Should I tell a potential employee I am pregnant?

I didn't want to put them in childcare until they're about 2 or 3, but maybe it would be better for them if they had 2/3 full days with a childminder, having lots of fun and attention.

Your initial plan is good, OP. On the whole, babies need their mums, not 'fun' with a childminder.

I would be open and honest with your potential employer if you want a long term working relationship with them.

It is a bit hard to say how things will be before you have the baby, tbh! I know, this makes planning difficult. Big life change!

Hell no. Do not tell them. You're a part-time freelancer!

I've been a freelancer since before my kids were born (although rarely part time). With both, and both with fairly harrowing EMCSes, and one very needy baby and one absolute angel, I was still able to check email, do a few bits within a couple of weeks. Sure, housework wasn't a priority, and I stopped making ex packed lunches, but it really wasn't an issue (DS1 even joined me at a few meetings!)

My kids are fantastic, well behaved, well liked, well loved, despite ex basically leaving me to raise them (and I thank my lucky stars I kept up the freelancing, despite him encouraging me to give it up, so I could end the relationship when it became clear what he'd been up to|)

They are well used to me occasionally having to close the door and go on a call (and they're not scared, they'll gently open the door, establish if I can chat, before asking for a snack for instance - very reasonable kids).

Being freelance (also remote) means that I have mitigated the risk of losing my career, but I can still take them to school/pick them up, go to sportsday etc. and generally be the present parent they need (I could make a dig about their father here, and I will, since he's a lazy coward who doesn't deserve the wonderful kids they are, and he sees once a week!)

How pregnant are you?

If it's freelance, can you cram in as much work as possible in the next 6 months or so, show them you're amazingly shit-hot at what you do & then after a decent period of maternity leave they'll want to use you again?

If it's regular work, I think you need to take it & find a way around it when the time comes.

Maybe you could reduce hours for a short while, but still keep your hand in until you can take more.
Can you collaborate with someone else in the industry to 'share' the contract for a short while?

I feel you are being unreasonable on your baby. You need to give them what they need in the initial first years. It is a good mindset for both you and the father to be able to prioritise this little person.

If it really doesn't matter when you do your 15 to 18 hours, and you could do them mostly during the weekend when your DH is available to care for the baby, then it's potentially doable. Would be a bit miserable though, until your baby is old enough and you are able to put them into childcare for that time during the week. So perhaps 2 to 3 full days in nursery or with a childminder? Were you planning on using paid childcare at some point?

It depends entirely on your baby whether you'd be able to work from home with no childcare. I have a 4 month old and sometimes struggle to put a wash on throughout the day! Also I'd feel very guilty trying to distract her whilst I worked behind a screen so be prepared that it might not work out.

I also think you grossly under-estimate the impact of a 2 month old baby on your time.

Are you sure this is a freelance role? Talk of permanency implies not?

It can be difficult sometimes to know how long you will be off with a first baby. But your work also sounds reasonably flexible. Do you have someone who can be helpful with childcare?

FWIW I worked from home and with my fourth baby only took two weeks off, but I might give a little more time for a first baby. If you had a section it might take you that long just to be able to get around like normal.

TBH, going back to work varies hugely. Some people manage to do it quite soon after, depends on birth and how you feel/recover. Personally I'd say 6/9 months is more realistic and fairer on both you and the baby.

I think I disagree with the others. It would be a different calculation if you were an employee, but if I was contracting with a service for something, I would like to know well in advance that they would not be available for a certain period. It really wouldn't matter why - I would only need to know that there would be no availability from x to y.

Provided you can deliver what they need when they need it overall, it shouldn’t be an issue, should it?