I worked all the way up until I physically couldn’t. I had this notion in my head: I wanted to accomplish as much as I could work-wise before baby came.
During the whole eighth month of my pregnancy the stylists and I styled a large group for an up-and-coming website relaunch. There were a lot of five-hour shopping sessions during that month. Back-to-back meetings to ensure everyone and everything were seamless. I remember being thirty-seven weeks pregnant and my fiancé driving me to content shoots and renovation sites. I couldn’t drive myself and he didn’t feel comfortable leaving my side because any moment could be “go-time!”
I just did not stop. I could not stop and more importantly, I did not want to stop. I had the urge during every team huddle, when new projects came down the pipeline, to raise my hand and voice “I’m ready to tackle that!” I don’t feel selfish in saying I wanted to put myself and my career first before having a baby. As a woman it’s unfortunate that we must think about all the factors, weighing work versus life as two opposing forces. I wanted to do all I could while my body could. Working fed my soul… and then my baby arrived and something else gave my life new meaning.
At thirty-eight weeks my body decided it was time to prepare for labor—I don’t know why when she decided to make headway at 40 weeks, but that’s mother nature! In those two weeks I pressed pause. I didn’t work and I stopped feeling guilty about it, because for heaven’s sakes I was having a baby!! I laid in bed and Netflix’d it up. I had spa days at home and at salons. I took the time to meet with friends and soaked up time with my partner before we became a family of three. It was a blissful two weeks. I let go of the notion that because I was having a baby my career needed to take a backseat. There would be plenty of work when I get back. Yes, the juggle was going to be harder and yes, I might feel like I’m stretched thin some days. That’s the war working mothers face, but every day I was going to show up for battle, because I love my baby and I love what I do.
Xo MJ
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