Before Ruben entered the world, I was ambushed with questions of how I would continue to run my business.  The thought had crossed my mind repeatedly too, but I refused to believe that I had to choose between my new born and my company.  Those precious new-born moments are part of a very special bonding process between mother and baby and I knew that I would not miss out on them, but at the same time I couldn’t leave my clients in the lurch for months on end.  Now three weeks post-partum I have found that although time with my baby is my absolute priority, keeping up to date with client work and running my day to day business did not need to come to a halt. Here are my top tips on how to be a boss mum whilst also being a boss.

Work from home

I am very lucky to run my company from my house; therefore, I can continue to spend 24 hours a day with my new-born in the safety and security of our house.  Working from home also means I can work around my baby, when he sleeps I can work, when he plays I can work, all whilst being close enough to monitor and supervise him.

Schedule time for bonding

I spend a lot of time breastfeeding and bonding with my baby.  In fact, I am breastfeeding whilst writing this.  Breastfeeding can be rather boring, so the distraction is actually really nice.  That said breastfeeding is also a great time to bond with my son, so setting time aside is really important.  Furthermore, bonding should be with the whole family, as soon and my husband is home from work that is family time for dad, mum and baby. 

Be realistic with your goals

If you are realistic with your goals, you will not be mad at yourself later for not meeting them.  If you want more time with your baby, this probably is not the time to take on more work commitments, as they grow and become more independent you can continue to grow your business. For this reason, I would advise restructuring goals to better accommodate your baby’s growth.   Of course, it won’t always be easy to balance work and personal life, but with the right strategy and focus, it will be a whole lot more attainable.

Selfcare

Selfcare as a new mother is extremely important. If you are tired, feeling stressed, anxious or under the weather take some time out for you.  Family and friends cannot wait to be part of your new life and are on call to help when needed.  If you need a time out, take it, you will thank yourself later.

Do you have any tips on how to juggle running a business and being a new Mumma?

NN, xx