Maternity Leave Plans for Baby #3
”Maternity Leave” as a Business Owner
With my due date just around the corner, I wanted to share a little update on what my “plans” are for “maternity leave” this time around with baby #3. I use lots of quotation marks because as a business owner, maternity leave isn’t quite as simple as I’d like for it to be. The pros of entrepreneurship are that I can ~technically~ take off however much time I want to! Neat! The cons are that I don’t get paid time off which makes things a little tricky, huh? 😜
However, I prepared in advance for this season by working & saving throughout pregnancy so that I would have a little cushion ready for when our baby makes his debut. This is what I currently have in mind for the weeks following the birth of our little one!
Taking a Pause on Photo Sessions
As of right now, I won’t be booking any photo sessions until May. With this plan in place, I should have at least 6 weeks to rest from scheduling shoots & editing photos.
While I’m taking time away from photoshoots, I’d still love to serve you via my Lightroom editing presets, my online digital photography course, or possibly by designing a family yearbook for you! I’m thankful that I have a few offerings that aren’t dependent on me being physically available that allow me to continue in my mission of encouraging confidence behind the camera, even during my time off of work.
P.S. My openings for May photo sessions are already beginning to fill up, so if you’d like to get something on the calendar, go ahead & reach out to us so we can start planning ahead.
No Social Media in March
I decided to take another month off of social media & I’m actually really looking forward to it for this upcoming newborn stage. I’m sure it will feel very different not having a platform to share all my newborn “spam” to and I might miss scrolling while I’m breastfeeding the baby, but I actually think that will be very good for me. Plus, staring at a bright screen when I’m up in the night feeding likely makes it more difficult to go back to sleep anyway so I’m going to try to avoid being on my phone period late at night.
Another fun thought is that maybe I’ll send out an actual, physical, good, old-fashioned birth announcement after this baby is born instead of just posting it online! What a concept! I didn’t send birth announcements for my first two kiddos, but that actually feels like a really sweet way to share our news & photos with the people we care about!
Overall, I’m hoping this break from social media will help me to stay more present & feel less anxious in the midst of this big life transition of adding another member to our family.
If you want to join me during my social media break in March, I’m leading a little detox via email that you can sign up for here. I’ll be sending a little thought-provoking & encouraging email each day.
Utilizing Newsletters
While I won’t be on social media in March, I’m hoping to utilize email to stay connected with others during my maternity leave. It is my intention to send out a weekly email on Fridays with something helpful or encouraging related to photography, work/life harmony, motherhood, entrepreneurship, or other topics I’m passionate about. 😊
As I have been intentionally spending less time on social media lately, I’ve become more aware of the people I miss hearing from on a regular basis. So, I am really enjoying subscribing to newsletters from the people that enrich my life - people who encourage me in my faith, give me great business advice, inspire me in cultivating a welcoming home, share wise thoughts on current events & politics, & other people who are serving me in this season. (It’s okay for that to change, by the way!)
So with that in mind, I’d like to try sending out newsletters of my own & see how it might feel as a creative outlet for me. If you want to hear from me during my maternity leave, you can sign up for my newsletter here!
Taking an Online Mastermind Business Course
Okay, hopefully I don’t totally regret this decision while I’m living in the fog of late night feedings & diaper changes, BUT I’m really excited to be starting The Blue Print Model online course & mastermind with Shanna Skidmore. While it might seem counterintuitive to start a time-intensive education program during maternity leave, here’s why I think it might actually be a great time to take a course like. While I’m taking time away from business-as-usual, I hope I’ll have more head space to look inward at the bones of my business. My hope is that after this 6-week course, I will have more clarity as to what aspects of my business are the most life-giving and profitable so that I can know where to focus my time & attention as I emerge from maternity leave. As we transition to a family of 5, I think it is going to take more vision and laser focus than ever to make sure I am spending my time in the BEST way possible so that I can maximize my time doing mom thangs, taking care of our family & managing our home.
Any Maternity Leave Tips for Me?
If you have any tips or thoughts on how to make the most of maternity leave, I am all ears! This is my third time having a baby and each newborn phase has looked very different for me in regards to my business with a lot of it being based simply on survival - ha! I’d love to hear what has worked (or not worked) for you. Share away in the comments below!
I am so thankful for my business, but I am also looking forward to stepping back to soak in the newborn snuggles. Thanks for following along on my personal & professional journey!
xo, Suzy