Pregnant and Productive: How to Grow Your Freelancing Business During Maternity

You might be thinking about starting a family, or you might already be pregnant — either way, it's an exciting time! Don't worry — you can continue growing your freelance business during these life-changing moments. However, you might have concerns about going through pregnancy and the early stages of your child's life while managing a small business. Those are valid concerns, so we're talking about how to achieve those goals.

Communicating Your Pregnancy is Your Choice

Even though you're running a small business, communication is critical with every client. That extends to communicating if you're experiencing symptoms that might impede your writing schedule. Yes, speaking about your pregnancy is your choice, but your clients should know if you're struggling with keeping up with your current workload. They'll appreciate knowing what's happening and, in many cases, might reduce expectations until the symptoms subside.

Practice Self-Care

Let's face it — we love freelancing and we want to take every step possible to grow our businesses. Freelancers are notorious for working odd hours, putting in extra time, and burning the candle on both ends. However, when you're pregnant, health must take center stage above all else.

That doesn't mean it's okay to miss deadlines or forgo looking for new clients. Self-care means:

• Resting when your body signals you to and, if that means rescheduling a phone or video meeting, that's okay
• Communicating doctor's appointments that conflict with meetings or other dates on the calendar — give your clients plenty of notice so they can reschedule or record the session for you
• Working ahead when you feel well to prepare for days when you might not

Prepare for Challenges

Just like no two freelance writing businesses are the same, that also goes for pregnancies. That means we can't predict what might change each day. For example, before or during the early stages of pregnancy, you might think you don't have to make any changes. Consider how tiring it can be to go through pregnancy and then raise an infant.

Don't let that lower your confidence. You can do this, but it's going to take some tweaking. Maintain your confidence by:

• Being honest about your capacity and, if it's too much, passing on jobs or outsourcing to other freelancers
• Preparing for priorities to shift during each trimester, from managing symptoms in the beginning to nesting during your third trimester
• Trying to reduce your workload, so you're still turning in the highest quality work

Remaining Productive During Pregnancy

Beyond that of communicating with clients and managing symptoms, you can also stay productive during pregnancy. Here are some tips for doing that while managing symptoms:

• Block time out carefully: Set aside time for reading and researching about pregnancy, working, and practicing self-care to prevent overwhelming yourself.
• Create an ergonomic workspace: Pick up an ergonomic keyboard and mouse to make your workflow more comfortable. Ensure you have an ergonomic chair, your desk is the correct height, and you position your monitor correctly.
• Embrace automation: Many products are available to help freelancers automate their business and free up more time. No matter if it's posting on your social media business pages or replying to client inquiries, tools are available for that.
• Make changes to daily schedules: If mornings are challenging, consider switching your work schedule to late afternoons or evenings when you feel better and more energized.
• Schedule breaks: You can prevent back pain and fatigue by scheduling frequent breaks. Scheduling breaks allow you to walk around, stretch, and recuperate from sitting at your desk for long hours.

The Bottom Line

It's okay to look for help when you're trying to stay productive during pregnancy. Talk to your friends and family about struggles or lean on other freelancers in your network for support. It isn't impossible to remain productive and continue growing your freelance business while pregnant. When you prioritize health, reevaluate your schedule, and prepare for challenges, you can journey through pregnancy without missing a beat!