‘I’m not a millionaire… but I have my kids and that’s more than some people’

Before children (BC), I suppose most of us had an idea - broadly speaking - of what parenthood might look like.

Then it all actually happens and, well, it's probably pretty far removed from what we imagined it would be (to say the least!). And if there's one thing I've learned over the last few years (my eldest turns five in April) is that when it comes to being a mammy, you can toss out the manual - because nothing ever goes to plan.

A post shared by Gillian Fitzpatrick (@gillianfitz) on Dec 24, 2017 at 8:30am PST

Some of us have step-kids, for example, or children who have different fathers. Some mums have fostered. Some were young having their first; some were 40+. Some of us have a gaggle of small ones in quick successive; others are content with just one. In short, these days there is no one size fits all. In my books, that's a good thing too. It's a message recently emphasised too by Sara Ballard, a mum-of-five based in the UK. She was recently writing on The Motherload Facebook page, highlighting her own 'atypical' journey into parenthood. "Just got to put this out there," she began. "I was and always have been classed as that 'percentage'." She continued: "I fell pregnant at 15 with my eldest I left school with nothing to become a mummy - I got judged for it! Had her after I turned 16; 11 months later I had her sister. "I’m 26 now feel bloody old! And I have had three other children (so five in total). I love it! Wouldn’t change the age I had them or what I have now they make me proud every day. "Does age play a factor on you becoming a mummy? No I don’t think it does really no matter what you do there will always be that person round the corner judging you for what you do or what you have. I’m not a millionaire and don’t live in a mansion but I have my children and that’s more than some people have. "So all them mummies out there that think you can’t do it anymore or to the young mummies who hardly go out because they are fed up of being judged - put your face on and you go out and be proud of who you are and what you have bought into this world!"