Each year in Ireland there are approximately 54,000 to 55,000 babies are born. Whether it’s new borns, toddlers or school aged children, parents in Ireland are lucky that there are so many companies and programmes stepping up to help make things a bit easier for mums, dads, and carers. There are also services for bereaved people, single parents or parents in difficult circumstances .
Whether it’s clever baby products designed with safety in mind or supportive services offering advice and friendly guidance, these organisations are all about backing families through the ups and downs of parenting. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the inspiring Irish businesses and initiatives making a real difference for parents across the country.
Over the space of four articles I’m going to be highlighting the top 100 Irish Companies or Programmes Designed to Help Parents. Here is the video for Part A, companies with names beginning with A-C. You can see more information on each company below:
Founded by Eimear Fahy accesories4babies.com specialises in baby weaning products designed to make life easier and safer for parents and their babies. The company was born out of a personal experience with baby weaning challenges and encourages creativity and problem-solving to develop practical, educational, and toxin-free weaning products. Their product range includes items like the “My Feeding Pal,” which promotes baby-led weaning and helps develop essential skills like hand-to-mouth coordination while being safe and easy to clean. Accessories4Babies prioritises safety, durability, and early education in its product design, while also being committed to BPA-free and toxin-free materials.
The company has grown over the years, becoming a trusted provider in Ireland for innovative and parent-friendly baby accessories that support safe and enjoyable mealtime experiences. Accessories4Babies maintains a strong connection with parent communities and values customer feedback to continuously improve their offerings.
A Little Lifetime Foundation is dedicated to supporting bereaved parents and families who have experienced the loss of a baby through stillbirth, neonatal death, or a fatal fetal diagnosis. Founded in 1983 by a group of bereaved parents, the foundation provides compassionate, tailored support through one-to-one counselling, support groups, creative workshops, and remembrance services. They create a safe, nurturing environment for families to express their grief, share experiences, and find understanding.
The foundation also helps families navigate difficult decisions around childbirth, memory-making, funerals, and post-mortem processes, offering clear information and emotional guidance during the most challenging times. Their mission is to empower families to cope with their loss with dignity and resilience while honouring the legacies of their babies.
In addition to direct family support, A Little Lifetime Foundation raises awareness about stillbirth and neonatal loss to break the silence and reduce stigma. They work closely with healthcare professionals and provide resources to foster compassionate bereavement care across Ireland. The foundation’s services are free and widely accessible, including online resources and advocacy efforts.
Anam Cara provides compassionate support and understanding to bereaved parents coping with the journey of grief following the loss of a child. The organisation recognises that while no one’s grief is worse than another’s, all bereaved parents face significant emotional and physical challenges as their lives irrevocably change. The grief journey is highly individual, and there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to the grief of a loss of a child. Anam Cara encourages parents to communicate their feelings openly and support each other through peer connections, highlighting that healing does not mean forgetting but learning to live with the loss.
The organisation offers various coping strategies, emphasising the importance of self-care including rest, balanced nutrition, and gentle exercise to aid mental and physical health. Bereaved parents are advised to take time to process their emotions, cry freely, and express grief through writing or art. Anam Cara facilitates support groups where parents can share with others who understand their journey, fostering peer support and compassionate listening.
Alex’s Adventure emerged from a tragic incident in January 2016 when Alex, at 18, unknowingly ingested a lethal drug, N-bomb, at a Cork City party. His sister Nicole, determined to prevent similar tragedies, founded Alex’s Adventure, dedicating herself to drug education. Over the past eight years, Nicole has conducted workshops in schools nationwide, reaching over 13,500 students. Their programs address the insufficient drug education in Ireland, providing relevant, in-depth knowledge and empowering communities.
Supported by professionals in various fields, including psychology, education, and design, Alex’s Adventure aims to equip individuals with the tools to make informed choices and combat substance misuse.
Their and Nicole’s awards include Humanitarian of The Year 2018, Best Showcase Ignite 2019 IRD Duhallow Best Start-up 2019 and Pride of Cork Award 2022 and was recently elected to Seanad Éireann.
Founded by Marian Kennedy to support women through the challenges of postpartum recovery. Inspired by her own difficulties after the birth of her first child, Marian set out to create a range of safe, effective self-care and hygiene products that could bring comfort to new mothers during a physically and emotionally demanding period. The brand’s flagship product, the Anewmum Comfort Mist, is designed for sensitive areas following both vaginal and caesarean births, offering soothing relief and support for healing. With additional products such as a revitalising bath soak and gentle shower gel in development, Anewmum is committed to addressing the real needs of mothers with formulae designed with input from medical professionals and rigorous scientific research.
