Taking Maternity Leave When You're Self-Employed: Logistics for Baby #2

​As of today, my due date is just 25 days away. With this in mind, I figured it was about time to fill you all in {current clients + students, potential clients, blog readers, audio class takers, etc.} on what's going to be happening in Starr Struck-land while I'm out on maternity leave.

If it isn't obvious, I should mention that when you work for yourself, you don't get paid leave of any kind. When I stop working for any period of time, I stop making money. That's just the way it is. But luckily, I have a husband who gets amazing paid paternity leave (he's taking 12 weeks off!) and we've known that this time of no income was ahead of us (clearly), so we were able to save so that I can take this time off without us being super stressed about finances the whole time. 

But of course it's weird to step away when you run your own business (or when you are the business). It's hard for me to hand off client projects, to get subs for my classes, to stop consulting, blogging, and teaching workshops on the regular. It's necessary and it's what I want to do to be totally present with my family, but it's really hard. 

Also, I learned some valuable lessons last time around, so I'm applying them to my plan for leave with this babe: last time I went back too early {because Charlie Mae was such a good sleeper from 6-10 weeks...HAHAHAHHAHAHA}, I tried to take on too much too quickly when I did go back, and I didn't have the right child care situation figured out (but of course I didn't know that until it was too late and I was completely overwhelmed). 

So, this time I'm giving myself 12 full weeks off of almost everything. I'll be handling emails twice per week (on Mondays and Thursdays) and dealing with any urgent needs as applicable. But otherwise, were's what my maternity leave will look like in the various branches of my business:

• Design Clients:  This is the one part of my business that will continue while I'm out because this is also the one part of my business in which I am not a solopreneur. My good friend + fellow designer Sara has been working for Starr Struck Design Studio for almost 4 years now and thankfully, will be handling all client needs while I'm out. It feels SO good to be able to continue serving our current clients and when possible, help new clients with their needs [through Sara] while I'm out. 
  
  
• Consulting: I will not be doing any consulting while I'm out on maternity leave. If a current consulting client needs advice on something super quickly via email, I'll be responding [quickly] during my designated email times each week, but otherwise, these services will be on hiatus for at least 12 weeks. 
  
  
• Custom Art: Done-zo for now! I'm happy to give referrals to other artists who might be able to meet peoples' needs while I'm out, but I'm not taking on any commissions until the end of October or later. 
  
  
• Etsy Shop: My Etsy shop will stay open! I'll be removing all of my custom order options, but prints, greeting cards, and apparel will still be available, since I can easily pop something in the mail on a day when Charlie Mae is at daycare and Ben is with the babe ;) 
  
  
• Teaching Yoga Classes: I've got "on-call" subs set up to takeover whenever I need them and then continue covering my classes for at least 12 weeks, or from early July to mid-October. I'm only teaching 3 classes per week right now as it is (all at Centerville Yoga), but will wait to resume those classes until I'm really ready.
  
  
• Teaching Yoga Workshops: I taught my last workshop in May and am thinking I probably won't teach another workshop until November or December at the earliest (and January at the latest). I love teaching workshops but they take a lot more prep, time away, and energy than a regular class, so right now I'm thinking I'll probably need a longer break from them. Sigh. 
  
  
• Blogging: As soon as I go into labor, this blog {and my email newsletter} will be on hiatus until further notice. Of course I'll pop-in here + there to share the birth story, baby pics, and give you quick updates, but my regularly-scheduled blog programming won't return for a while and when it does return, I think it will be different (as in less frequent/less regular). TBD, I guess...

And that's about it for now! I obviously have no idea when I'll go into labor so I'll keep blogging until I do, but if you see me go quiet here and on Instagram (my main social media community these days), just stay tuned and hopefully I'll be sharing a happy, healthy baby update ASAP ;) 

Thanks for your understanding as I take some time away from my business to be with my family! And fellow solopreneurs: I hope this shows  you that while it is a bit more complicated and takes more planning, it is doable to go on maternity leave when you work for yourself.