And, as usual, after the usual bitching about no sleep, no sex and no discernable brain activity, the mothers around the table began to wave their teacups imperiously while stressing the need to break the 'mask of motherhood' and 'own up' to the shitty parts of mothering.

And I agree whole-heartedly. Mothering has always been a solitary business, and the more we can talk through and poke fun at the painful stuff together, the better our chances of feeling less freaked out by crying jags, or endless games of squeak-the-plastic-rabbit… knowing that there are myriads of mothers around the block doing exactly the same thing really does help.

The thing is, I think many of us have got the bitching down. I know I have. I have a number of mother friends I can phone when the going gets rough, have a good whine and perhaps a tearful laugh and before getting back to business. But have you noticed that it is becoming less easy to really engage around the fabulous elements of mothering?

In what I can only think of as a collective knee-jerk against the traditional Hallmark image of parenting, today's mothers, at least those in my experience, are hard to draw out on the good bits of having children. When phoning around collecting quotes for this article, almost every mother I spoke to prefaced her comments with an embarrassed 'Now I know this sounds really soppy and pathetic, but…'

Well I say... stuff that. If we really are going to harness the rewards of sharing experiences, I say let's go the whole hog. Let's share the good as well as the bad. Embrace your inner smugness around being a mother. No reason for enjoying it is too trivial not to be trumpeted from the rooftops. For mothering rocks.

And these are some of the reasons why.

The best bits about being a mother
'The warm wet puppy smell. And the fact that I can kiss them all over their bodies whenever I want to. There is such an amazing intimacy, and most of the time, they love it almost as much as I do.' Marina Green (2 sons)

'I was so fixated on the 'having a baby bit, I didn't stop to think about what a tiny part of being a mother that actually was. Now that my son is one, and is starting to communicate and develop his own personality, I realise how fabulous it is to have this whole new, wonderful little person as part of your family. It's incredible.' Deborah Herd (A son)

'I love the fact that the days of being cool on the beach is over. Building sandcastles, cavorting in the waves… getting your innocence back in a way.' Ally Connelly (A son and daughter)

'My best bit is cuddling up to my 3 year old as she goes to sleep, with her arms around my neck, her little fingers in my hair and the squeaking noise of her dummy being sucked dry.' Sue McFarlane (2 daughters and a son)

'Legitimately being able to have Flings in the house. I love Flings and all that kiddy junk, but it somehow doesn't go down well at adult dinner parties.' Sarah Theron (A daughter and son)

'I love dancing with my children. Oh, and the bedtime John Lennon sing-alongs.'

'Seeing their little faces when they conquer a new challenge, like tying their shoelaces for the first tie or learning how to ride a bicycle without fairy wheels.'

'The way they renew your faith in unconditional love. Not only the way you feel about them, but the way that they take your love, the family and their lives for granted.'

'The way my partner looked right after birth – all filled with light and shimmery around the edges, as if he had just been given the greatest gift of his life, which of course he had. That image will always stay with me.'

'Walking into her room every morning. Not matter how tired I am, the sight of those smiling, naughty eyes peeking over the top of the cit is like opening a Christmas present every morning.' Tabitha Hume (A daughter)

'Baby laughter has to be the greatest sound in the world. And knowing you are the cause of that uncontrollable bubbling of pure happiness makes it almost unbearably fabulous. There, I said it. Now – get soppier than that.'

'The way mothering makes me feel about myself. With each child, it's as though this prism moves inside me, and a new clear shaft of love is suddenly there, permanently. I love knowing that I am capable of feeling love this pure. It makes me want to nudge other people, and say 'Hey, is everyone feeling this?'

What are your best mothering moments? Tell us in the box below.