to go freelance now when I might have another baby?

[Sierracantabria]

I hate my job. I'm working part time (though doing a full time role). It's a senior enough role that it seeps into my home life and is difficult to switch off from, but its a less senior role than I would have had without two maternity leaves and said part time working. I will not get promoted unless I am willing to up my hours and wade into the office politics and networking that will make that happen (which I am not prepared to do). Before long I am going to end up working for someone less experienced but that was prepared to do that.

My home life is suffering, we are surviving not living. My husband has a busy senior job as well and his career has flourished as mine has plateaued. He could potentially get a big promotion in the next couple of years, it makes sense at the moment to prioritise his career. We are on a logistical knife edge, we are knackered, it doesn't feel worth it. It's going to get harder next year when my eldest dc starts school.

I know I need to get out. I'm not too worried about it, I have a profession and a lot of good contacts. Ideally I would like to freelance or set up my own company. We have a big mortgage so I need (and want) to work, but I don't need to earn as much as I earn now, and we could afford for me to be not earning for a bit.

The complication is that we would probably like a third child. I am keener than my husband, he is not strongly for or against a third child at the moment. Before I went back with dc2 I thought I would put up with the current job until we had a third child, take another maternity leave, then not go back and look at freelancing then. I am so desperate to get out of this job that I have been pushing my dh to get pregnant asap. He has (rightly) challenged that my motivations for the third child are partly driven by the work situation. Whilst I don't think this is true, the timing probably is. Our dcs are 3 and 1. He thinks we should put the baby idea on hold for now, and sort the job situation, and enjoy life for a bit.

I know this is sensible. Plus adding the stress of ttc, then a pregnancy into our current situation would make things significantly worse before they got better. But I am worried about starting a company or freelance business when I know there is a chance of getting pregnant again in the not too distant future. I am 37 so would not want to leave it too long.

Aibu to just go for it and worry about a third baby later? Any self employed people have any positive stories about a pregnancy while setting up/just starting your own business?

[percythepenguin]

I had DC2 while self employed, it took about 2 years of working more hours than I usually would to save enough to cover me taking maternity leave! It really depend on how much time off you could afford to take but if I was on your position I would be trying to have a third while still employed!

[PrimalLass]

Have the third baby ASAP then spend some time putting things in place for your business while you are still getting paid.