Hi friends!
I just can’t believe that we are so close to bringing our little girl home. Zach and I could not be more excited to meet her and become parents. This is a new adventure for us and I know that it will be full of learning curves and challenges, but we cannot wait to conquer it together!
All images taken by: Elisabeth Carol Photography
Maternity leave begins March 1st and our baby girl is due on March 15th, which is all right around the corner! That means this is my last official week of work and I’m trying to get things done. Please tell me I’m not the only one who struggles with procrastination haha! There’s so much to do on all fronts, at home for the baby and to prepare to take some time off from our photography business – it feels like we can’t do it all! All we can do is make a plan and accomplish as much as we can before this little girl decides to make her appearance.
Because this is our first baby, it’s also my first time to take maternity leave and I’m full of nerves and want to make sure we do it right. I had no clue where to even start on preparing for maternity leave, I just knew that it was really important to me to plan some time to enjoy this new season of life. I’ve been following along with what Nancy Ray outlines in her podcast about how to prepare for maternity leave and it’s been so helpful! Below I’ll talk about some of the things I’ve done and things I have left to do and I’ll also link to her podcast and blog at the bottom of this post, so maybe some of you other new mamas can benefit just like I have!
One of the biggest takeaways for me was the idea of being really intentional with what you allow in during this time and what you don’t. Obviously our business can’t shut down completely, because we are currently serving clients and want to serve many more this year. That being said, we do want to eliminate any extra distractions. So, I know this seems radical, but we’ll be deleting all emails that don’t come from existing clients or new inquries and you know - I’m kind of excited about it! There are already so many things that compete for our attention and we want to focus on loving our girl and figuring out how to be a family of three.
Things I’ve done:
-Added a footer on my email signature with the start date of my maternity leave
-Made a list of things to do for our business before I take time off
-Chosen a few priorities just in case she decides to come early
Things I still need to do:
-Email my current brides to check in before maternity leave starts
-Set up my official out of office response saying I’ll delete all emails unless they’re from current or potential brides & clients
-Finish up the tasks on my list
-Plan out my re-entry to working
I am starting my maternity leave two weeks before my due date so that I can have these last couple weeks to rest, prepare for baby and take plan in some intentional me-time! I can’t wait to put the finishing touches on her nursery, make sure the house is all clean and ready, and just spend time relaxing with a good book. Oh and maybe take a few naps here and there!
Resources I used:
Work & Play Podcast Episode
Nancy Ray Blog Post
xo, sarah