Advice for a wannabe parent

Hello parents,

I am hoping for some advice/encouragement for a hopeful parent-to-be... I am in the process of planning to have children (we want to start trying for our first baby next year) and so I have been trying to do some research into pregnancy, childbirth and parenting in general. However so much of what I find is people talking really negatively about parenting. I know that parenting is probably one of the hardest things you can do, but I'm surprised by how difficult it seems to be to find anyone talking positively about it. I am a woman, and I am particularly disheartened by the accounts of motherhood I am hearing and it's making me worry that I will be miserable if I have children. Not to mention all the horror stories of pregnancy and labour...

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice for me on how to prepare for parenthood without becoming totally discouraged? I'd also love to hear what people enjoy about being a parent.

Thank you 🙏🏻