My "professional" image
My professional image was one of the little things I worried about in the early stages of pregnancy. I only started my business in February of this year and I’d spent months networking my socks off, paying into the Favour Bank, winning clients and building myself a good reputation. How was my pregnancy going to affect all that?
It may be the 21st century, but I’m not so naive as to think we’ve achieved equality between the sexes in all areas. There was also the practical consideration: if I was out of the loop for a few months after I gave birth, who’d be growing the business?
I am delighted, however, to report how positive everyone has been.
My clients, god bless them, were all really pleased for me. None of them asked about maternity cover, which I expected, despite my detailed contingency plan. In fact, in many cases, it’s given our working relationship an extra dimension. With one client I sit and chat about his son for ages before catching up with what’s happening workwise; another has sent me a couple of links to Mothercare products his wife found useful.
I don’t know if it’s just human nature to treat a pregnant woman with a little more care, if it’s as simple as discovering a common interest or if I’ve just been very lucky with my great clients… But I have been very pleasantly surprised!
I’d be very interested to know if other pregnant women have had similarly positive experiences?
Mummykimmy's Blog 
I know the feeling, I was only a year into my business when I gave up my ‘proper’ job and month later fell pregnant with my second, I even arranged a home birth so I wasn’t away from my computer for too long!
Good luck x
Thank you! Wonder if they’ll let me take my iPhone into the labour suite with me?!
Mhm. I wish I could say something positive. Yes, people did tend to be a bit more human when I was (pregnant) on the tube/in the supermarket. The job world though…
Oh no, really? What do you mean? General lack of sympathy or something more sinister?
I was working from home for the first pregnancy, so that was quite easy. The second I travelled on the tube each day (no seat offered), and was not really treated any better. They wanted their money’s worth! Worked up until the day before giving birth, and back 3 weeks later.
Probably much better to work for yourself!!
Wow that’s dedication! I think I’ll really appreciate the flexibility of working for myself when the time comes…