running a business and pregnancy

[June2009]

Hiya,

My first baby is due in june and I'm trying to work out whether I will be able to work, how much and how long for.
Dh and I run a computer networks related business and I work from home and mainly do customer service/accounts/sales, dh is usually either here working on computers or out working "on site".

The plan was to do what I could and let my accountant do the rest, she was very helpful and worked 2 days a week doing credit control, paye, book keeping, vat returns and preparing end of year accounts, and would have been able to do more hours to help.

Unfotunately she has now quit so I have to do most of this work now as well until we find another accountant, hopefully soon enough that a good routine will be established by then.

I'm (was?) planning on breastfeeding.

I'd like to hear realistically how much work if at all I can take on after the birth. (assuming I can work full time until then.)

I've been told by my auntie-in-law that she certainly never stopped working even with 4 boys, in a tone of voice that insinuated that our generation needs to toughen up and that I should be ashamed of trying to get off work.

I'm jumping on an old thread but I run my own business and I'm in exactly the same position. Reassuring to see that there are lots of others out there managing without the normal time off...

I found your thread so interesting and you came across so calm and organised. I wonder how you are now @June2009?

8 years on!!

8 years on and I still work from home and do the drop off, pick up from local school, then off to after school activities like piano, martial arts etc.
It is a juggling act and i have thought several times about getting a nanny or an au pair or minder, someone to pick my daughter up at 3:15pm from school.
The timing is really inconvenient, middle of the working day!! But they grow up very fast and actually I don’t want to miss on that.
I usually manage an hour of exercise most days (I now teach aerobics twice a week).
We wake up at around 7:30 and I’ll do jo work until 9:30am when I come back from dropping off. I have a cleaner three times a week for a few hours at a time (basically roughly £100 a week.)
Dh picks up from martial arts one evening when I am teaching.
Hmm, overall I think it works out but we never managed the other babies I was planning on at the start!

Good luck!

yes that's what was fascinating. It felt like I went down the rabbit hole and really wanted to know how you are doing!

Fantastic update June. Many thanks and wishing you, your Dh and daughter all the fine things of life! Sounds like you are still a superb woman