Managing Deadlines and Diaper Changes
Ashleigh Kluck
I remember speaking with a client (who’s also a friend) a month or so before I gave birth and saying, “Yeah, I’ll definitely be able to keep up with the same schedule and workload.”
Can you guess what I’m about to say next?
My world was rocked after having a baby, and everything changed—including the way I work. Today, I’m here to share three biggest lessons I’ve learned thus far about how to effectively work from home, after bringing a whole human into the world.
Deadlines Are Looming
Whether you’re in the freelance business or working a corporate job (from home or in the office), there are deadlines to meet. I learned quickly as a new mother that not every single day will go smoothly, and sometimes nap schedules get thrown out the window. This became a huge stressor for me because I was still relying on my old way of working: taking entire days to submit completed work. Enter the solution: Whatever the actual deadline is, I decided to move my personal deadline up by three days. This is a must when you’re trying to find your groove as a new mama with a career, and still rings true for me nine months later.
Balancing Work and Wake Windows
One of the hardest parts about being a working, full-time mom is trying to find work windows—while trying to balance your baby's wake windows. When the work you do is more creative than administrative, it can be especially hard to turn off and on throughout the day. Writing blogs, for example, are regular deliverables for me. All my fellow writers out there know how hard it is to start and stop when you’re on a roll, which means sometimes, I keep working while my baby has independent playtime. I know—groundbreaking. (Independent play is actually really healthy and a good life skill, but that’s a whole other article.)
Preparing For Meetings
Listen, I don’t care if your child is the best sleeper in the world. There’s a good chance that at some point your baby will wake up in the midst of a Zoom call, and then you have two choices: 1) Let the baby cry, which will inevitably interrupt the meeting or 2) Step away to get your baby and try your best to soothe them for the duration of the meeting.
Honestly, I can’t tell you how many Zoom meetings I’ve had to breastfeed my baby through. This might sound scary, but simply tilting your laptop screen back enough so your audience doesn’t see below your neck works like a charm. Earbuds will also become your best friend for meetings! If your baby isn’t hungry, be prepared with a few toys (preferably the least noisy) to help keep them entertained until the meeting is concluded.
Also, don’t forget we just had a major shift over the past year to working from home—where our families reside. If your clients (or supervisors) don’t understand there’s a chance you might have to fulfill a need for your babies during the day—that’s on them. We’re living in a different time, and everyone has to adjust. You might be stuck with an employer or client who holds a traditional mindset, and if you can’t remove yourself, at least know their inability to shift is their problem—not yours.
Working from home with a new baby can be stressful, but if you set the right expectations from the beginning and give yourself a little bit of grace, I’m confident that in no time, you’ll be managing deadlines and diaper changes—like the supermom you are.
Ashleigh is the owner of Volt Station Media, offering DIY & done-for-you email marketing for online coaches and e-commerce brands. Her expertise lies in crafting launch campaigns and nurture sequences that cut through the noise to sell high-value products and services. She’s also the host of the “Mamahood Is A Trip” podcast, where she shares all the wild, wonderful, and “why is this wet?!” moments of motherhood, all while traveling full-time in an RV with her husband Jake and their daughter, Oakleigh.
