Thanks to Finch Publishing here is your chance to win one of 10 copies of 'Diary of a First-time Mum', an uncensored account of all the stuff that really happens.

New parents can easily be overwhelmed by theamount of information available on sleeping,feeding, burping, weighing and changing their newbaby. So how do you wade through it all and fi ndout what life with your new baby will really be like?

Diary of a First-time Mum is an unusual achievement.The author, Nicole Hall, documented her life as anew parent, jotting down her thoughts in the weehours of the morning as she breastfed. The result isa comprehensive account of all the stuff that reallyhappens when you become a mum for the fi rsttime.

Nicole says: When I came home with my new babyI was aware I may have a lot to learn. I mean I wasaware of some things, like the fact that new babiesneed regular feeds and sleeps, but the rest (i.e.everything else) I discovered only as they suddenlyoccurred. Having a baby is a huge learning curve andthere are some things you can only learn by goingthrough them yourself.

I wrote this book for pregnant women (and theirpartners) and for new mothers. Everything I sharehere, everything Ive learned and found out aboutbeing a new mum, I wish I had before my babies wereborn. I hope it will provide invaluable pre and postbirth insights and be a useful companion to all eagerto-be mums like I once was / still am.

At times hilarious and sad, poignant and quirky,Nicoles diary shares her intimate experiencesof everything from labour to changing nappies,endless poo, mastitis, sleep patterns, changes in herbody and the joy of getting to know her new sons.She also shares her inner thoughts on her transitionfrom being a professional working woman to fulltimestay-at-home mum.

Nicole says the support of family, friends and healthworkers was invaluable: I had so few ideas aboutbabies or parenting. I had no idea how it would feel tohave a little one attached to me all the time, I had noidea what to do with a sick baby. These people becameour instruction manual.

Now I have children, the way we live seemsnonsensical to me. We, the primary parents, are allslaving away in our little boxes; all doing the samething, all coming up against the same challenges. Iimagine that in tribal communities fi rst-time mothersdo not have such a diffi cult time.

Speaking from my own experience I would adviseany new mum not to struggle on their own. It may bethe most rewarding job in the world, but its also thehardest. Dont be afraid to ask for help from family,friends and community services, and join a mothersgroup - you will quickly fi nd everyone is in the sameboat!

Nicole Hall is a clinical psychologist and (nowadays)34-year-old mother of two young sons. Nicole has aBachelor of Science (Honours), a Graduate Diploma ofPsychology and a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology. She hasworked as a clinical psychologist with adolescents and youngadults in public health and more recently, in private practice.Nicole is currently involved in mental health research.

Diary of a First-time Mum
Finch Publishing
Author: Nicole Hall
ISBN 9781921462122
RRP: $26.95