BEFORE having children vs AFTER having children

No part of your life will ever be the same once you become parents! Your tiny baby will turn the cosy world the two of you share completely upside down in days! It is true that sometimes you will hanker after your 'couple' days when you used to do things spontaneously without planning for a military style operation, but there are going to be so many special moments in the future when you really are going to be proud of your child and feel so loved, that it really is worth it all.

Having said that....fasten your seat belts! Here are just five ways in which your life will change...

Before: It is true that up until you became parents, going to bed early was usually an excuse for some couple fun. Lazy weekend mornings with breakfast in bed were probably a regular occurrence.

After: Unfortunately, babies have not read any of the manuals and cant tell the time so are happy to want your attention at any time night or day. Sleep deprivation in the first few months of your baby's life will be a certainty and if you do get that early night, it will definitely be to catch up on sleep!

Solution: Try and establish a good bedtime/sleep routine as quickly as you can and provide some toys for entertainment in your child's cot and later bedroom to buy you extra time in bed!

Before: In the days before your baby you will have enjoyed romantic dinners for two in lovely restaurants serving your favourite world cuisines.

After: Post baby, you will be looking for 'child friendly' restaurants with high chairs, children's menu and baby changing facilities. It is high likely that your child will want to eat late afternoon and certainly will not last until there is a moonlit night!

Solution: Plan a regular date night when you can both enjoy a candlelit dinner together. You will definitely have friends or parents who are eager to babysit and you will be amazed how excited you will feel about enjoying a leisurely meal, the excuse to get dressed up and have a joined up conversation together!

Before: Pre-baby you were able to dress in smart dry clean only clothes often in pale plain colours. You probably wore smart shoes with sexy high heels and you had plenty of time for your hair and make up routine.

After: Now that you have a baby you will have found that the most essential item to wear is a muslin towel over your left shoulder to avoid baby sick! Your smart outfits will have been swapped for casual clothes – leggings and trainers score highly – and your hair cut means low maintenance (long and in a ponytail scores 10) .Your make up routine has been pared down to three minutes!

Solution: It is best to 'go with the flow' and pack away your lovely outfits and invest in some smart but practical essentials (think non-iron!). Still wear heels often, but lower ones so that you can do the 'toddler sprint' but opt for comfortable trainers or boots for much of the time. Regularly get someone to babysit so you can relax having your hair cut, visiting the beautician or giving yourself a long pampering bath. Your 'date nights' will give you the chance to wear one of your pre-baby outfits which is a big plus!

Before: Before you became a family, your home was stylish with attractive ornaments on the coffee table and leafy plants as well as shelves filled with books and DVDs.

After: It is true that over the months as your baby develops you will need to adapt some areas of your home. Basically everything has to be raised several feet off the ground – well away from crawling babies! Precious ornaments are best significantly raised or packed away and the same goes for any houseplants that you would prefer to have leaves!

Solution: Restyling your home to be streamlined has it bonuses and will definitely reduce dusting time! You will not have to move your books and CDs because it is important that your baby learns not to pull them out everyday, but if he/she is successful your precious collections will not be ruined.

Before: Until the day you became three, you were able to jump in the car whenever you wanted and head off to a country pub, the new shopping mall or wherever you fancied.

After: Nowadays, you must carefully plan all excursions to coincide with feeding and sleeping patterns You may have had to swap your sports car for a more practical family vehicle and you will need to take a sizeable baby bag with you stuffed with feeds,spare clothes, nappies and a hundred other 'in case of' items! The worst part of all is that you can no longer relax as you drive listening to your favourite music but you will be word perfect to 'the wheels on the bus'!

Solution: The great news is that most babies/toddlers fall asleep in the car so you can plan to just drive somewhere pleasant with a good book to read when you get there! Always keep your baby bag packed and ready to go so you can be impulsive and always have numerous packets of baby wipes to hand as they are brilliant! As for the children's nursery rhymes, to learn the music and lyrics well will stand you in good stead for when your baby/toddler goes to playgroup!