Beyond products, Anewmum’s website provides practical support, including a pregnancy due date calculator and encouragement from other mothers’ birth stories. Marian Kennedy’s vision is to offer not only physical relief but to also foster better understanding and care for women after childbirth. The company’s ongoing collaboration with scientific experts and healthcare partners ensures each item is both safe and effective.
Ask The Midwife is a lovely, supportive hub created by Carla, a midwife and mum, alongside Anna, who brings a fresh perspective from outside healthcare. Together, they’ve built a space that feels like having a reassuring friend by your side throughout pregnancy and early parenthood. You’ll find expert advice, practical tips, and a welcoming community to help you feel confident and cared for as you navigate this exciting journey. From antenatal classes and pregnancy yoga to baby massage and mindfulness, everything is designed to support both your body and mind.
They also offer a range of gentle treatments like massage, acupuncture, and physiotherapy, alongside specialist services such as night nannies and lactation consultants. Ask The Midwife takes a truly holistic approach, making sure every parent and baby gets the care and support they need. With their expert guidance and warm community, becoming a parent feels a little less daunting and a lot more joyful.
BabyDoc Shop specialises in baby products, particularly buggies, car seats, and nursery items. They operate two physical stores located in Deansgrange, Dublin, and Delta Retail Park, Limerick, offering a relaxed environment where parents can get personalised, expert advice on choosing the right products. The shop stocks premium brands such as UPPAbaby, Bugaboo, Cybex, iCandy, and Maxi Cosi. Customers benefit from flexible payment options (including deposit payments to secure stock), a price match guarantee, and free delivery on orders over €50.
BabyDoc Shop also offers video call consultations, providing a convenient way for parents to speak with experts from home. The staff are known for their knowledge and helpfulness, ensuring parents feel supported without pressure during their purchase journey. The shop caters well to first-time parents or those upgrading essential baby gear, making the process easier and more informed.
Customer reviews mostly praise BabyDoc Shop for its expert customer service, prompt delivery, and comprehensive product range. Many highlight the excellent in-store experience and knowledgeable staff who take time to explain options clearly.
Babogue is a specialist sleep consultancy service based in Ireland, founded by Erica Hargaden, a Certified Child Sleep Consultant. Its mission is to empower families with evidence-based, compassionate baby sleep and parenting solutions that help foster healthy habits, create harmony, and restore balance in family life.
Erica’s own experience with the challenges of newborn sleep inspired her to support other families facing similar difficulties.
Babogue provides personalised, holistic support, including tailored sleep programmes, one-to-one consultations, and an online course called The Sleep Series, which has helped over 400 families in 11 countries. The consultancy also nurtures a supportive community and offers expert guidance on various aspects of family well-being beyond sleep, such as behaviour and nutrition, aimed at building a calm, thriving home environment.
Alongside services for individual families, Babogue offers corporate sleep support to help improve employee well-being and productivity by enabling better home-life balance through restful sleep and confident parenting. The company also runs a membership programme called Thrive, giving members access to expert-led workshops, live coaching, personalised feedback, and a supportive community to navigate parenting challenges with confidence.
The Baby Academy is a midwife-led, parent-centric organization based in Ireland that provides modernized antenatal services and online education to support new and expectant parents. They offer comprehensive, evidence-based courses designed to improve knowledge and build confidence around pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenthood. Their classes include free 2-hour Baby Care Workshops and full-day Antenatal Classes, which uniquely include Baby First Aid at no extra cost. The goal of The Baby Academy is to help parents make informed decisions by providing clear, unbiased information, helping them feel relaxed and prepared for the journey ahead.
They emphasise accessible, expert-led guidance and use online platforms to deliver their services, making education and support convenient for families. The Baby Academy is also known for its commitment to innovation in prenatal and postpartum education, care, and support, aiming to empower families through preventive healthcare and personalized resources.
Headquartered in Dublin and is co-founded by healthcare professionals including Susan Hogan, who is also involved in clinical midwife education.
Based in Cork Babyboo was founded in 2014 by Vicki O’Callaghan and Michelle O’Riordan. The company focuses on creating functional, sustainable, and organic cotton clothing and accessories for babies and children, designed to be both practical and stylish.
BabyBoo became well-known for its highly absorbent and cute bandana bibs, especially loved by parents of children with sensitive skin and conditions like eczema and reflux. Their product range has since expanded to include organic cotton blankets, robes, pyjamas, and other essentials that are durable, easy to wash, and designed for comfort.
