As a psychologist, I understood that our brains go through some serious rewiring during pregnancy to protect our little bundles. We become super alert and cautious to keep our babies safe. Suddenly, we spot dangers we never saw before, like that tiny baby groan in the middle of the night. But you know what? Knowing this didn't prepare me for the real deal. It hit me like a tonne of bricks shortly after having my first baby with a trip to the maternity hospital emergency unit when I became unwell. I didn't even think about my own well-being. All I could think about was my baby.

However, as I stumbled my way through this journey, I realized that there's more to being a parent than just following a manual. Every child is unique, and sometimes, all the knowledge in the world can't fully prepare you for the realities of parenting.

Textbook babies are like unicorns wearing sunglasses: they sound cool, but they simply don't exist!