When to start maternity leave?

[Meira]

Hi geeks, I'm currently 30 weeks pregnant and already struggling with work, I have a home salon and focus mainly on waxing treatments. For those of you with kids when did you start your maternity leave and how long did you take off?

At the beginning I thought I would work right up to my due date but now don't think that's too realistic as getting too many aches and pains so have already had to stop taking on new clients as just not managing to put in the hours.

My business will be two years old in January and it's taken a lot of hard work to build up a good client base so not wanting to give it all up too fast. Most clients have said they will still come to me however long I decide to take off but I know to some degree I will be starting over when I return. If anyone has any advice or experience they could share i'd be most grateful.

Thanks in advance x

 

[harpot]

Work as long as you feel up to it only you will know what your capable of. I worked up to 38 weeks with a full diary but I had a great pregnancy with no problems so I felt up to it.
Take clients at face value when they say the will come back. I lost some of my oldest clients when I took my maternity leave & it has taken me 2 years to rebuild. It's actually scares me to go on maternity leave again.
I'm sorry to be so negative it could be just my experience & your could be different x

 

[NayMomo]

would you consider taking someone on part time whilst you are away? then when you get back you can offer yourself back to them, or just work part time also and take a percentage of whatever your employee takes. that way you still make money when you're off and you can come back to clients. it's always scary when you go on maternity leave but if you can offer them something in the mean time they wont go elsewhere and are more likely to go back to you when youre done.

 

[foundlings]

I'm a self employed hairdresser and with 1st pregnancy aimed to work until a month before due date, mostly because I was due end of Jan so Christmas seemed a good cut off point, actually had to stop a couple of weeks earlier in the end because I had mild pelvic girdle pain and a very painful varicose vein (you don't wanna know where!!!) but anyway standing for long periods just wasn't an option.

I managed to share my clients out between 2 other mobile hairdressers I knew, I didn't get all my old clients back after but to be honest the ones I did retain were the ones I wanted to keep, and I am now far stricter with my hours and only work from home not mobile, I earn less obviously but work is better quality (rather than quantity) and have also met loads of new 'keeper' clients through having my son. Now I'm pregnant again and having to work out what to do again, but the clients I have kept are desperate to squidge the new baby while I do their hair, so may not take so long off this time, to be honest I'm so close to most of my clients now I'd miss them!

Don't know if this helps, but personally I found that first ever break from work (plus starting a family) changed my perspective and priorities and I try and make my life work for me rather than me fitting everything around everyone else!

 

[Meira]

Thanks for your replies. I've made a decision to stop at 35 weeks and until then only keep the appointments that are already in my diary so will wind down slowly hopefully xx

 

[noreenoconnor]

Can't give you any advice Meira, Just wanted to wish you the very best of luck with everything xxx

 

[FlawlessBeauty]

I can't help but I did work for someone who gradually cut out certain treatments, like she decided she could no longer do a full leg wax. She did lots of treatments though not just waxing which could make a difference.

Best of luck with it all xx

 

[Meira]

Can't give you any advice Meira, Just wanted to wish you the very best of luck with everything xxx

Thank you [emoji3] Xx

 

[Meira]

I can't help but I did work for someone who gradually cut out certain treatments, like she decided she could no longer do a full leg wax. She did lots of treatments though not just waxing which could make a difference.

Best of luck with it all xx

I only do waxing now and was wondering about whether to cut back even further, a Hollywood/braz doesn't take much effort on its own but I have a few clients that come in for everything to be waxed so full leg, Hollywood, underarms, brows etc and those appointments absolutely kill me! X

 

[Jen889]

I only do waxing now and was wondering about whether to cut back even further, a Hollywood/braz doesn't take much effort on its own but I have a few clients that come in for everything to be waxed so full leg, Hollywood, underarms, brows etc and those appointments absolutely kill me! X

Can you try explaining to them with pregnancy its a bit harder and get them to split the appointments? This way its easier on you.

Are you having trouble with larger appointments or certain appointments like full leg etc? You could try cutting down your hours so your not so tired at the end of the day. Although hard, you have to think about yourself and little one now. If you finding it tough you have to adjust things to make it work

 

[Dani1987]

Congratulations! I can't advise on my own behalf but i have a client who is a hairdresser, she gave up 2 weeks before and went back 6/8 weeks after. She got all her regulars in just before she went so it would be time for them again when she came back... she said she had to so she wouldnt lose them as clients but am a mobile therapist so I carry my bed alot and currently ttc so I would like to follow this post to see what people say I don't know how ill manage when I do conceive so if anyone has any advice it would be much appreciated.

 

[chloebos5]

I was working in a salon full time and doing mobile whilst I was pregnant and gave up work 3 weeks before my due date. With regards to carrying my couch around, I had to get my clients to get it in and out of the car and they didn't mind at all and were completely understanding. I didn't really want to lose any of my clients so started back doing mobile 6 weeks after I'd given birth. My little girl is 1 now and I decided not to go back to the salon so I just do mobile now. It has its ups and downs but I'd rather have less money and be able to spend more quality time with my daughter. Having a baby definitely changes your views on work life and there not babies for long so i don't want to miss out on these important years.

 

[xShaz_23x]

I know you have already decided what your doing but just thought I'd add to it as other people might read in future x
I'm a nail technician and currently 39 weeks pregnant and I'm stopping 3 days before my due date. Only stopping as late because I'm sitting down all day so hasn't been hard on my body. I did however stop doing pedicures and painting toes altogether a couple of months back because I could no longer bend so far down to do these treatments. My customers took this pretty well and still come for their nails. I told them all with me working as late on if I can't make it in due to labour il let them know ASAP. I am going back mid December for the Christmas rush full time (so il have roughly 7 and a half weeks off) and then will cut down my hours in January a bit so that I can spend more time with baby. I already started to advertise for my first week back and have bookings. I did this so that my clients can trust me that il return and not panic n go elsewhere. So far this seems to be working for me. My partner is taking the leave as he is employed so this makes things a bit easier x