Going back to freelancing after giving birth to a child can be an adjustment. After spending months taking care of a new small human, getting back into the swing of things (and making a living) can feel difficult.
Especially if you’re dealing with sleep deprivation, recovering from labor and delivery, and all the other joys of welcoming a new baby into your family.
I suspect the process is even more challenging when you have more than one child at home. However, through trial and error over the years since I had my first child, I’ve managed to maintain my freelance writing career while also managing childcare needs. Here’s how:
| Takeaway |
|---|
| Freelancing during maternity leave requires planning, |
| time management, and clear communication with clients. |
| It can offer flexibility, but also comes with risks, |
| such as financial uncertainty and workload concerns. |
| Building a support system and setting boundaries are |
| essential for maintaining work-life balance during |
| this unique phase of life. |
Don’t Be Afraid To Say No
When you’re a freelancer, there’s no one to tell you to take a break when you know that a deadline is looming. You have to be able to say “I can’t do this,” and trust in your judgment.
I’ve been approached about designing logos for people who want me to design their logos for free. I won’t do it if it doesn’t fit my business model or my schedule, and I can’t afford it (and would never recommend someone else do so).
But if I had said yes at first, then maybe the client would have become unhappy with what they got from me later on and criticized my work even more than they already did.
So instead of saying yes immediately, consider whether it really fits into your business plan or just seems like an easy way out of some project management issues your employer has created.
If it doesn’t fit either of these categories don’t waste time or energy working on something that isn’t going anywhere
Don’t let freelancing mistakes keep you broke! Learn from the best practices in our guide on avoiding common freelancing mistakes to ensure a successful freelance career.
Find A Good Spot To Work
Finding a good workspace can be a challenge. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Find a quiet, distraction-free space. This might mean turning off your phone and powering down your laptop, or it could mean finding an empty room in your house.
If you work from home all day, you may not be able to find this kind of space at first.
But if you’re not used to working in one place for long periods and can’t seem to focus on anything else, try experimenting with different rooms around your house until you find one that works for you.
Make sure it’s well-lit. You don’t need overhead lights as they have in offices; just enough light coming into the room will do just fine and even better if it’s natural light (sunlight!) shining through windows or skylights!
The more sunlight there is, the better we feel overall so we recommend having windows within arm’s reach wherever possible when freelancing while pregnant or nursing babies at home.
Make sure it’s comfortable. You should sit upright with both feet flat on the floor; otherwise, backaches could occur from prolonged sitting without ergonomic support (iPad stands).
There should also be enough room around so that no part of our body touches any other part as this causes discomfort after a while too.
Especially important when breastfeeding since nursing pillows help us stay comfortable during those long hours spent feeding our little ones every 3-4 hours throughout each 24 hours!
Re-Evaluate Your Workflow
Don’t be afraid to re-evaluate your workflow. It’s a good idea to do this anyway, but it’s especially important when you’re freelancing while on maternity leave. You have more time than usual and can spend more time doing other things than working.
So, don’t be scared about doing things differently or experimenting with new methods of getting work done you’ll need to keep the momentum going for clients not to lose interest in you or your business!
Be open-minded about asking for help from others. Freelancers often pride themselves on being independent workers who can do everything by themselves.
But sometimes it’s okay (and even necessary) to get assistance from others if it means saving yourself time and energy in the long run, especially during periods where there are far fewer demands placed upon us than usual (like during our pregnancies).
If someone offers advice that seems useful enough then take advantage of their knowledge!
Asking questions is also important because this allows us all to learn more about each other while we’re talking together online via social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook Messenger.
Time management is crucial for freelancers, especially during maternity leave. Discover effective strategies in our article on time management tips for freelancers to make the most of your work-life balance.
Be Flexible
At first, being flexible with your work hours and environment might feel like a loss of control. However, it is essential for your sanity and the well-being of your baby that you allow yourself some wiggle room in how you work.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family or friends if you need it no one expects a new mom on maternity leave to do everything herself! You should also be sure that there are at least two people who can cover your parenting duties so you can take care of yourself (and vice versa).
Be prepared for client requests that make even less sense than usual during this time: some will want things “now now now” while others will expect near perfection given the circumstances.
It’s important to remember that these aren’t personal slights; they’re just part of doing business as usual but they may require extra flexibility on everyone’s part if everyone needs to get what they need to be done without sacrificing their health or sanity along the way.
Stay Organized
Freelancing is all about organization. If you’re not organized, it’s hard to get your work done and even harder to keep track of what you’ve done.
If a client asks for an edit on a project and you haven’t saved the file, there’s no way you’ll be able to send them what they need in time. If your client is paying by the hour and they have a tight deadline, this could cost them money (and maybe even their business).
You can avoid these types of problems by always keeping one eye on the clock while working and making sure that everything is saved as often as possible so nothing gets lost or forgotten in the shuffle!
Keep Open Communication With Your Clients
It’s important to remain open and honest with your clients. You should never commit to something you cannot do, but being honest about any changes in your availability or skills can be helpful for both parties.
