Hi Ally, wow - I feel like I am reading my own thoughts when I read your post! I actually had nearly finished typing the reply when DS 1 came along and deleted it! Doesn't that sum motherhood up!!!!!!!!! Patience and truckloads of it!

I thought I had a pretty good idea what motherhood was going to be all about. As the youngest of 4, my sisters had their children before me, and I was a very hands on aunty. I even ran my sisters household including full time care of her kids while she was in hospital having No 2 and no 3. Boy was I wrong!

Noone can prepare you for the sleep deprivation, the constant worry of - why won't he sleep, why is he crying, why won't he feed, why won't he poo and in the middle of the night when they won't attach to the breast to feed properly - why won't he leave me alone!!!! I have a girlfriend who is 34 weeks pregnant and she remindes me very much of myself, she says she knows it will be a shock, but she really has no idea!

I really struggled to bond with DS 1 and I had gone from being a fulltime professional where I could control everything around me to a full time mum and the house like a war zone! I didn't even venture out of the house for 2 weeks after getting home from hospital as I was so sore with stitches etc.

Ally I can honestly say now that No 2 is loads better! I am really really loving motherhood this time round and would love to have another straight away (DS in 4 months old). Life is definately crazier and really really busy, but everything just comes so much easier! You do not have the fear of the unknown, and you can be far more relaxed about everything. I had a far better delivery with him which also contributed to my happy state!

I think if people told us the real truth about what it is like to have your first newborn, we wouldn't have them!!!!!!!!!!