Running a business while a newborn

[Hekabe]

Hello all - looking for some friendly advice. Due to be a first time mum this summer... not quite planned.

Just after I found out I had signed a 5 year lease on an office, employed new staff and started an expansion plan to build up to kids in a couple of years...

Currently with the new O/H I just break even and I am very much steering the ship.

And I went and got pregnant. Which is wonderful and exciting - but... not great timing/financially.

Anyway - I had grand plans to take the baby with my into my office (it is mine after all), feed, have a travel cot, work, nap, feed... go for a walk, work...

It gets easier come 2 months in as I'll have a nannyshare (great - but I need to find an extra £500pcm) and hopefully daddy day care.

I'm not sure how it will work exactly. I've been collecting items to have in the office (breast pump, travel cot, bouncer, etc etc).

My question is, has anyone else done this? Have to straight back into work? I'm talking maybe two weeks. If I'm lucky.

I did have cover but that fell through this week. And with blood pressure I'm trying to keep calm for little ones sake.

Will this be ok? Will it go horribly wrong into failure and bankruptcy and a neglected child? Or will I balance it all beautifully and multitask clients whilst nursing at my desk?

Any experiences or tips would be really helpful. Thanks mums. xx

[delilahbucket]

To be honest, you won't know if it is possible until the time comes. You don't know how you will feel. Plenty of women have gone back to work straight away with no issues so it can work. You need a back up plan though. You could have a terrible labour or c section and not be up to leaving the house for weeks.

[BikeRunSki]

Your thread title made me chuckle!!!

[Mummysh0rtlegs]

I think two weeks is ambitious, maybe after 6-8 weeks. Babies aren't good at knowing day and night and can have you up most of the night so using your brain is not always possible.

[Fitzsimmons]

I'm self employed (freelancer). I planned on going back straight away but it was just not possible. I was exhausted. Even now, my DD is 15 months and DS is 4, the only times I get any meaningful work done is when they are in childcare or in bed asleep.

That being said, I do know of other women that managed it, and I really don't think you will know if you can until the baby arrives.

[Redyellowpinkblue]

I'm just about to do this too OP and I'm so nervous to be honest I'm not thinking about it too much!
With dd1 I was employed and had a full year of paid mat leave. Fast forward 3.5 years and I'm expecting again - was planning a 2nd child but it happened months faster than we planned! - baby due in a few weeks but this time I run my own company and I don't have the option to take much time off, same as you really just a couple of weeks but I'll be answering calls and emails the whole time.
Dd1 was hard, newborns are hard, and what worries me is if it was that hard the first time and I was at home god knows how I will cope taking new baby into office and juggling work. Luckily I have a wonderful team who have promised to help - all of them mums actually - and I suppose baby will just have to fit into the schedule.
I aim to get into routine asap as I need to take dd1 to nursery for 9am and then I plan to go straight to work and we will try a few hours at first and see how that goes.
I breastfed dd1 and plan on doing the same and using a ring sling for her to just be attached to me - dd1 loved it and it means I'll at least have my hands free!
Basically I'm not going to worry about it till she arrives and we will work around her and me and the business and take it one day at a time.
Good luck

[hamandmustard]

I am of the age when many people went back at 6 weeks as that was all the maternity pay you got.

I could have gone back at 2 weeks in the circumstance you describe with my 1st but not my 2nd as he was ill and in hospital- that would have been about 8 weeks with him.

Cant you work from home initially?

[cecinestpasunepipe]

I thought op must be the baby from Boss Baby 👶!

[Hekabe]

Ha! Yes I think I was already over tired when posting... running a business WITH a newborn... I'm already playing catch up.

Sigh. It doesn't look good does it ladies?

The lucky thing is I live near my office, so I'm hoping that helps. But I suspect it's going to go totally tits up in spectacular fashin. As long as I can keep clients on board, and keep y self and the LO alive and healthy... hopefully that will be success in it's self.

[CryingShame]

Without giving away too much, what sort of work do you do? If you or your staff are making calls, how will you stop the baby from crying in the background, or throwing up over the floor / your work clothes? You do hear of people who can do this, but when DS arrived I felt like I'd been hit by a bus and got nothing else done. I remember a friend saying how proud she was that she learned to butter a crumpet with one hand so she could now eat and hold the baby. There was the day I finally got a shower at 4pm.

I really hope you get a baby who fits into a work routine for you, but knowing the babies I've come across, I very much doubt it'll happen with your professional reputation intact. Sorry.

[Hekabe]

This is what I'm scared off. totally loosing my sh*t - which is, let's face it, highly likely.

Love the buttered crumpet story!

I was so proud I went for a walk yesterday. Feel awful today though!

[Ineededtonamechange]

To be honest by about 10 days I was quite alive. Driving, out and about etc. I got tired easily and needed help at night etc

If you have help with night feeds, can sleep early at night and have very few household jobs to do, then it isn't impossible!!!

Good luck!

[Hekabe]

Phew @Ineededtonamechange - that is reassuring. I was hoping someone out there had done it too. But good to know that you had more energy!

Thanks

[icanteven]

I did it with Dd2 - back at work (own business with staff and office) and breastfeeding at my desk within days, but dd1 was a nightmare and it would not have been possible.