained in both Ireland and the UK. She have a special interest in infant growth and feeding both from a research point of view and from her day to day work meeting families with their babies. She is also an IBCLC and helped set up the Tongue Tie Assessment clinic in the Coombe. She teaches Medical students from UCD, RCSI and Trinity College Dublin..
Dr Margaret Dunlea
I am a practising midwife with over 30 years’ experience. I am also a feminist, an academic and childbirth activist. I undertook a BSc in Anthropology in University College London, a M.Sc. in Midwifery Education in University College Dublin, and a PhD in Trinity College Dublin where I am currently an Assistant Professor in Midwifery. My passion is in supporting physiological pregnancy and birth and parenting skills, childbearing women’s empowerment, and midwives’ autonomy. Being a midwife means being political.
Laura McHugh
Laura works as the National Breastfeeding Coordinator since 2018 with responsibility for driving the implementation of the HSE’s national breastfeeding action plan. Laura previously worked for 10 years as a senior health promotion officer in HSE West supporting the development and implementation of the first Healthy Ireland plan for hospitals, and also worked in smoking, health literacy, workplace health and migrant health promotion initiatives within acute services. Laura has also worked with a Peer Led Primary Health Care Programme for Travellers and spent her early years in the health services nursing at University Hospital Galway.
