How difficult will working with a newborn be?

[lostandconfused2]

I have no option but to work when I've had my baby in April, only a VERY small amount per week. I am a freelance writer and due to being off sick a lot through my pregnancy (I have a chronic illness and have had bad morning sickness) my maternity pay has gone down to about £250 a week, being 90% of my earnings on three days work a week. My rent alone is £950 and that's not covering bills and even with my partner's income it won't be enough to live on.

I have another job where I write three articles which take me around 25 minutes each to write, and I get £735 per week for that.

I cannot take the maternity and work at the same time I have been told by my other employer, so it's one or the other.

I have managed to save £1,500 so far for when baby is born so that I will have spare money for rent/bills etc. And I will have saved another £2,000 before he is born so I should have around 3 months rent ready to go. I'm trying to be as prepared as possible.

I guess my question is do you think this is doable? I know every newborn is different - but it's just a couple of hours each week, and it's pretty easy work, not too indepth or researchy - mainly personal and opion columns. It was an unplanned pregnancy as I was told I couldn't have children due to my chronic illness, just as a heads up to why I'm not super prepared.

Thank you!

£735 for 3 x 25 minutes, I'd move heaven and earth to make if happen!

Lucky you OP, you'll be fine!

That's possible, but will be stressful.

There's Velcro babies and then there's extreme. We are talking about an hour a week, two at the most! I think it is unusual to not be able to be in another room from your baby for an hour a week tbh. They could go out for a walk once a week and that would be enough for OP to get her work done 🤷🏻‍♀️

DesLynamsMoustache

Lots of mums on here who will explain to you why that doesn’t always work. In my case, of course it sometimes worked, just not regularly enough for me to commit to producing three pieces of work a week to a professional standard with a newborn hanging off my boob fifteen times a day. Like I say, they’re all different. 🤷🏻‍♀️

JollyRoger you really are painting the worst case scenario here. There aren't many babies who need 24/7 breastfeeding. Even velcro babies usually settle down with someone else if they are in a sling. Mine feeds for about 6 hours per day, I still manage to eat, sleep, and could do 3x25mins work. It sounds like the OP can just open her laptop whenever convenient and get on with it.

OP you may find it hard in the first 3 weeks so if you can perhaps write those articles in advance. Then do what you can and see how you get on.

Teachermaths

Not “painting” a single thing. I am describing my life for five months. Obviously it might well be considerably easier for the OP than this, but she has asked and is entitled to the full range of answers.

There's no way you breastfed 24/7 for five months. Stop lying.

I would honestly get an official answer on the 2 jobs status. I am pretty certain you can stop maternity leave at different times with different jobs, and so would contact ACAS or maternity action or si liar and get an unbiased answer on that.

Having a stack of articles to just send out uf needed sounds like a fab idea.

Not sure how well I'd have managed with DS1.
DS2 would gave been fine.

Teachermaths

How unbelievably rude you are.

OP, there is a certain type of poster on MN who will try to downplay and trivialise how hard it can be for new mothers. Please take what they have to say with a pinch of salt. They often have agendas. I hope that new motherhood is easier for you than it was for me, and that you do find it feasible to work and look after your little one.

Yes it's doable. Get into a routine now and do as much prep work/research in advance if you can. Very envious!

I'm not downplaying or trivialising. There's just no way you spent 5 months breastfeeding solidly. Your nipples would have dropped off for a start.

My first was bloody hard work. Fed almost hourly overnight at first, struggled with reflux but I still managed to get time when he settled with others or in his pram. I had 3x25 min slots per week which I could have used for work if I needed to (I didn't). Nowhere have I said motherhood is easy, I'm just saying that you are lying about feeding solidly for 5 months.

Depends. My baby never slept and screamed most of the day as they were unwell. Not something we would ever be prepared, so I didnt even have time to go to the loo, nevermind cooking or doing anything else.
If you have good support and someone can take care of the baby or when they are asleep (provided you're not sleeping at the same time)- can be doable!

Teachermaths

Yes, you are, by accusing me of lying AND misrepresenting what I said to try to support your (very rude) claim. I didn’t say I fed “solidly” for 24 hours a day. At all. That would mean I had a baby who literally and did not sleep, which is impossible. Try reading properly, but more importantly, try not being so bloody rude.

At that rate if pay I’d get regular childcare/ mothers help for a few hours a week to ensure it was manageable

@Teachermaths A friend of mine had a baby with reflux. The baby was never settled, especially not in the pram, and had to be carried around in the sling during the day for the first couple of months, still screaming their head off. Friend spent most of her days cleaning sick and changing the baby and literally never left the house because of that. Being exhaisted, she would never manage to get into the mindset of writing anything, even time permitting, which she didn't have anyways.

Another friend had a premature baby and spent first 5 weeks travellling to and fromm hospital every dayas they didn't know if the baby would even make it, and then to pump as much milk as she could, and getting up a couple of times a night to pump more not to lose the milk. Again, no time nor mindset to do anything at all.

All I am saying is that it's hard to predict.

I don't think you need to worry about finding two hours a week, not with a partner and family support.

The main problem will be sleep deprivation. I found it incredibly difficult to write coherently when I was sleep deprived, although you do get used to it after a while.

I'd suggest talking to your partner now about how you will handle night time wakings. You should not have to do all of them (even if breastfeeding, hopefully you can express).

Then I would plan to do most of your writing for the week on the day(s) when you are well rested. It will be so much quicker and less stressful that way.

I'm on mat leave with a 16 week old and have had to do work to keep in the loop with my projects. I write, and have been writing about 10 hours a week, usually with baby on me. It was easier to begin with when he was sleeping more. I also have an older DC so lose more time after school etc. I'd say it's perfectly doable. Could you also look to dictate via voice too?

MonaLisaDoesntSmile

Thank you.

I’ve had 5 babies, ranging from Velcro to dream easiness. I’d have been able to do it with them all, but as I said I would get help to protect the time. The brain frying bit is never being able to start/ settle. You ideally need someone willing to push a buggy around for you

Oh and I do all night wakings and most childcare as DH works out of the house 6am-8pm on the weekdays.

Totally doable.

I went back to running my business within 2 weeks. I did my tax return with my baby cluster feeding and it's amazing what you can achieve with baby in a sling and a boob out! 😂

You've totally got this mama!

If you have someone (partner, ILs etc) who can actually take the baby from you while you work, then, unless you have quite bad complications after the birth, that is definitely doable.

If you were intending to work while the baby was napping, then that would be trickier, I'd say. Someone else around to take the baby will make all the difference.

4 days post partum as a chef?!

I couldn't walk at 4 days, ok so maybe not everyone has the nightmare situation I found after my csection where I wasn't right in terms of continence for months & baby had the health issues.. but my employer wouldn't even permit a straightforward birth woman back in office for 14 days, the insurance we have I'd explicit & it's a standard office insurance policy (nothing like operating machinery or fryers or driving or something). I think our warehouse operatives have even longer if they do manual handling - I think it's not covered for work insurance for 4 weeks? Maybe 6? Can't recall but it's definitely longer than the 2 weeks we have for office staff.

I just want to add if you are freelance are you self employed? If yes instead of SMP could you get Maternity Allowance? That is what's available to self employed workers straight from the government. You can still do self employed work as well as recieve MA as far as I am aware. But all information available on gov.uk/HMRC

I'd agree that it depends on the baby. With my first that would've been easy. With my second, finding time to pee was difficult. That being said it's not too much time you need. Maybe figure out a back up plan incase you need someone to help out so that you can focus.