Just in case no one has ever told you, being a parent is freaking HARD. So don’t give yourself grief if you’re finding it difficult.

A lot of the challenges you’re facing now are because your baby is tiny. Try not to wish this time away because your baby will never be this small again (I wish I’d soaked it up just a little more)

Sleep deprivation makes everything 100 times harder, try to sleep as much as you can, even if visitors come over. Leave the dishes and leave them with the baby!

Get your girl gang. Other mums are your lifeline so try to make some mummy friends! NCT, baby classes, bumps and babies groups; you will need other people who “get” it. Plus you need other people to tell your baby poo explosions stories to who won’t just think you’re really gross.

Breastfeeding can be really difficult. It took me about ten weeks to get to the stage where I was comfortable and not stressed. Get as much support as you can and persevere! But also don’t listen to the haters if they judge you for switching to bottle. Getting your baby FED is the most important thing.

If someone offers help in any way, swallow your pride and take it! Especially if it involves cleaning your kitchen (shout out to my wonderful friend Lucy who did this for me!)

Don’t take anything you read online as gospel, apart from the actual gospel. Where one article says something is good and even essential for your baby, another will say it is hugely damaging and must NEVER EVER be done. It’s taking me a long time to learn to go with my gut and what works for us instead of what the internet says.

On that, you will find yourself googling the most bizarre things, sometimes in the middle of the night. Again, don’t always believe what the internet says as sometimes it’s just scary! And stay away from the forums (in my opinion, but if you find them helpful, great!)

You may end up doing things you said you wouldn’t do before you had the baby and not going things you said you will do. Give yourself grace and forgive yourself, you have no idea what it’s like until you actually have a baby. On this, you may have decided to do/not to do something and other people will be trying to persuade you not to do it/to do it. Stick to your guns, this is your baby!

This too shall pass. This too shall pass. This too shall pass.

You are a superwoman, you have grown and birthed a tiny human, you are a walking/waddling miracle-maker. Eat the damn cake.