It's a balancing act ... either way you go.

I had a thriving upward moving career prior to getting pregnant. When I fount out I was pregnant I started to pack up the office and move home full time to get used to it. It helped that we were doing up the house at the time and I was fully occupied with builders, plumbers and the like and since having baby T I've been a full time stay at home mom.

Anyone who waxes philosophical about the non stop happy lovely mommy-baby time is not living in reality. I'm finding it hard to balance all the needs of baby with house and at the same time a good wife... it's difficult to do that, add on working and my head might implode. I've left the dirty dishes in the sink one too many days and the trash still needs taking out. It's not easy ... and not for the faint-hearted either.

Although I'm not perfect (nor do I strive to be) in any of my duties, we try, to find balance where we can. And it helps that my husband is understanding of the demands of a 10 month old, without his understanding I would have long lost my mind.

We do believe that it's better for our child (and in the future children) to have a mother who's at home during these crucial first years. And as they grow and find independence, I too can regain some of my own again.

When we decided to have children we understood we needed to sacrifice. Leaving my job to stay at home has afforded me many luxuries and it has limited me in many other aspects ... life is best in balance and motherhood, in all its forms, is only really successful in the balance you can give to yourself and your kids.