One unique aspect of BabyBoo is the option for customers to personalise products such as bibs with names, nicknames, or fun text, making each item unique and special. The brand values quality, sustainability, and customer engagement, with a strong social media presence and community involvement. BabyBoo’s products are built to last, promote sustainability, and provide comfort for little ones while offering parents confidence in their choices.
BabyMarket.ie is Ireland’s popular pop-up preloved baby and kids market, bringing together families, small businesses, and local services in a welcoming community atmosphere. It hosts in-person events across many locations in Ireland including Athlone, Belfast, Carlow, Cork, Derry, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Kildare, and Sligo.
These events allow parents and caregivers to buy, sell, and recycle a wide variety of preloved and new baby and kids goods, making it easier and more affordable to access quality products.
BabyMarket.ie caters to everyone from budget-conscious shoppers and new families to bargain hunters, offering children’s clothing, shoes, toys, books, strollers, bikes, cots, highchairs, and maternity items all under one roof. Sellers can also easily declutter their preloved goods or connect their local businesses with the BKM community by simply turning up to sales events. The market’s focus on sustainability, community, and affordability has made it a valuable resource for parents looking to set up nurseries or refresh wardrobes without overspending.
Barnardos Ireland offers comprehensive family support services focused on vulnerable children and families. The services address a wide range of family challenges including parental separation, exposure to trauma, homelessness, bereavement, domestic violence, parental substance abuse, mental health issues, and difficulties in parent-child bonding.
Barnardos provides various targeted interventions such as one-to-one support for children, joint child-parent therapeutic sessions, and intensive parenting programmes delivered within the home. They also run specialised group activities like the Friendship Group for children struggling with social skills and isolation, aiming to nurture emotional regulation and healthy relationships. Family Welfare Conferences are part of their child-centred approach, where families meet with professionals to develop plans addressing the child’s welfare collaboratively.
In addition to direct support, Barnardos runs specific projects like Teen Parenting Support, Homemaker Services offering practical parenting help, Parent & Toddler groups, and specialist services including bereavement and post-adoption support. Their services are widely accessible and designed to strengthen parenting capacity and improve family relationships, promoting children’s well-being and resilience. Barnardos also runs family intensive support programmes addressing issues like addiction and domestic abuse through projects such as TLC Kidz.
Bump, Baby & Me, run by Kathy Milliken in Malahide, Co. Dublin, offers a range of classes and supports for expectant and new mothers. Kathy is a fully certified instructor who provides pregnancy yoga, postnatal yoga, baby massage, and parenting workshops designed to promote both physical and mental well-being during pregnancy and early parenthood. Her Positive Birth Yoga classes help prepare women for childbirth by focusing on strengthening exercises, breathing, relaxation, and visualisation techniques that are useful during labour and everyday life. In addition, a practising midwife is invited to the classes to address any medical queries participants may have.
Kathy’s baby massage sessions are social, informative, and geared toward promoting parent-infant bonding, better sleep, and relief from fussiness or colic. Other offerings include first aid workshops for parents and a “MumFit” postnatal strength course. A portion of course fees for baby massage can be reimbursed through health insurers. Classes are available in-person in Malahide, with a selection of online workshops and instant-access sessions also provided.
Bygge Bo is a specialised baby concept store based in Navan, County Meath, Ireland. The store offers a curated range of high-quality products including pushchairs, car seats, nursery furniture, baby essentials for play and care, and clothing. Its name is inspired by the Swedish phrase “bygga ett bo,” meaning “to build a nest,” symbolising a safe, nurturing environment for babies. Bygge Bo focuses on providing durable, environmentally conscious items from exclusive and well-known brands like Stokke, Bugaboo, Uppababy, and Cam Cam Copenhagen, emphasising sustainability and products made from eco-friendly materials.
The business is independently owned by Amanda Cunningham-Tapsell, who started it to bring unique, Scandinavian-style baby products to Ireland, filling a niche in the market for quality and sustainable baby goods. The store also offers personalised shopping appointments and payment plans to assist parents in their baby shopping journey.
Bygge Bo operates both an in-store experience on Watergate Street and an online shop, with nationwide free delivery on orders over €75. It provides expert advice and a personal shopping service to help parents make informed choices. The company has gained recognition for its dedication to quality, personal service, and sustainable products.
The Classic Mother & Baby Company specialises in luxury gift sets and hospital bag bundles designed for new and expectant mothers worldwide. Founded by mothers for mothers, the company emerged from a desire to create a hospital bag experience that is both indulgent and practical, ensuring that mothers feel comfortable, elegant, and supported during their hospital stay.
Known for their unique Victorian hat-box style packaging, the company offers an exceptional unboxing experience that blends style, comfort, and functionality, featuring carefully selected premium products from trusted international and award-winning Irish brands.
