I babysat a lot throughout my college years and twenties, and am glad to have learned a valuable lesson when it comes to raising babies: it all works.

From breastfeeding to bottle feeding, co-sleeping to crib sleeping, organic baby food to store bought, there are a million choices when it comes to raising a child. And while we can read all the books, find all the research, and educate ourselves to the Nth degree, at the end of the day, you just have to do what works best for you and your family, and don't worry about what anyone else is doing. What's best for one family may be the worst thing for another. There are a thousand factors that go into the choices we make for ourselves and our kids, and we can't compare any aspect of our lives or baby-raising to other people we know, or worse, strangers on the internet.

I love the phrase "Good for her, not for me" from Amy Poehler's book and think it applies perfectly to motherhood. How my friends choose to feed/dress/play with/care for/sleep train their babies might not be the way that I'll choose, and vice versa, and here's the best part: it's all ok.

My #motherspromise is that I will do what's best for me and my baby without worrying about how I'm measuring up to anyone else, or the picture in my head of how it's supposed to be. There is no benchmark for "better" or "worse" mothering, we're all just doing the best we can for our unique baby and family.

Another quote I'm loving right now: "There's no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one" - Jill Churchill. I want to calligraphy this and put it up in my office, because I know I'll need this reminder daily. I hope I strive to be a good mother, and not a perfect one.

On a similar note, we decided to skip cloth diapering and use disposable. At first I felt guilty because I had heard that cloth diapering is supposed to be best for the baby, but disposable is really best for our lifestyle. We are starting with these because I've heard good things from friends, they're made for sensitive skin, and they have the wetness indicator. Sharing here because I love knowing the specific baby items people use and love, and also with the disclaimer that we're all just doing our best and figuring it out.

I'd love to hear your baby raising mottos as well. I love recognizing the variety here - it all works!

Shared in partnership with Pampers and Walmart. Ideas and opinions are my own.