I’m not going to lie – the idea of taking maternity leave, time OFF, from my business is terrifying. I’ve build up my amazing clients, I’ve built up projects and systems and it worries me that in 6-8 weeks, I could lose some of that. On the flip side, it SCARES me that I would ever think to pass up time bonding with my little boy and learning how to be a mom for the first time. This is such a huge transition for our family and if I didn’t take maternity leave, I fear that I would not be honoring this occasion in our life. So, while maybe at the core, me writing this post is a selfish hope that you all won’t forget about me, I wanted to be sure people knew what to expect from this first time momma’s maternity leave!
When is it happening? Starting 1 January (unless he comes sooner), I will be working on VERY limited hours each day until our son arrives to finish prepping for my time out. Upon his arrival – whenever he decides to come – (our due date is 15 January), I will not be working the business until the 5th of March. My email responder will be on and I will be enjoying this time with him as we learn how to be a family of 3. Please understand emails, messages, etc. that come in during this time MAY be responded to, but it will be a slower turnaround than normal.
Will I still be able to reach you? Yes! If we have anything scheduled for the spring or you’re looking to book, PLEASE still send me an email, Facebook message or carrier pigeon. 😉 Like I said above, just don’t be alarmed if it takes me more than 24 hours to respond.
Will you be booking sessions? I will not be booking any more sessions for December (beyond what I already have on my plate), January or February. Starting in March, I will be booking sessions again – so please, send those inquiries in!
You’re posting on social media… but I thought you were with your family?? You’ll probably (hopefully definitely) still see posts from me – this business won’t run itself. Understand that there’s lots of amazing tools designed to help us business owners plan these posts ahead of time!
Where can I see your little guy? I’ll post here and there on my business instagram and Facebook, but if you’re interested, you can request to follow our family instagram account: @dowler_family_adventures
What happens after maternity leave? Well, when I come back into my office on March 5th, I’m going to have a lot to do to get ready for the spring. But that’s a good thing! I’ll still be running the business and have a lot of surprises in store for everyone for 2018! But for now, just know, I’ll be shooting and taking inquires, continuing to work as a VA for my superb clients and working on being the best momma I can be to David. We’ll go from there, yes? 🙂 I promise, 2018 is going to be AMAZING!!!
All-in-all, I know I have the BEST clients in the world (photography + VA) so I appreciate all of the love, support, and understanding as we make our transition to a family of three. I hope you understand where we’re coming from in being “selfish” and taking the time to be with our son. We’ll never get those days back. I look forward to the rest of December and 2017 and getting 2018 started with a bang (when I’m back in the office!). I can’t wait for all of these transitions, changes and big projects ahead and I’m so excited for everything!
Got any questions about maternity leave or want to get your spring session booked? Send me a note here!
xoxo
Kristina, Ryan and David
Maternity portraits by Lundy Photography
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