The flexibility of freelancing is what’s most appealing to me. I can get assignments done in my sweats or at odd hours of the night.
But while freelancing does come with a lot of flexibility, it can be hard to juggle a self-made workload while you’re pregnant. The harsh truth about running a freelance business, is that there are no paid sick days, and you don’t get a paycheck just for showing up.
During my second pregnancy, I was able to do a lot more freelance work than I was my first pregnancy. I am not sure if I just felt better this time around or if I developed more productive time management skills.
Here’s what I learned about how to balance your workload as an expectant mother in the freelance market.
Try Living Off One Income
How much does your family rely on your freelance income? Pregnancy and child birth can be so unpredictable.
Sometimes circumstances happen that will prevent you from doing work, such as serious complications or a preemie baby. Try to make the financial sacrifices needed in order to live off of one income during pregnancy. This will allow you to be better prepared for anything that pops up.
Also, if your pregnancy ends up going smoothly, you’ll have extra freelance income set aside in your savings. So there’s no downside to this!
Be Realistic with Yourself
Usually the first and third trimesters are the hardest. The second trimester usually comes with more energy, so take advantage of your workload during this time. However, each woman is different.
Be realistic with what you can handle. I cut down on my workload by about 50 percent when I entered my third trimester of pregnancy. I gave a few weeks’ notice to my clients and tried to keep the connection open just in case I needed the work in the future.
Be open and honest with your clients, too. It’s likely they will understand and be completely open to you scaling back while you focus on yourself and your family.
Outsource Certain Projects
If you are a blogger, I think outsourcing and streamlining tasks are the easiest way for you to get ahead before baby comes.
Outsourcing research for an article, handing over your social media, or asking them to answer emails, will take a huge stress off of you. I haven’t had to outsource work, due to the nature of my projects, but I’m trying to work ahead and have several articles in the queue.
The ability to schedule posts and social media ahead of time, makes it easier for both my schedule and the small business blogs I write for.
No matter what type of freelancer you are, whether it’s graphic designer, photographer, Etsy, etc., everyone can benefit from a little hired help.
Streamline Every Where You Can
If outsourcing work isn’t your thing, try outsourcing a bit of chores around the house in order to make time for your freelance projects.
I’ve streamlined a lot of my home duties to help me to have more time to concentrate on work. I just hired a professional cleaning lady to come once-a-month.
The truth is that even if I didn’t do freelance, it is wonderful to have someone else do the deep cleaning, especially when your belly is overtaking the rest of your body. She also does a much more efficient and better job than I could in the time it takes her.
I have also done other small things to streamline my time in the future. Like batch cooking and prepping freezer meals so that dinner and clean-up take very little time.
Ask For Help
As a pregnant woman who’s balancing freelance work, don’t be afraid to ask for help in every area.
Ask your clients for extensions or time off. Ask a fellow freelancer for help with outsourcing work. And ask your friends and family for their support.
Be realistic with yourself while you maintain working and being a mom. Use these tips to help strike that perfect balance of being a professional and taking care of your family.
Are you an expectant freelancer? How do you manage working while pregnant?
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Being realistic and learning to say no is sooooo underrated. So many moms (or soon to be moms) need to know her limits and just say no before everything gets too overwhelming.
Amen to that. No one should be expected to do everything whenever someone decides to ask them to!
While I’ve never been a pregnant freelancer, I have been a sick freelancer. Knowing I have enough income to take the necessary time off to take care of myself has proven so comforting.
I very much like your advice of living off of one income. Like you said, if you do make money, it’ll just be a boon! Plus, makes sense to plan for just one income after baby is born (at least for a little while).