Managing Your Pregnancy and Your Business

Having a child should be one of the happiest moments in your life; however, for women entrepreneurs it can be very stressful.  Many of my clients have come to me to figure out the balance between having a child and running a business. I’m a hands-on dad myself, but pregnancy is not something I’ve experienced, so I talked to Aileen McDonough, mom of two and owner of 3am Writers, a home-based communications company, to find out her top tips on building your business while you’re building a family. Here’s what she had to say:

  1. DON’T be afraid to tell your clients.  Having a baby is a happy event, and the people you want to work with will be happy for you. (Follow up quickly with #3, so you can stanch their worries.)

  2. DO be realistic and gentle with yourself. Give yourself time to rest, both during pregnancy and after the baby is born.  Remember, you are the engine on which your business runs: allow yourself the care you need to keep running!

  3. DO have a plan, and communicate that to your clients. Start planning early on, and let your clients and resources know who will handle which tasks while you’re on leave, how long you will be out of the office, and the hours you’ll be working once the baby is born.

  4. DO keep it professional.  Your clients don’t need to hear every detail of your pregnancy. So you were throwing up all morning and can’t do a phone conference.  Just be matter-of-fact and reschedule. Then go get yourself some ginger tea and do the phone call later.

  5. DON’T wish the time away. It’s easy to feel overloaded when you have a business and a baby, but creating a family is a precious thing. Being able to have a flexible schedule when you’re pregnant and your kids are small is a huge benefit. Breathe, stay present, and enjoy it.