The company has expanded beyond hospital bags to include curated gift sets that celebrate motherhood with quality and style. Sustainability is a core commitment, with efforts to reduce environmental impact through responsible sourcing and packaging. Their products are available online and in prestigious retailers such as Brown Thomas in Dublin and Cork. TIt focus is on enhancing the journey into motherhood by providing both practical essentials and a touch of luxury, making the transition to parenthood feel special and supported.
Complete Harmony offers holistic classes and services designed to support new and expectant parents in bonding with their babies through the power of touch. Founded by Gail Bovenizer, who began her career as a massage therapist and later specialised in pregnancy yoga, baby massage, and toddler yoga, Complete Harmony aims to nurture parent-child relationships from pregnancy through early childhood. Their offerings include infant massage classes, pregnancy yoga, baby yoga, toddler yoga, and wellbeing sessions for mothers and babies.
These classes not only teach practical techniques but also create supportive communities for parents, helping them feel connected and empowered during what can be a challenging time. Classes like infant massage run over six weeks, often with resources provided in advance to participants.
Gail Bovenizer founded Complete Harmony to fill a gap she experienced personally, especially after her premature twin daughters were born. The company has grown to become a leader in parenting support in Ireland, offering training courses to expand this support network through collaboration with organisations such as the HSE, Tusla, and Bernardos. The organisation also emphasises empathy, connection, and community-building, running training programs to teach infant massage instructors nationwide. Complete Harmony won recognition as Solo Businesswoman of the Year 2024 and plans to expand its franchise model beyond Ireland in coming years.
The Connect Family Network is an initiative developed by Inclusion Ireland, funded by the Irish government through Pobal, to support families of individuals with intellectual disabilities across Ireland. This network addresses the challenges families often face such as isolation, feeling overwhelmed, and not being heard.
It links over 100 local and national intellectual disability support groups, providing them with up-to-date information, training, and opportunities to connect and advocate.
Its core mission is to enhance participation by people with intellectual disabilities and their families in designing and delivering disability services, ensuring that the voices of those using services are heard in policy and service development from the start. The network also helps local groups engage with government departments, the Health Service Executive (HSE), and service providers, thereby contributing to service improvement and better policy outcomes.
A key feature of the Connect Family Network is the provision of a detailed map that helps families find local support groups or connect with national organisations. This makes it easier to access tailored support, resources, and advocacy opportunities close to home. The Network does not replace existing organisations but enables a combined, stronger family voice in national discussions. It supports capacity building through training and facilitates networking among family support groups to boost their leadership and advocacy skills. Families involved benefit from enhanced information flow, collective empowerment, and better influence in shaping services that affect their lives and those of their loved ones with intellectual disabilities. Families and groups can also add their information to the map to be part of this national network.
Connections Child Psychology is led by Principal Psychologist Aisling O’Connor, who is registered with the Psychological Society of Ireland and brings over a decade of clinical experience. Aisling has worked in schools, family services, universities, and private practice, supporting individuals from a variety of cultural backgrounds and across different life stages.
She holds a Psychology degree from NUI Galway and a master’s in Counselling Psychology from La Trobe University in Melbourne. Furthering her expertise, she completed Clinical Programmes in Child Centred Play Therapy and Filial Therapy with Play Therapy Australia. Driven by personal experience and a lifelong dream, Aisling is passionate about helping children and families navigate emotional challenges, drawing upon evidence-based approaches such as Interpersonal Theory, Attachment Theory and Interpersonal Neurobiology. Her preferred method for engaging with children is Child Centred Play Therapy, guided by her own understanding of the difficulties children face when attending therapy.
The team also includes Ewa, a psychologist specialising in clinical and personality psychology and a member of the Psychological Society of Ireland. Ewa graduated with honours from National Louis University in Poland and has researched the experiences of Polish emigrants in Ireland, focusing on stress and acculturation. Her career has centred around working with youths and adults in both clinical and educational settings, including time spent at a psychiatric hospital in Poland. Ewa employs an integrative approach, tailoring methods to each child’s individual needs, and emphasises creating a safe and respectful atmosphere.
The Cool Food School is dedicated to making healthy eating fun and accessible for kids, offering interactive workshops both online and in-person across preschools, camps, schools, birthday parties, and events. Their programs use practical cooking, sensory education, and playful activities to help children overcome common fears about healthy foods and encourage adventurous eating habits. Workshops are tailored for various age groups and feature easy recipes, safe tools, and engaging formats that empower kids to learn about nutrition while having fun.
