It's OK

Its OK to not read the baby books
It's OK to read all the baby books.
It's OK to breastfeed your baby in public. Try not to overthink it.
It's OK to feed your baby formula. There is nothing wrong with it, stop feeling guilty.
It's OK to stay in and do nothing all day. You're constantly being told to 'go out for your sanity' but some days you need to just stay in for that very reason.
It's OK to still wear your maternity jeans long after you've given birth. Normal jeans will never feel the same again.
It's OK to think 'what the hell have we done' then feel really guilty about it afterwards. Totally normal, everyone thinks it at least once just not everyone admits it
It's OK to not feel an overwhelming love and bond with your baby straight away. It'll come in time.
It's OK to hate breastfeeding. It's not for everyone.
It's OK to call the shots.  Say no to visitors wanting to come too soon or people coming round at silly times.
It's OK to feel like a right twat while singing and dancing around to the jolly babies Hokey Cokey.
It's OK to admit you're struggling. You'll be surprised who admits it too. Yes, even that mum who seems as though she had it all together.
It's OK to just go with the flow at the start. Routines can wait.
It's OK to just cuddle your baby for the first 6 weeks or so. They just want to be cuddled so put away the stimulating toys for a couple of weeks and enjoy your new born. It won't affect their future intelligence I promise.
It's OK to have a glass of wine. It won't affect your milk.
It's OK to miss work. And to envy your other half when he comes back from work with stories about his day. .
It's OK to cry.
It's OK to enjoy maternity leave and for it to feel like a bit of a jolly
It's OK to find mat leave really boring.
It's OK to use a dummy. And then wonder  why you hadn't sooner.
It's OK to just sponge the sick off your clothes and get on with your day.
It's OK to stay in hospital that extra night. Remember there's not a 24 hour call bell at home
It's OK to be a little bit crazy! Those hormones are powerful things!

Some from my antenatal girls-


It's OK to not be OK- sometimes you might just have a hard day and you don't end up getting out of your pj's- or the second you do they poo/sick up on you and you just have a little cry
It's OK to eat chocolate for breakfast
It's OK to feel guilty- are you talking to them enough, have you cuddled them enough, have you changed their nappy enough. Feeling guilty as you made the transition from breast to bottle earlier than you'd hoped, feeling guilty that you've let other people give them a bottle, feeling guilty that you've  let someone (other than you) look after them for a few hours
It's OK to cry every day for weeks on end- you've been though the most life changing experience- the hardest experience and an experience that no one (not even the million text books and websites you've been looking at) can prepare you for- but it's ok, it's motherhood
It's OK to put baby down when they haven't stopped crying for hours, walk away for a few moments and come back when you've taken some deep breaths
It's OK to have someone look after baby and spend time with your older children, it's important that they have one on one attention

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