What do you wish you had known before you had your DC? Tell us for your chance to win a copy of Why Did Nobody Tell Me?: Home Truths Every Parent Needs to Know.

[RebeccaMumsnet]

Hello. This week we published Why Did Nobody Tell Me?: Home Truths Every Parent Needs to Know, which is the paperback version of The Mumsnet Rules.

And we wanted to mark its publication and nudge you towards a bookstore with a small but perfectly formed competition-ette.

For those who don't already know, Why Did Nobody Tell Me? is full of common sense and good cheer to steady you during the trickier patches of child-wrangling - told from the perspective of those who've been there, worn the (puree-splattered) T-shirt, and more or less emerged in a fit enough state to boggle at the PFB madnesses of their early parenting days.

So, what we're asking you wise folks now, in a competition-y way, is to tell us what you wish you'd known before you had children.

Please post your "in hindsight" confessions/admissions/witticisms here. We'll pick out ten winners from all who post - and send each of them a spanking new copy of Why Did Nobody Tell Me?

Good luck!

That if you want lots of children that you have to start having babies earlier than the age of 35.

That giving birth in front of people is the most incredibly intimate thing you could ever do; you probably won't think about it at the time but afterwards every smear/bikini wax/whatever will feel laughably un-embarassing. In fact, I think nothing could embarrass me now.

That there is a very big difference between 'I've been out clubbing till 3 and then gone to work' tired and 'up with new born baby tired'.

Also, nap when the baby naps? I'm going to find the inventor of that sentence and hit them on the head. With a big stick.

No Puffin, don't buy a snot sucker for £45 it's not magic, it will make a sad parping sound and not suck anything. This will cause you much rage. Probably shouldn't stamp it either.

Will be back with more [bitter]

That, while they are tons and tons of work, toddlers are also tons and tons of fun!

That children grow up so very quickly. Childhood is over in a blink of an eye so make the most of every precious minute even if it feels like hell on earth at the time .

Labour is a breeze in comparison to the first 6 weeks you spend with your first child and breastfeeding isn't the wheeze it is purported to be

That nothing can prepare for you for those first few weeks of hellish sleep deprivation but it does pass!

Oh and never mind about deciding whether to breastfeed or not -you may not necessarily have a choice and if it doesn't work out then it's fine and formula is a very good substitute and not evil so don't feel bad!

You don't need a baby bath, take baby in bath with you!

Breastfeeding is not as easy as they make out. I struggled with DD as I really had not learnt anything before hand as I thought I would just be able to put baby to breast and they would feed away.

Determined next baby I am going to try harder to successfully feed I feel I gave up too soon with DD :(

before you have children you will be told 'they grow up so fast!' and you will scoff, especially during the first few weeks with your first child.

Then you will suddenly notice your baby is running ahead of you in the park and chatting to his friends, and realise that yes, actually, they do grow up incredibly fast.

And if you have a personality trait that you hate, you can guarantee it will be amplified in your child.

Little boys look very cute with long hair, but getting it cut properly doesn't stop them from being a baby, and does stop them from biting you if they see a comb in your hand.

Your DH has just as much experience as you with babies initially - don't think they know nothing and therefore can't help you. They can learn just as much and as quickly as you can. (so so many friends are wondering now why their OHs are useless with their toddlers, even though they never let them do much more than hold the baby for the first year). The ONLY thing men cannot do is breast feed the baby.

Not to think you have cracked it when you survive the first 6 months. From experience the period of 6 months-18 months is the most challenging in terms of balancing baby, relationship, work and friendships. However its also the most rewarding with all the major milestones being met and DC developing their little personality :-).

That once you have had a load of people poking and prodding and breaking your waters a smear test is a piece of cake.

The meaning of life becomes more apparent. Every priority changes and every plan evolves because they are a permanent part of every waking moment from the second you know you've conceived.

That babies can be so thoroughly exhausting, but no matter how tired you are, one gummy smile makes everything seem so much brighter.

That breastfeeding is very hard in the early months, and not just something that just happens naturally. Even the second time around

How good a father my DH would turn out to be Sorry, soppy I know, but had I realised how great he'd be, we might have had kids much earlier.

Not to think you have cracked it when you survive the first 6 months. From experience the period of 6 months-18 months is the most challenging in terms of balancing baby, relationship, work and friendships. However its also the most rewarding with all the major milestones being met and DC developing their little personality :-).

That before DC I should get my midriff out at every opportunity because it will NEVER look that good again!

That some children are just fussy eaters and crap sleepers,all the parenting books and nothing you do will change that but that they won't always be like that.

That everything passes and one day you'll miss things you thought you hated, I took my 3rd surprise dc to a baby group for the first time, other 2 are now of school age and got surprisingly misty eyed about singing wind the bobbin up to a room full of strangers.

Oh and that at sometime in the first six months you'd happily poke your dh in the eye and that just the sound of them breathing would make you angry but that too shall pass

That people who don't have children do not understand what it is like, and think they know and can do better. And there is no point countering such comments, because if you look back at what you used to say and think you will cringe.

That generally your mother and mothe-in-law have forgotten what it was like, and clearly never had problems with fussy eaters, etc.

That the sound of your newborn baby's cry sounds horribly loud to you, but generally only to you, and when people are lookingat you if you are out it is more likely they are drawn to the sound of a newborn baby than because theya re looking to see where the terrible mother who can't look after her baby is.

That your standards are almost certainly too hogih. Just drop them from the start and save the heartache.

I worry about them more than I thought I would.
They sometimes infuriate me more than I would like.
Sometimes they confuse me and they make me doubt my parenting skills.
My DC's make me laugh much more that I thought they would.
I love them much, much, much more than I thought possible.

Your toddler can do something that worries you to the point of insanity, but it does pass and two months later you've forgotten it was ever an issue (and are busy stressing over the next problem).

That however much you know you love them, you will still surprise yourself with the force of your reactions - first terror, and then relief - when your child is missing for a few minutes and then reappears, perfectly safe.

That you don't 'forget' the pain of childbirth, but you do think it's worth it. It's not because you forget that you go back and do it again, it's because the reward has value beyond measure.

That being petrified of giving birth will make it harder, take longer and hurt a lot more

That breast feeding is easier than weaning onto solids if your lo is a fussy one

That babies are easier than bigger kids who can answer back and sulk

That no matter what your kids have done that day, they still look like sweet innocent little cherubs when they're asleep and you'll fall in love with them over and over again

Babies are easy compared to a toddler/pre-schooler who can run, be cheeky, and has more energy than sonic on red bull!

That little boys will get their willies out for a play and stick their fingers up their bum wherever they are tesco petrol station.

That it's not black and white with what they like/dislike. Something will be liked in the morning and disliked by the afternoon.

That toddlers are innately programmed to select the most inappropriate moment (e.g. during your sister's wedding service as you walk past up the aisle) to pick their nose and hand you the snotter saying "Here you go mummy!"

That you will argue the toss with a 3yo. Tis very undignified.