Joanna Fortune: I'm at breaking point following arrival of my third child

You feel overwhelmed because this is an overwhelming time but putting a plan in place to get help from your husband or friends could make a big difference

Demanding situations don’t just get easier on their own — they become easier because we put systems in place that help ease the overwhelm. Picture: iStock

I have three children aged five, three, and three months. My husband went back to his very busy job when the baby was two weeks old. I just about manage when the older two are at school and playschool, but I’m drowning when they are all at home during the day. I am breastfeeding, which means I’m tied to the baby, who seems hungry all the time. I know things will get better in time, but there are times when I feel that I am at a breaking point. I don’t have family living nearby, which isn’t helping.

I can feel the weight of the mental load you are carrying. While I agree that, in time, things will likely become easier to manage, that doesn’t change the fact you are in the trenches right now.