by Jamie Reed posted in Pregnancy

I imagine my situation was different than most when I was laid off from my corporate desk job close to four years ago. As rumors were circulating of company layoffs and department-wide clearings, most people fretted. I was practically giddy. When the day came that HR was at our doors I could barely contain my excitement. I had been wanting to quit my job for years at that point but the financial security made it feel too risky and this was the push I really needed to start my career on my own terms.
The past few years of self-employment have been an incredible ride of uncertainty, pushing myself, and working harder than I ever have before. But I wouldn't trade it for anything! And while I'm thrilled to have a job that offers flexibility, like most self-employed folks I work long hours and don't get paid if I'm not working. This all has got me wondering if maternity leave when you're self-employed is even an option. Here's how I'm trying to make it work for me:
1. Clearing my schedule
At one of my last pregnancy check-ups, my doctor wanted to make sure I had arranged some time off after the baby came, at least several weeks. And while this is definitely something I want to do and think is important, the idea of it also makes me panic. The thought of trying to complete lots of projects and wrap up so many loose ends is overwhelming to say the least, and there's a big part of me that just wants to ignore it, work as normal, and then deal...