How I Plan To Stay Freelance While On Maternity Leave

Freelancing is all about flexibility, right? I can work my own hours, manage my own schedule and make enough money to support myself even while traveling the world. All that freedom comes in exchange for an unreliable income and unstable benefits, though.

So when I found out I was pregnant, I almost went out of my mind trying to figure out how to plan for maternity leave. Would I just have to work through it? Could I quit freelancing altogether and find a full-time job with benefits?

Or would the Universe give me some kind of sign that would lead me through this uncertainty into a stable sojourn with my baby? It turns out, the answer was yes in that order.

Here’s what happened when I tried to get myself into a position where freelancing could pay for my time off from freelance work (or at least keep me from going broke).

How To Plan for Maternity Leave As a Self Employed Creative

Takeaways
1. Balancing freelancing and maternity leave requires careful planning and communication with clients.
2. Maintaining financial stability through health insurance is crucial during the transition period.
3. Exploring alternative ways of freelancing, such as mobile work, can ensure productivity without internet access.
4. Understanding the pros and cons of freelancing during maternity leave can help make informed decisions.
5. Accessing additional resources and guides on freelance maternity leave can provide valuable support and insights.

Everything Is Already On A Schedule

You already have a routine, and it’s served you well. Stick to that routine as closely as possible while working from home that way, you can continue being productive without getting distracted by other things.

While pregnant, I was still very much in the freelance mindset of “work when I want to work.”

That led me down a path of spending too long on projects at times (and not finishing them), which resulted in me feeling like my productivity had gone down because I wasn’t hitting deadlines or producing as many pieces as before.

If anything, working while pregnant should be the exception rather than the rule but if you do decide to continue freelancing during your time off, here are some tips:

Make sure you have a schedule for yourself that includes everything from meals to naps and exercise time and stick to it!

Be disciplined about taking breaks every day so that your mind doesn’t get overwhelmed with what needs to be done next (or worse yet: nothing). Don’t let yourself feel guilty about taking those breaks!

Your brain needs rest just like any other muscle does so it can function optimally. But also don’t forget about eating healthy foods throughout the day so that both body and mind stay energized throughout this exciting journey ahead of us all 🙂

As a freelancer, it can be challenging to find clients, especially during significant life transitions. If you’re facing difficulties, don’t lose hope. Check out our guide on what to do if you’re a freelancer that is looking for clients but not getting any to discover effective strategies for client acquisition and success.

Clients Don’t Expect You To Be Available All The Time

Clients are used to working with freelancers and are generally very understanding about the fact that you’ll need time off.

Most of the clients I work with regularly know that I live in London and have a husband and two young children.

So they expect that my availability will be limited some even ask me for recommendations for childcare or items like nappies! Some of them even worked from home themselves, so they understand how demanding that can be.

My clients also tend to be incredibly flexible on deadlines because they know I am going through something life-changing right now (which is why it’s so important you get great client relationships).

When we set up our freelance business together, we agreed that if one of us needed to take time off because of having kids or other life events, the other would step in without complaint or extra charge.

Tell Everyone What Your Working Hours Are

The first step is to let everyone know that you are on maternity leave. This means that you will be unavailable during the times when you would normally be working, and they should not expect any response from you until your regular working hours resume.

The second step is to create a set schedule that reflects when exactly those hours are so that people do not expect immediate responses from you while they are happening.

The third step is to stick with this schedule! This can be difficult if it is inconvenient or frustrating for others around them (such as colleagues).

But it’s easier if they’re able to relax about everything else because of this one fixed thing in their lives: knowing exactly when they’ll get responses from their coworkers or clients

The Themes Are Awesome

You can use any theme you want on WordPress, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy to maintain. Themes are like shoes you have to find ones that fit the shape of your feet and stay on your feet until they wear out.

I’ve tried many themes over the years and have found some great ones, but they eventually started giving me blisters and corns from rubbing against my skin when I wore them for too long (metaphorically speaking).

I want a theme that’s:

Easy to install & customize – no coding or design experience necessary!
Mobile responsive so it looks great on every device!
Quick loading speed is always a must-have for websites nowadays!

Maintaining financial stability is crucial during freelancing, especially when going through life-changing events like maternity leave. Learn how health insurance can save you from going broke when freelancing and secure your financial future as a freelancer.

Only Do What Needs To Get Done, Nothing More

The first thing I’ve learned is to focus on what needs to get done, and nothing else. So often, we think about how many things we could be doing if we had more time.

But if you’re spending all day thinking about that stuff instead of working toward your goals, it won’t do you any good.

To stay focused on what’s right in front of me, I’ve started limiting my tasks each day so that they aren’t overwhelming or intimidating.

If there’s something big coming up like an important project deadline or website launch date and there usually is! then I’ll assign myself smaller tasks during the week leading up to it.

This way when it comes time for something bigger (like a client meeting), then I’m prepared with everything needed instead of panicking because none of my work has been done yet;

This helps ease anxiety as well as keep my stress level down throughout the rest of pregnancy/motherhood 🙂

The second thing I’ve learned is not to worry about what hasn’t been done yet or might never get finished since these thoughts only make things worse anyway! Instead, focus on today’s task at hand and value yourself enough not to be tempted by other distractions while working on them 🙂

No Multitasking

The first thing that I’ve noticed is that I can only do one thing at a time. This means that I need to take care of my daughter and complete my work in a timely fashion, but it also means that when she goes down for her nap, I must take one as well.

