10 pieces of advice I would have given myself before I had a baby

Oh, hindsight...

When everything becomes so incredibly ‘why didn’t I realise’ clear and you literally want to eyeball at yourself for not making a different/better/more sensible choice in the first place.

Motherhood is no different. Oh, what I wouldn't have given to have my now six-years-in, hard-earned wisdom way back when I was about to welcome my baby girl!

But I did not, of course, and so stumbled into motherhood, head first, and had to (like we all do) learn as I went on.

If I could go back for a day, though, to when I was still pregnant and had motherhood stretching out in front of me like a series of idyllic looking Pinterest boards (I know; little did I know!), THIS is what I would have told my 28-year-old self:

1. Sleep like your life depended on it

Like; don't miss a single opportunity to snooze. Not one.

2. Throw away the stupid birth plan

Chances are, it's not going to go exactly like you planned for it to do anyway (This; I now know, is a metaphor for motherhood in general!)

3. You don't really know stuff till you know stuff

Until you have personally dealt with colic/teething/vomiting bugs you know NOTHING.

4. Trust your instincts!

In the end, nobody will know you baby better than you. Not your mum, not Super Nanny, not Gina Ford. Especially Gina Ford.

5. Sleep some more

Use your snooze button for all it's worth. And don't feel bad about napping under your desk either.

6. Just because baby clothes are expensive and made of cashmere it does not mean your baby won't puke on it

Babies don't give a crap about cashmere.

7. Enjoy your full, firm boobs

Unfortunately; they won't last...

8. Eat the cake

There will come a day when you are no longer pregnant and you will regret not taking the opportunity to indulge.

9. Enjoy your me-time

Just take a moment, when you are in the shower or reading the Sunday papers, and really revel at how good it feels to have a moment just to yourself. It will be a while until you will have that again...

10. Repeat steps #1 and #5

I cannot stress this enough.