Navigating Maternity Leave as an Artist and Self-Employed Creative Entrepreneur

Becoming a parent changes your life in unexpected ways. No matter how much planning you do the event is filled with excitement, anticipation, and unique challenges. Especially when planning for maternity leave, freelancers and self-employed creatives don't have the luxury of paid leave or company benefits. With careful planning, navigating maternity leave as a creative professional can be manageable.

Assess Your Financial Situation

One of the first steps in planning for maternity leave as a self-employed artist is to assess your financial situation. Calculate your current income and expenses, and consider how they might change during the month before the baby comes and the time after. Most people think about the 8 weeks after the baby comes. However, unexpected health issues could land you in the hospital prior to the baby being born. High risk pregnancies are monitored closely in antepartum and some mothers end up in the hospital for weeks prior to birthing their child. It’s important to plan for unexpected events that might divert from your plan.

Typically in the United States and UK, there is a period of time the government provides assistance to pregnant mothers. In the US, this is an 8-week period of time the government pays disability. You can also apply for time prior to being pregnant if your doctor puts you on disability and your pregnancy requires it. It’s good to talk to your doctor about this time that you might need and see what your local state provides depending on where you live.

In the mean time, you can plan how many weeks you will not be working and begin to save money for that period of time. One influencer said set aside $7,000 for the period of time she was going to be on disability. The amount of money you can set aside is based on what you need and what you are able to do. If you typically make a certain amount per month, you can use that as a standard for how much you will need. Determine how much time you can afford to take off without jeopardizing your financial stability. It may be helpful to set aside a portion of your earnings in the months leading up to your due date to create a maternity leave fund. Cancel/pause any subscriptions you may not be using while disabled.

You will also want to allot money for doctor’s visits. In pregnancies that are high risk, you may be seeing specialists and other doctors outside of your OBGYN. It’s good to set aside more money than you expect to pay out of pocket for these medical expenses. You may even want to set aside a fund for an unexpected hospital visit. In my case, I spent a week prior to the baby being born in the hospital and it cost me even with medical insurance $800 out of pocket. This did not include each doctor’s visit and the visits with specialists.

Set aside more money than you think you will need. For example, if your average expenses are $3,500 a month, set aside an additional $500. Each copay for a doctors visit is roughly $80-100 depending on your insurance so that leaves you at least enough for 4 doctor’s visits. In the final trimester, I had to visit the doctor’s office every other week and had unexpected doctor’s visits with specialists. Another hidden cost is blood tests and exams. Here are a few things to think about that could pop up as unexpected expenses.

• Doctor visits (copay)

• Blood tests/exams

• Unexpected hospital visits/specialists

• Medications

• Baby diapers/blankets/diaper cream and other misc. baby items in case your child comes early!

• Baby books for topics you want to research

• Loose fitted clothing for the final trimester and hospital visit

• Small slush of $$$ for your hospital bag

• $$$ for eating out (I didn’t realize that without me home my partner would be eating out more because we weren’t cooking while I was in the hospital)

• House cleaner, gardener, or someone to walk your dogs. If you have pets, you may want some assistance here. Depending on your recovery time, the doctor may advise you not to lift anything more than 10 pounds. We hired a maid to clean our house and a gardener just to come by once while I was unable to bend over or lift anything.

• Dog sitter/pet sitter for the period of your hospital stay

• Massage/accupuncture

• Pregnancy classes

  I love using Notion as a tool for planning my monthly finances and for projected expenses.

Review Your Projects and Commitments

Take stock of your current projects and commitments and assess their timelines and deadlines. Communicate with your clients in advance to inform them of your impending leave and discuss how it will impact your work together. Take your work notifications off your cell phone. This is something I did not do and I regret it. I would get work emails still coming to my phone while trying to take care of the baby. It’s important to give yourself the time you need to transition where you can give your partner and your new baby your full attention.

Be realistic about what you can accomplish before your leave begins and consider delegating or outsourcing tasks if necessary. I took on a freelance project the week before I was admitted to the hospital. It can be tempting to continue working or to think that you are able to work up until the day of your maternity leave. I wish I had taken more time before the birth to allow my body to get strong and recover from the demands of working.

Set an away message on your email to notify people who email you that you are maternity leave. This would include the date you will return in the automatic message so they know when to expect you back.

Build a Support Network

Building a support network is crucial for any new parent, but it's especially important for self-employed creatives who may not have access to traditional workplace resources. Reach out to fellow artists, entrepreneurs, and parents for advice, encouragement, and assistance. This is also important for parents emotionally. Every birth story is different. Support is essential to growth and healing after the experience of birthing a child. It’s okay to feel like things are not normal or worry that they won’t go back to normal. You are establishing a new normal as a new parent. You’re also navigating these feelings with another person while taking care of a child.

Plan for Childcare and Flexibility

If you plan to return to work after your maternity leave, start researching childcare options well in advance. Whether it's daycare, a nanny, or a co-op arrangement with other parents, finding reliable childcare that aligns with your creative schedule is essential. Additionally, be prepared to embrace flexibility in your work routine once you become a parent. Balancing childcare responsibilities with your creative pursuits may require adjusting your schedule, prioritizing tasks, and learning to work in shorter, focused bursts of time.

Explore Maternity Leave Benefits

While self-employed individuals don't have access to traditional maternity leave benefits, it's still worth exploring alternative sources of support. Investigate whether you're eligible for any government-funded parental leave programs or grants for artists and entrepreneurs. Some professional organizations and unions may also offer resources or assistance for self-employed parents. You may also qualify to extend your disability and use the paid family leave provided by some states in the US. It’s good to take some time and research what resources are available to you.

Plan for the Unexpected

No matter how well you plan, unexpected challenges may arise during your maternity leave and beyond. Whether it's a sudden health issue, a change in your financial situation, or a shift in your creative priorities, it's essential to remain adaptable and open to adjusting your plans as needed. Remember that self-care is crucial during this time, and don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it. Personally I booked a massage appointment towards the end of the pregnancy with the hospital. Prenatal massage is a great form of self care. The hospital has a lot of resources for pregnant mothers and can be a great starting point to look into what is available to you both pre- and post birth.

Tools to Stay Organized

I personally use a few tools to keep myself organized.

Financial Planning:

Notion is a great tool for tracking and managing your finances. Notion is free but I have a paid subscription that allows me to integrate AI tools and create unlimited boards. You can also use it to plan out your business goals and social media content. You can download my notion template for financial tracking here.

Quarterly Goals Planning:

Poketo Quarterly Goal Planner helps me to plan my business goals based on blocks of 3 months. In the marketing department where I worked we planned 3 months of productivity and projects in advance. You can do the same with with this quarterly goal planner. It helped me to visualize my goals for the entire year and plan projects that actually made progress.

Conclusion

Planning for maternity leave as an artist and self-employed creative business owner requires planning! It’s the most rewarding time for an expecting parent and also the most challenging as you adapt to having a new person in your life. Give yourself the margin and grace you need to transition. Set aside time and money to make this transition the best it can be.