Louise Cooney's Open Book

Chapter 32: Dearbhla Toal on baby bumps, maternal instinct & comparison

Louise Cooney's Open Book

Show Notes

One of Louise's best friends and fellow expectant mother, Dearbhla Toal aka Belle_Azzure came in to reminisce about the early days of their friendship, share the truth about her difficult first trimester and offer Louise some advice from someone who has been through it before. Dearbhla's first child was born during the pandemic and she now has a toddler to manage as well so there have been a few new experiences for her this time around too!

More from Louise Cooney's Open Book

Nov 12, 2025

In this bitesize episode of Open Book, Louise Cooney reflects on her wedding preparations and shares her favorite moments from Season Three. With a wedding of her own this month, she taps into the expertise of wedding planner Sara Kennedy, who offers invaluable advice from both the couple's and guests' perspectives. Join them as they delve into essential planning tips, the importance of setting boundaries with family, and the reality versus expectations of DIY projects. Whether you're getting married soon or just interested in the journey, this episode is filled with practical insights to ease the wedding planning process.

Nov 5, 2025

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Oct 29, 2025

Louise takes a reflective look back at the most memorable moments from Season Three with 'Louise's Picks'. In this bitesize episode, Stefanie Preissner, who’s not only thriving in her acting career, also opens up about her personal journey with autism as a mother of two. She describes the intricacies of parenting, navigating chaos, and the struggles of managing sensory overload in day-to-day life.

Oct 22, 2025

As Louise continues to pick some of her favourite moments from Season 3 of Open Book, here she focuses in on part of her chat with the inspirational Ellen Keane. Ellen was Ireland's youngest ever Olympic paralympian and is now a coach on RTE's Ireland's Fittest Family.

Oct 15, 2025

This weeks pick by Louise of her favourite moments from Season 3 of Open Book is from her episode with broadcaster Muireann O'Connell. Muireann recently managed to get on the property ladder for the first time and here she speaks about how difficult it was and how dysfunctional the Irish housing market is.

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