camera - I really feel for you. Sorry if you thought I was being snide. You sound fab and you're obviously just really thinking it all through in a v rational way.
You've been doing really well working this far - with little support.
I was the same workwise as you - I had a major non-negotiable deadline 2 weeks before I gave birth = high stress basically.
Plus, maybe a bit like you, I was not sure AT ALL about whether to even have a kid. (or rather, felt I was not cut out for it.) And aside from all that, I didn't want to give up the day job. Why should I? I'd worked hard to get where I was (a really jammy job). I'd also got two interested work-related trips lined up - one 3 weeks after he was born (New York where I was to be some keynote speaker, ha ha ha), and then again 2 months after (all expenses paid trip to Europe) - why would I give them up? (In the event, I did neither.)
However, I also assumed the very worst. This was a good thing since I expected life with a new baby to be fuckin hell. I read that book by that woman (Gina ahem). And I shitted myself even more. What a way to spend your time! Set feeds and no sleep. She says somewhere about how you sdn't really even expect to have any sort of non-baby-related life for the first few months (she's right in my exp).
But, at the same time, there must be this hippy side to me since I knew I wanted to b/f for 'a bit' and also planned to carry him in a sling. Had read stuff like the Continuum Concept where the author speaks about importance of attachment to child's whole personality.
In fact, fast forward a year, and I'm still b/feeding 13 months on (and I bastard hated it to begin with) and the sling got slung after 6 weeks.
As for work, I did start doing some when he was 4 months old, but I have since given up the contract and gone freelance and now work just when he naps (i.e. now, cough).
I really wanted to be there for him and I really don't care that my salary has been cut by 90%. So, I totally get what you're saying about your photography (my work is also a vocation - as yours might be?). JUST please please don't be too hard on yourself. AND expect the worst then it might be better - you might actually not even want other family members to get in on the act too much. And I'm the very last maternal type. Sorry, I know this is just my story - but, at some level, I was interested in your thread since you remind me of how I was.
That all said, with enough support (unlike you, I had none) there is every chance you can keep up your work. You may also have a swift recovery and feel fine (I'm much older than you hence I found it more physically demanding I'm sure). And as various posters have said they all ff their kids and so can you. Whatever happens, really good luck.