Your client will likely understand if they know why a task was not completed on time, as long as it’s communicated ahead of time.
If you’re taking a leave of absence from freelancing due to pregnancy or parenthood, it’s good practice to let them know before starting a project so they can adjust their expectations accordingly.
It may also help if you include some proof that the work would have been done on time at one point: maybe an email where you outlined what was going on and when it would be complete?
Balancing motherhood and freelancing is possible, and you can even earn a substantial income during maternity leave. Learn from one freelancer’s experience in how she made $10,000 with part-time work during maternity leave and get inspired to achieve your financial goals.
Communicate Your Working Hours And Availability Clearly
If you’re going to take maternity leave, you must communicate your working hours and availability. Here are some tips for doing this:
Be clear about when you’re available to work and when you’re not. Your clients will probably want to know what time zone, location and day of the week they can reach you on, so be honest about that.
Be clear about your availability for calls and meetings. If there are some days or times of day where it’s harder for them to get a hold of you than others, let them know now so they’ll be able to plan accordingly once the baby arrives!
Be clear about your availability for video conferences or phone calls with remote colleagues as well as in-person meetings at the office (or at home).
It’s important not only for scheduling but also because being able to see one another helps build trust between co-workers–plus it makes things go more smoothly overall!
Hire Help If You Need It And Can Afford It
When I was freelancing, my husband and I hired a housekeeper to come in once a week. She would clean our house from top to bottom, do laundry and fold it, wash all of the sheets for our bed, make dinner for us that night and then cook breakfast for us the next morning.
The money we spent on her services was worth every single penny because we were able to focus on work while she took care of everything else at home.
We also hired a nanny who came over after school each day as well as during the weekends so both of us could get caught up with projects or meet with clients without having to worry about picking up after ourselves or making dinner!
It was great having someone else around who could help out when needed but also knew their boundaries (or lack thereof…).
Get Support From Family And Friends
While you’re on maternity leave, you must take advantage of the support system you have around you. Friends and family can help with childcare, errands, housework, cooking, and organizing the list goes on.
You’ll want to make sure that your loved ones know what tasks they can handle now so they don’t get overwhelmed later when the baby arrives or stress out over taking care of a new baby while trying to do everything else as well (or worse).
You might also consider asking friends if they’d like to take turns watching your child for an evening so one parent is always home with him/her in case something happens during the day such as a fever or injury.
This way both parents will be able to get some much-needed time off together without having to worry about where their kid is being watched by someone else!
Create A Routine, But Don’t Be Dogmatic About It
Even if your work is mostly non-verbal, you can still benefit from creating a routine. A routine will help you and your baby feel more comfortable, which means that you’ll be able to focus better on the task at hand.
I find that it’s important to build flexibility into my schedule so that I’m not rigid about when I work and how long I work each day. This helps me avoid burnout and makes it easier for me to take breaks when needed (e.g. if my daughter is having an especially fussy day).
It also helps me stay organized so that when things are happening in our lives outside of work the neighbor’s cat coming into the heat again or my husband is being called away unexpectedly.
I don’t feel like everything has fallen apart just because one thing didn’t go according to plan!
Are you a freelancer preparing for maternity leave? Learn how to make the most of it in our comprehensive guide on preparing for and getting the most out of maternity leave despite freelancing, with tips tailored to your unique situation.
Try To Be Realistic About How Much Work You Can Do And When You Can Do It
It’s important to be realistic about how much work you can do, and when. You might be surprised by how much of your time is taken up with caring for a newborn baby. If you’ve never been around babies before, it’s easy to underestimate the amount of time they need.
The same goes for being realistic about how much energy and focus you’ll have as a new mom it may not seem like much, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important!
Another thing worth considering: how much money do I make from my freelance work? And how much does my husband make? How does our financial situation look now compared with before we had kids?
Do I have enough savings built up for emergencies or unexpected expenses (like an emergency trip to the ER)? Are we saving enough money so that we can afford daycare when our child starts school?
These are some questions worth asking yourself before deciding on whether or not becoming a freelancer while on maternity leave is right for you.
Don’t Count On Naps Or Quiet Time (But Take Advantage Of It If It Happens)
You may have heard that naps and quiet time are crucial during maternity leave, but don’t count on them. Being a freelancer means being in charge of your schedule, so you will likely have more freedom to sleep when you want (or need) to than if you had a traditional job.
But this also means there’s no guarantee that naps or quiet time will happen when you need them.
If possible, try to work from home during nap times so that if your baby needs attention, he has his mom nearby instead of at an office or in child care.
If your child is older than 2 years old and able to take care of himself while he plays quietly on his own while you work and many can! you can probably use this time as well (assuming it’s not too noisy).
If all else fails and you absolutely must go out into the world after hours or on weekends where there are fewer nap options, do what works best for each situation: go early enough in the day that jet lag won’t be an issue (this especially applies if traveling).
Pack snacks or meals ahead of time so there’s no temptation for fast food stops along the way home at nightfall (and if it happens anyway…well…chances are good everyone needs food), etcetera but never forget about naptime!
