Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, or maybe it was just me getting real with myself, but for some reason, I decided at 6-months-pregnant, that it was the time to fulfill my dreams. After long days in the office, the stress of corporate oversight, and the thought of working all day to make someone else money, I began to imagine what it would be like to work outside of a corporation. How it would feel to set my own hours, have my income reflect the hard work I put in day-after-day, and even be able to make income on autopilot!

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While I was pregnant, my husband and I began working on plans for an Etsy shop. I utilized my hubby’s graphic design skills and my knowledge of business to set up shop! Then once my daughter was born, I had the insane idea to start a blog to share my experiences. After scouring thru Pinterest to better understand my newborn, I wanted to give something back! What started out as a simple “mama blog” has turned into a platform to share my knowledge and experience of being a stay at home mama who works for herself and runs the show!

I know some days it seems impossible (trust me I’m right there with you,) but here are some real ways to adjust from being an entrepreneur to being a new mamapreneur!

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Give yourself time to adjust

Seriously. Cut yourself a break! Whether you are crazy like me and just starting, or if you have been at it for years. Having a baby changes the way you will do literally everything! Make sure to take a step back and evaluate your priorities.

Yes, I love being a successful business owner and keeping tabs on that P&L is huge for me, but my number one priority over everything else is my little girl. She is my motivation to keep it all going. She is the reason I want to be successful. Since the moment I met her, I didn’t want to miss a moment; I knew right then that I would do whatever it took to stay home with her. When I remind myself of this, it is easier to take a step back and enjoy time with my daughter, which is the whole reason I started to begin with.

RELATED POST: 10 Things I Wish I had Known About Caring for a Newborn

Understand Your New Schedule

There are three ways to work your new day-to-day schedule:

1 Baby Led – Babies will tend to find a pretty regular schedule around six-weeks or so. Everything is on demand. Whatever your little one’s heart desires, you give to them. If they are hungry, they get fed. Do they want to take a nap? You let them sleep. Does baby want to play? You play.

Pro – Baby usually stays happy and content

Con – You live on the whim of your little one

2 Parent Led – Mama decides when it’s time to feed, time to nap, and time to play. Mama decides not only when, but how things are carried out.

Pro – Mama gets to do what she needs to, when she needs to (in theory anyway…)

Con – Little one might not be the most cooperative.

3 Parent and Baby Led – Both mama and baby get to decide when some things have to get done by mama, and when things get to be lead by baby

Pro – Everyone wins (at least SOMETIMES!)

Con – Also means everyone might lose sometimes, which may lead to a constantly crying baby until they get what they want…

Personally, my daughter is very strong-willed, which I love! But it also means that she pretty much calls the shots. Good thing is that I don’t mind one bit! I have mastered how to stay on your game as a mamapreneur even when your little one is calling all the shots at home!

Get dressed!

After my daughter was born, the only time I changed clothes was when I was covered in milk or spit up. And even then the outfit was something I could crash in if my little one decided to finally nap. If I could go back and change one thing, it would be this. After you some quality one-on-one time with this new adorable baby, it is time to refocus. The best advice I can give when you are ready to get back into the swing of things is to dress the part! Ok, I don’t mean wearing a suit or even your nicest clothes, but put on something other than yoga pants and a tee!

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Ditch the Guilt

As a new mama, you will need to be much more flexible, after all now you have another person’s life to look after. A little person, who is ever-so dependent on YOU! Give your self some lee-way and make sure to plan ahead. Try to be as honest with yourself as possible about what you can realistically get done. And don’t stress if you fall behind.

When I tried to jump back in after having my daughter, I thought I could work around her demands. After about one week that went downhill, FAST. I felt guilty that my daughter wanted to spend time with me while I was trying to get some work done here and there. I also felt guilty that I wasn’t working as hard for my business as I had just a few months before. It was a lose-lose situation. What I needed was a major reality check.

S.O.S.

Do not be ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help! At times just being a mama can be overwhelming, but trying to run a business simultaneously? That takes major determination and motivation. It is easy to burn out if you don’t take a step back and delegate some of your responsibilities. Try scheduling some time where your spouse or relatives can take care of the little one, while you stay in the other room working away. Or if you can afford it, invest in a Virtual Assistant, or an automation software.

Subscribe and Save

First off, if you don’t have Amazon Prime, you are missing out! It is such a time saver, and I love that I can get free two-day (sometimes even same-day) shipping straight to my doorstep on the products I need ASAP. You can try Amazon Prime 30-day Free Trial, trust me, you will fall in love with it.

One thing, exclusive for Amazon Prime members, I cannot recommend enough is Subscribe & Save! You can schedule monthly deliveries on a set day each month. I like to use it for household products like laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, toilet paper, diapers, baby wipes, etc. Amazon will remind you of your subscription for the month before it ships, and if I already have enough, I can skip that item’s delivery for the month. If you schedule a certain amount of items to be delivered, you can receive a significant discount! Oh, and did I mention you can get 20% off diaper subscription! I love getting my favorite diapers for less (per unit) than the cheapest ones I can find at the stores!

Unplug Regularly

This is something I have been working on recently to take the stress off. Once a week the hubby and I have an afternoon when we forget about work and just focus on family time. It can be easy to get caught up on your to-do list, and everything that has to get done ASAP, but after a while, it can go from being motivation to a source of stress. Especially if you find yourself struggling to get things finished and your little one keeps interrupting you in the middle of a task. Try taking an afternoon completely off from all work, you will find that the next day (or maybe after bedtime if you can’t wait that long haha) you will have so much more energy and focus!

RELATED POST: How to Work Smarter (Not Harder) as a Mamapreneur

What challenges did you face when you became a mamapreneur? Let me know in the comments 🙂