I cannot get up from the couch and start editing photos or writing, because then she might wake up and start crying again.

This has been hard for me, who likes doing more than one thing at once (and doing those things well). But to stay on top of everything, this rule has been essential in helping me accomplish my goals while also caring for myself and my daughter.

Priorities Are Key

Priorities are key. You need to prioritize your work, and you need to prioritize the things that will help keep you sane in this time of transition.

I am going to be working on other projects while I’m on leave, but I’m doing so at a much slower pace and with fewer hours than when I was working full-time. I am also really trying not to take on any new clients right now because it’s just not feasible for me right now.

Focusing more on my website and getting my work out there is important as well not only because it helps me build my brand recognition and reputation but also because it helps bring in some extra income (even if very infrequent).

Don’t rush into anything new. This is especially true if you’re going through something like maternity leave or grieving after losing someone close it’s easy to feel like everything needs an immediate solution or change of course while those emotions are raw!

But rushing into things without properly considering all angles can make life even harder than it already is at times like these.

Freelancing during maternity leave can offer flexibility, but it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons carefully. Our comprehensive article on the pros & cons of freelancing while on maternity leave will help you make an informed decision about balancing work and family responsibilities.

Set Up Clear Boundaries For Yourself

One of the best ways you can make sure that your maternity leave is a success is by setting boundaries for yourself.

Be honest with yourself about what you’re able to do and what you’re not, and don’t feel guilty about saying no when someone asks something that isn’t in line with your new schedule.

You don’t need to be available 24/7 if you’re working part-time or taking time off it’s probably better if people don’t expect that from you!

Another good idea is setting clear expectations with those around you. Let them know how many contacts they can expect from you every week (if at all), whether there will be days when work just doesn’t happen because of baby duty…

Even if it seems embarrassing or weird at first, being honest about what goes into caring for a newborn will help everyone understand why something might take longer than expected instead of becoming frustrated with your lack of availability

Navigating the freelancing world can be daunting, especially when it comes to securing essential benefits like health insurance. Discover the importance of health coverage for freelancers in our article on how health insurance can save you from going broke when freelancing, and ensure your well-being and financial security.

Don’t Give In To The Fear Of Disappointing Others

As a freelancer, you have to be okay with disappointing people. The truth is that you may have a client who’s not satisfied with your work or maybe they complain about the price (even though it’s fair).

You also might get sick or injured and need to take time off for recovery. If you were an employee with paid leave and other benefits, that wouldn’t be an issue you’d still get paid regardless of what happened to your health.

But as a freelancer, if some sort of disaster strikes and delays or interrupts your work? It’s on you!

There’s no one else taking care of things like medical bills or rent payments while you recover from whatever ailment has hit hard enough for it to impact your ability to create content (and therefore make money).

So don’t delude yourself into thinking that being an entrepreneur means “the sky is the limit,” because there are limits on what one person can do alone without help from others, and sometimes those limits will mean disappointing someone along the way too!

Grab Life By The Horns And Do It Your Way!

It is important to take control of your life and do what you want. You are the only one who can make that call. It is also important to make sure that you are happy, so live a life that makes sense for you as an individual and not for others.

If you want to go out and party every night, then do it! If you would rather be home reading a book all day long, then do that instead!

But most importantly, never let anyone tell you how to live your life or what kind of person they think you should be because if they did their job correctly in raising someone they would see how amazing of an individual they got on the other side.

For me, however, this will mean setting some goals both short-term (a month) and long-term (a year). Here are some examples:

Stay connected and productive during maternity leave by exploring unconventional freelancing methods. Learn how one freelancer manages her work on the go, even without an internet connection, in our insightful piece on how I freelance on the phone when I don’t have an internet connection.

Short Term Goals:

Get my health back on track by eating healthier foods; drinking less alcohol; exercising more often; sleeping better…etc .(This one shouldn’t be hard)

Conclusion

If you’re a freelance writer then you know how hard it is to part with your baby. It’s so tempting just to let go and spend all day playing with them, but there are also bills to pay and deadlines to meet!

The key thing is finding a balance between work time and family time which isn’t always easy for those who work from home. You might find yourself feeling guilty about taking care of your kids instead of the client projects that need attention, or vice versa (and on both fronts).

But if we want our freelance careers to last after maternity leave ends, we need some type of routine/schedule set up so that everything gets done while still keeping our sanity intact and hopefully enjoying all those precious moments with our little ones too!

FAQs

Can freelancers take maternity leave?

Yes, freelancers can take maternity leave, but unlike traditional employees, they usually don’t have access to paid leave benefits from an employer.

How can freelancers financially prepare for maternity leave?

Freelancers can financially prepare for maternity leave by setting aside savings, reducing expenses, and exploring insurance options for income protection.

What steps should freelancers take to maintain their freelance career during maternity leave?

To maintain their freelance career during maternity leave, freelancers should communicate with clients in advance, delegate tasks when possible, and plan for a gradual return to work.

Are there resources available to freelancers for guidance on maternity leave?

Yes, there are resources available, such as guides provided by organizations like IPSE and professional websites that offer tips and advice specific to freelancers on maternity leave.

How can freelancers manage their workload and client expectations while on maternity leave?

Freelancers can manage their workload and client expectations during maternity leave by setting clear boundaries, communicating their availability, and partnering with trusted colleagues for project support.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.