A young woman who is juggling a baby and her business said she shared a photo of her crying on social media to show "it's normal to feel like this".

Jess Northwood, who lives near Sudbury, launched her own clothing brand, Jessika’s Boutique, in May 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Jess, 22, has steered her venture through the tricky first year for new businesses and is making a profit.

Social media is a big part of her business success story, with more than 10,000 followers on the Jessika's Boutique Instagram page and 3,000 on TikTok.

Jess also used her Instagram platform to open up when she was feeling overwhelmed after having her baby Myla, who is now three months old.

She had been preparing for North Weald Market in Essex when she said lots of little things had been going wrong and she "had a breakdown".

"I was just crying my eyes out and I thought 'I don't want to disappoint people'. I look to give good customer service. It was really overwhelming," said Jess, who hasn't had a proper day off from her business since Myla was born.

She said in her Instagram post: "I definitely feel I have returned to doing work to quick, my back is in agony from today…& I feel mega guilty for not spending time with my daughter who is only 5 weeks old."

Jess, who describes herself as an open person, said she wanted to reach out to people to let them know she wasn't coping at that point - and to show others "it's normal to feel like this".

"I have nothing to be ashamed of," she said.

She stopped going to the market for six weeks following her emergency C-section, but she said she was still marketing her business.

Jess, who has ambitions of having her own shop, doesn't believe having a child should stop you from achieving your career goals.

She said: "I want to prove people wrong. I have had a baby, but I still want to achieve my goals. It's a little harder. I think having a baby motivates you to work even more so you can provide a better life."

Her and her partner Jack Rolfe, who live in Great Cornard, have also just launched a new venture focusing on accessories.

Jess is working on a 'goal getter book' to help people be more motivated and achieve their dreams, after people commented on her being an 'inspiration' following previous media coverage.

Since launching Jessika's Boutique, she has got to collaborate with celebrities including AngelBo Stanley from TOWIE and Courtney Smith from Absolutely Ascot.

Jess' advice to others managing a similar business and family juggle is "don't give up".

"You will have c**p days, you will have good days. Find a healthy balance, and if you have got goals and are motivated you will always succeed."

For details of her book visit her website. Jessika's Boutique is also on Facebook.