I knew from a very young age that I wanted children. I came from a large family and loved that I had four sisters.  However, nothing really prepares you for parenthood.  It is a huge rollercoaster of mixed emotions, anxiety that you are doing everything right, constant opinions of others and then absolute unconditional love.  Well for me, thankfully this was the case. I know other mums suffer from Post Natal Depression and I cannot imagine how hard this must be.  You have this vulnerable little life who relies on you for everything but can’t really tell you what they want! Having worked in the care sector for over 15 years I could not imagine how parents could “lose it just once”.  However, fast forward to now, and being mum to a 20-month-old daughter, although I obviously don’t condone any form of abuse to a new-born, I have a very different understanding of the patience it takes to raise a child.  When sleep deprivation is at its worst, or you have hit another growth spurt /leap, whatever they want to call the child turning in to an absolute little monster in front of your very own eyes, it only takes a second to lose focus.  But working in care I know very well the impact that split second can have on a child’s life.  From a simple bruise to a life changing injury, or even death in some cases.  What helped me though the tough days was my amazing family and support network, and I would say to anyone thinking parenthood will be easy, think again.  It is an amazing experience but also a very scary one at times, but you just have to be honest, and admit when you need help and when that support is provided it can make a huge difference.

Nicki Butterworth – Associate Personal Assistant