No-one ever said having children was easy. It has often been described as the hardest job you’ll ever love. You don’t deliver your newborn and then immediately get handed a manual, and even though everyone has well-meaning advice, it’s ultimately up to you what you do with the screaming thing that has now taken over your house. You all learn together – the baby, the parents, and everyone in a 15-mile radius. Soon your house is a battlefield of nappies (disposable and cloth, clean and dirty), bottles, dummies, muslin wraps, vomit-covered bibs and blouses, squishy toys that make noises and flash lights, books, greeting cards and flowers. Did we mention the screaming?

The most important thing to remember is to go into it with open eyes and an open mind. Don’t assume everything is going to be fine – you will have two-hourly feeds all night, nappy contents that look like something the creature from the black lagoon would reject and in-laws who offer suggestions that were out-of-date in 1964. Make-up and pressed suits are also a thing of the past. You’re lucky if you’re dressed by 3pm.

And you’ll love every minute of it.