Pregnant and Self Employed Mamas - Where Are You?

[Jellybelly888]

Very happy and grateful to be expecting a baby mid-March 2025. This will be my second, but my partner’s first.

I’m self employed as a company director for an online retail business. I used to have staff but due to the economy at the moment and one of them retiring, I now don’t. Taking on new staff wouldn’t be feasible at the moment either. My partner works 3 days a week with me around his other part time consultancy job. Luckily he’s well paid for his consultancy work so we have guaranteed income from that.

Anyway, I plan on being back to work as soon as I can. Our workplace is clean, comfortable and we have a warm office with a sofa and it’s very home from home. Planning on taking the baby to work with us. I have a 7 year old so I’m not totally going into this blind and know the challenges with this.

I’ve had the business for 6 years and it earns us both a good income with a large customer base. Closing the business for a short while wouldn’t be feasible. We don’t have any family support nearby (one family is abroad and the other is 200 miles away). Nursery is an option a couple of days a week when baby is a little older.

Just wanted to see how all you self employed mamas did things in the early weeks and months after having the baby? X

Hi OP.

Congratulations on your pregnancy.

I live abroad with my partner and 4 year old daughter and we jointly run our own business. Again, changes post covid mean we no longer employ staff, we do it all ourselves and make enough to support our little family.

We have neither family around us or any local support. DD1 does go to a private nursery 5 days a week.

I'm due in March and April-Oct is our busiest time. I'm following this post as this was a surprise pregnancy and we haven't quite figured out how the heck we're going to do this as i have to be physically in the office at least half the week! It's the opposite situation to last time when we were in lowdown and I had almost 2 years solid with my daughter.

@sel2223 thank you and congratulations to you too!

Sounds like you work really hard and have done well building a life for yourself and family abroad. Yes, the downturn after Covid sadly had an impact on my business and letting go of staff too, however at the moment I’m actually enjoying not having all the stress and worry that staff bring! Flip side of that though, unless me or my partner do the work, it doesn’t get done!

Like you, it’s different for me this time round too. I had a public sector job when pregnant with DS and got almost 20 weeks pay! This time round it’s going to be very different but also I feel more prepared with this being my second baby, if that makes sense? Not as much unknown.

Maybe it’s the case of just muddling through the first few months? I also feel really lucky to be in the position where I can take the baby to work with us, I know not many people get that opportunity!