Plan Ahead For Meetings Or Calls, Especially Ones Involving Video Conferencing Or Your Appearance On the Camera
If you have a meeting or call that involves video conferencing or your appearance on camera, plan. Consider the time of day, the length of the meeting, and where you’ll be working on your laptop.
Make sure that all necessary equipment is available the last thing you want is to show up for an important conference only to find out that you don’t have access to it because someone else has been using it for hours at a time.
Consider Hiring Out Some Things You Used To Do Yourself
If you’re not working full-time, there’s a good chance that much of your work will be self-directed, meaning that it’s up to you to get things done.
It can be hard to carve out time for everything when you’re caring for a newborn, especially if there are other factors in play like postpartum depression or anxiety, or insomnia. Or maybe the thought of finding new clients is just too much right now.
One way around this is by hiring someone else to do things like answering emails and scheduling appointments for you that way, at least some part of your business can continue growing while spending more time with your newborn baby!
Find an assistant who specializes in virtual assistance:
They’ll help organize your inbox and calendar; offer suggestions on what tasks should take priority; provide research support; help maintain client relationships; keep track of payments made/received; keep track of expenses incurred/paid out; etc., etc., etc.
Leverage The Time When The Baby Is Sleeping
When the baby is sleeping, use that time to get work done. If you are breastfeeding, pump during this time.
When the baby wakes up, nurse and then do some more work. You may even be able to make bottles while the baby is asleep and then have someone else feed them to him/her when they wake up.
If you are formula feeding, use this as an opportunity to make bottles for your child so you don’t have to spend all day cooking!
You can also use this time if you need help with bottle-feeding; maybe someone else in your household wants to help out by doing some of your feeding responsibilities.
Take Care Of Yourself So You Are At 100 Percent With Whatever You’re Doing (Sleep, Eat, Exercise)
It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life as a freelancer. But if you want to be a good freelancer while on maternity leave, you must take care of yourself physically and mentally.
This means that every day even if it’s an exceptionally busy one you should try to find time for some restorative activities like meditation or reading a book.
If possible, try also to have some kind of routine for eating well and exercising regularly (for example: getting out for walks after lunch).
By making sure your body is rested and healthy enough to do the work required by your job, this will ensure that when the time comes back from maternity leave, everything will be running smoothly again!
Freelancing is reshaping the way we work, offering unique opportunities for work-life balance. Explore the impact of freelancing in our article on how freelancing is causing a fundamental shift in the way we work and adapt to the changing landscape of the job market.
When You’re A Freelancer Who’s Also Raising A Young Child, There Are Ways To Do Both Works In A Way That Meets Your Needs And Expectations
You need to set priorities and be flexible, organized, realistic, and honest with yourself.
You can’t do everything. You can’t get out of the house every day. Clients will be late sometimes or cancel altogether.
Money is tight; sometimes you’ll feel like giving up on freelance work entirely because it’s more than you can manage right now as well as being a parent full-time. That’s okay! It happens sometimes!
It’s important to remember not just what is possible but also what is desirable: working from home while spending time with your child; earning enough money so that he/she doesn’t have to worry about financial concerns;
Having more time together than if one person was working outside the home every day for eight hours straight (or more).
Conclusion
If you decide to freelance while on maternity leave, we hope that our advice will be helpful. Ultimately, though, you have to figure out what works for you. The key is to do what’s best for your baby, and then do what’s best for your clients.
Also, remember that it’s okay if things don’t work out as planned or you can’t meet all of your deadlines. Your clients will understand if the quality of your work is good and you communicate clearly with them about what’s happening.
The most important thing is that you do things in a way that works well for everyone involved you, your child, and your clients.
Further Reading
Mumsnet: Doing Freelance Work While on Maternity Leave
A discussion on Mumsnet forum about freelancing during maternity leave, sharing experiences and advice from other freelancers.
The New York Times: For Freelancers, Taking Time Off for a Baby is Risky
An article from The New York Times discussing the challenges and risks faced by freelancers when taking time off for maternity leave.
The Guardian: Maternity Leave Advice for Freelancers and Self-Employed
The Guardian’s career section provides valuable advice for freelancers and self-employed individuals planning for maternity leave.
FAQs
Can I freelance while on maternity leave?
Yes, freelancing while on maternity leave is possible, but it requires careful planning and consideration of work-life balance.
What are the risks of freelancing during maternity leave?
Freelancers may face financial insecurity and uncertainty about workload during maternity leave, potentially impacting their income.
How can I prepare for freelancing during maternity leave?
Preparation involves setting clear boundaries, building a support network, and planning for potential challenges that may arise.
Can I take a break from freelancing during maternity leave?
Yes, taking a break from freelancing during maternity leave is an option for those who wish to focus solely on their newborn and recovery.
How does freelancing during maternity leave affect my clients?
Freelancers should communicate transparently with their clients about their maternity leave plans to manage expectations and maintain professional relationships.
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.