I was glowing, with lots of time to do my hair

JO COLE, 38, is a teacher and lives in Devon with her husband Marek, who is also 38 and a teacher, and their children Amy, seven, Aiden, five, and Alice, two. She says: alTHOugH i look quite neat and groomed in this photo just hours after having alice in august 2015, on a day to day level, i don’t have time to think about my appearance at all.

So, being in hospital with my new baby gave me a rare opportunity between visitors to have a leisurely shower, wash and blow-dry my hair and put on some make-up. in fact, i was glowing for days after the birth and also very relieved.

Having had a horrific labour with amy, it had left me feeling anxious when i had aiden and even more so with alice, although thankfully she arrived in just one hour and 24 minutes — with no pain relief or stitches.

i remember as we left hospital feeling elated and eager to get home to immerse myself in the lovely chaos of family life with three children.