ASK ME ANYTHING: HOW DID YOU PLAN FOR PREGNANCY + BUSINESS?
My son is 2.5 years, but it seems like yesterday that we were stressing about this (to clarify, we are not pregnant right now). As you know, this isn’t the type of job where you can call in sick if you’re not feeling well. I photographed plenty of weddings with morning sickness, swollen feet, and pregnancy pain. Before we became pregnant, we put a few things in motion to make the experience easier:
Winter Baby!
Being self-employed is glorious because you have flexible hours. But, you also don’t receive PTO. In order to have 12 weeks off, it was best to have a baby during off season. Thankfully, I didn’t have any conflicting weddings, and my fall season was light. Once we found out, I stopped taking work for the fall so that I could slow down and prepare for baby. I prayed that my schedule would help fit the pregnancy, and I’m so grateful that it did.
Save. Save. Save.
Just in case we weren’t so lucky with planning, I wanted to make sure we had some money set aside to cover our bases and the hospital fees, since we knew our insurance wasn’t going to cover much.
Hire help.
I had three incredible interns that helped me through pregancy and postpartum (thank you, Emma, More, and Lucy). They all knew what they were getting into before they jumped in. They made sure to cover me when I needed a break or needed to pump. During the end of pregnancy, my husband came to every wedding to carry my bags. This helped a lot with my joints and swollen feet.
Have a backup plan.
I’m a part of several incredible photography groups and have many friends in the industry with kids. We all take care of each other when something crazy happens. It made me feel better knowing I could call on one of these talented people if worst came to worst (thankfully, it didn’t). For my last weddings of the year, I hired an additional photographer to help and to jump in when needed.
Ask for advice.
I chatted with many photographer parents who had gone before me. There is also an incredible Facebook group for expecting wedding photographers.
I’d love to be a resource for you! I’m planning to address the questions I receive in the coming months on my blog + newsletter. Please ask anything that comes to mind!
Nothing is off the table. If I cannot answer it, I will find someone who will. Ask your question here >>
Cover images by Almond Leaf Studios.