Led by health coach Deirdre Doyle, The Cool Food School is passionate about sustainability and promotes wholesome foods without compromising on fun. Their shop offers unique cooking tools for children, and workshops often incorporate themes of environmental awareness and waste reduction. The school’s partnership with local eco-friendly companies and their commitment to sustainable packaging underline their ethos of making healthy, mindful eating a lasting lifestyle for children, with enthusiastic feedback from parents and educators
Co-founded by CEO Rosanne Longmore, CRO Helen Barry and CTO Jamie Travers, Coroflo has developed the world’s first accurate breastfeeding monitor. When Helen and Jamie had their first child and experienced this very common stress of breastfeeding, they realised the only way to check if the baby was getting enough milk was by weigh-ins in a medical setting. They knew there had to be a better solution.
Coro is a revolutionary silicone shield with an inbuilt flow measurement using patented technology in a market where there is no equivalent product or reliable alternative.
Nipple shields are commonly used throughout the world however with Coro, our new technology; it is the only product that can give accurate, precise and real-time data. As baby feeds, quantity is measured and the data can be tracked on mum’s phone via the CoroApp.
Along with information around individual feeds, you may also want to know how things are changing and how they compare. You can switch between breasts by clicking Left or Right and it will track volume separately for each. Using our Cloud-based analytics, you can also select the Timeline screen to see feed duration, time, and volume over previous days or weeks and typical feed volume.
Nearly 90k Family Carers in Ireland receive Carers Allowance from the government and with it, a stipulation that they cannot work more than 18.5 hours per week. Family Carers are accountants, teachers, marketing executives, etc who have had to give up full-time employment to care for a sick or ageing loved one at home. They have so many skills and qualifications to use and offer employers but on an 18.5 hour per basis.
With even an example of half of 90k Family Carers available for part time work, if employers were open to offering 18.5 hour per week contracts, Family Carers can help towards Ireland’s current recruitment crisis.
CulaBaby Sleep Book is the flagship offering from Liadhán Collins, a certified Child Sleep Consultant based in Ireland and founder of CulaBaby. Drawing from her personal experience as a mother of three and her professional certification with the Family Sleep Institute, Liadhán provides specialised, empathetic support to families struggling with their children’s sleep. The Sleep Book and related consultation services focus on children aged from 4 months to 6 years, guiding parents through establishing healthy sleep routines tailored to the unique needs and temperament of their child.
The approach is highly personalised and collaborative, beginning with a detailed intake form and 3-day sleep diary to understand existing patterns. Based on this, a customised sleep plan is created that aligns with the family’s lifestyle and parenting preferences. Liadhán’s mission is to educate, empower, and support parents, offering daily guidance and practical tools backed by sleep science. Her methods emphasise consistency, structure, and patience, helping families transform sleepless nights into peaceful rest while improving overall well-being for both children and parents.
Debbie Cullinane is a qualified child and adolescent psychotherapist and play therapist based in Co. Mayo. With over a decade of primary teaching experience, Debbie became a therapist after completing a four-year Master’s focusing on play therapy for children and teenagers. Her work combines her passion for education, mental health, and sensory development. In 2021, she partnered with Smyths Toys Superstores to create and develop a specialised Sensory Toy Range, reflecting her interest in sensory processing and its impact on children’s wellbeing.
Debbie offers a variety of practical online webinars and workshops for parents, teachers, and special needs assistants (SNAs), covering topics such as raising resilient children and teenagers, managing challenging behaviour, anxiety, sibling conflict, and early years success. Her courses are highly regarded for their practical strategies and engaging delivery, aiming to empower adults working with children to navigate behavioural, sensory, and emotional challenges effectively. Debbie is also Network Mayo’s Emerging Businesswoman of the Year 2023, and she is actively involved with organisations like Cancer Fund for Children and Childhood Cancer Ireland, providing parent support and workshops.
CyberSafeKids, Ireland’s child online safety charity, is committed to promoting online safety and digital citizenship among children and young people. With a focus on education and empowerment, CyberSafeKids provides comprehensive programmes and resources to primary and secondary schools designed to teach children, teachers, and parents about the importance of internet safety, privacy, and responsible online behaviour. Through workshops, training sessions, and educational materials, they aim to equip children and young people with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the digital world safely and confidently.
To date, the charity has spoken directly to 75,000 children and 15,000 parents. They also run annual campaigns, including ‘Same Rules Apply’ and ‘CyberBreak’, and publish Trends and Usage data. CyberSafeKids’ mission is to make the online world safer for children and children safer online. They do this through education, giving voice to children’s online experiences, and by being a fierce advocate for children’s online safety. www.cybersafekids.ie