Left-Right: Heart of Gold from Uncommon Goods, dolls from Ful Bel Sic on Etsy, Flamingo (gift), Donna Wilson cat from Kido Store, dinosaur tooth fairy pouch and ninja bunny from memeandsaysay on Etsy, print from Oelwein on Etsy and swaddles from Vonbon.

 “I love the children’s collection at Country Road. Bravo to whoever is designing the children's collection. The colours and prints are always so chic. Other brands I love are J.Crew, Oeuf, Mini Rodini and Baby Gap for basics. Printebebe make the most divine bibs - the perfect amount of pretty for any outfit. We also adore Freshly Picked moccasins. They come in every colour and stay on little feet.”

 “I attended pre-natal yoga regularly but stopped at 33 weeks as it was so hot in Sydney in February. I was also carrying very low which made a lot of the positions uncomfortable. When Isis was 5 weeks I enrolled into Mums & Bubs Yoga at Concord Yoga Studio. No matter how organised I was, Isis always seemed to want a feed as soon as the class started. I felt like I was paying money each week just to breastfeed. I picked up another class in the week so I could get some yoga done, but found myself in the same feeding situation twice a week!”

 “Now that I'm no longer breastfeeding, I'm grateful for that bonding time with my little baby in the semi-dark yoga studio when we attend Mums & Bubs yoga. Nothing else to do and no other distractions. I didn't realise how special the time was until our breastfeeding chapter closed.”

 “Motherhood has taught me that I really didn't know much at all! You think you know what it's going to be like when you're pregnant, and then the baby comes along… Every cliche becomes your reality: the overwhelming love, the hormones, the sleep deprivation, learning how to do things with one hand whilst holding a baby and the bickering with my husband over who's doing things the 'right way'”.

  “I adore colour in my wardrobe. Since becoming a mother, I have less opportunities to wear dresses and heels, but when the occasions arise I do like to glam up! I think I make more of an effort than I used to! Day to day though, it has to be comfortable and easy. I wear J Brand jeans and J Crew cashmere jumpers.”

  “When I first had Isis I was adamant about wearing a full face of makeup everyday to look presentable but eventually got over it at week five. These days I keep it simple - loads of Biotherm moisturiser, IOPE BB Cream and a Nars lippie.”

 “All of my friends with babies talked about how joyful yet hard it is. They would start conversations with "I love my baby but…" I didn't know it would soon become my tagline too. So far the biggest things I've learnt is to live in the present, try not to have too many expectations and keep it simple - just enjoy our little girl. She is growing so fast.”

 “I found pregnancy really uncomfortable. I am so glad it's over!”

 "My advice to new mothers? Place towels over your furniture. Our girl was a projectile vomiter! Wear clothes with pockets - it helps to have easy access to keys and mobile when leaving the house, instead of ferreting through a big nappy bag whilst holding your baby in the other arm. Train your hair to be washed every second or third day if you currently wash it every day. Lastly, enjoy your time as an individual before you become someone's mum. Becoming a mother is incredible, however your mind won't switch off to that little baby!”

 “Hatch is fabulous for fashion forward pieces when you get absolutely huge in the third trimester. Let's be honest, most of us get really huge. People are generally too polite to say anything about it.”

 “The mild Winter has enabled Isis and I to enjoy our sunny deck most days! We are outdoors a lot as Isis loves fresh air.”

 “I firmly believe a feeding routine works best for Isis. From the get-go, Isis was a lazy feeder. She would be latched for an hour - I thought she was feeding, but didn't know that she wasn't properly sucking for 95% of the time. The hospital recommended a three hourly feed schedule as she had lost more than the 10% weight loss in her first few days. We kept this up when we got home and I know this really helped me to get the hang of breastfeeding. We relaxed at eight weeks and started demand feeding, but found she would snack feed every hour. I was exhausted managing this. We went back to a feed schedule at 11 weeks and have a less agitated baby.”

  “Isis started sleeping 11-12 hours most nights from 10 weeks. We are very, very lucky to have this and do everything to preserve her bedtime ritual of bath, feed then bed. Peter puts Isis to bed every night and works hard in keeping her settled. His techniques evolve every couple of weeks to suit what Isis responds to. During the day, Isis catnaps which doesn't concern us given the amazing night sleeps. I spent a couple of days trying to sleep train her out of catnapping, but ended up feeling stressed with no results. It's better to let her do her thing with sleep.”

 Kalon cot, from Kido store; Bowie and Bjork dolls from Mandarina De Tela on Etsy.

 Butterflies from Contents International Design; The Lintin Garland from Oonch Pom Poms.

  “Initially, Peter and I divvied up the night feeds to enable us six hours of sleep each. Isis had to be woken up for her feeds, she was never a ravenous newborn crying to be fed. I know a routine doesn't work for all but it was necessary for Isis. Eventually we were able to drop her night feeds and have good sleep through the night.”

 Freshly Picked moccasins and Little Foot & Co leopard moccasins.

  “I love getting Isis dressed for the day. She's definitely understanding clothes - I might be creating a monster! I'm enjoying picking her outfits before she gets to tell me how it is.”

  “A happy home is filled with lots and lots of laughter. Peter has both Isis and I cracking up at various times.”

  “I'm lucky to have my mother-in-law come over every couple of weeks to take Isis for a few hours while I get various errands done. We also outsource the cleaning and some of the gardening which means we get to enjoy as much family time as possible. I don't want to look back on her first year and think, gee I did a really great job of keeping the floors clean. I worked really hard in my career so we can comfortably have a year of maternity leave to raise our baby.”

  “In finding balance, I won't lie, it's pretty hard. I've had moments of despair. In the early weeks I got up an hour earlier than Isis so I could shower and eat my breakfast before attending to her. My husband is very giving and is willing to take care of Isis at night when we've had a hard day, or goes on long walks on the weekends so I can get an hour of peace. These days, I'm enjoying having her glued to my hip. I can't believe how much she's grown and know she will only need me like this for such a short time.”

  “The hardest part of being a mother is letting go and letting other people become involved in your child's life. It's weird to fathom your baby is going to have a life outside of you, and how vulnerable this makes you feel. I think the repetition is also hard but it's good to know it doesn't last forever. The best thing is knowing what my mum means to me, is what I will be to Isis. At the end of the day, we always want our mums.”

  “I'm on maternity leave for 12 months and will be returning in January 2015. We're lucky that Peter is a scientist and has flexible work hours. It's going to allow daycare drop-off and pick-up to be manageable between the two of us (here's hoping). My mother was a working mum and it's definitely rubbed off on me. I can't imagine not working but realistically I'm unsure of how it's going to play out with our home life.”

  “I was so excited to decorate Isis' nursery, we started buying the big pieces of furniture early on in the pregnancy. The Kalon cot with yellow rails is the standout piece and sets the tone for the whole room. It's so joyful! I had a lot of the furnishings custom made on Etsy such as the chevron storage baskets, graffiti artwork, cot sheets, footstool, soft toys... Everything in the nursery has been a pleasure to curate. I wanted Isis' first home to be memorable. I love re-styling her room with new discoveries from Etsy. I find it hard to resist buying for Isis.”

  “I am most proud of my relationship with my husband. We knew each other from high school but it took a long time before we got together (8 years). He is the most witty, strong and loyal person I know. I am so grateful to Isis, for giving me an unbreakable bond with Peter. I don't have a lot of expectations on what I want Isis to be, but I hope she will always cherish her father. Having seen what he does for her, I hope she never breaks his heart.”