Children are wonderful. That's why we have them. But what about the negative feelings that are the flip side of motherhood? When you are bruised, battered or worse after the birth, and feel that life has been reduced to a cycle of feeding and changing; of lonely days and endless nights?

As many as 3 in 10 new mothers are affected by depression, so you are not alone - this book is written to help cope you with these feelings, and to enable you to make a happy and successful adjustment to motherhood. It will give you advice on how to come to terms with a traumatic birth and help you understand what postnatal depression is - and isn't. You can learn to love your baby, even if you're struggling to bond, and you can also come to terms with the new dynamics within your family and your relationship with your partner as you adjust to a different world, with a changed body and new priorities.

You can't change society and its often-unrealistic expectations of motherhood, but with the help offered in this book you can come to feel more confident in your new role, and in your love for your baby.