5 Things I Learned as an Entrepreneur Giving Birth to my Second Baby

Childbirth and business.

Do the two fit together??

If the natural inclination is to pry them apart, perhaps we should change that narrative.

Over the past year, I have had the experience of being pregnant and giving birth in the midst of co-owning a boutique video agency with my husband, Nouver. The process challenged my need to control both my business and my body, and the sequence of events that followed my second son’s birth taught - and are teaching - me a great deal.

Read on for five lessons:

1.? How long is your Mat Leave?

Leading up to pregnancy, I was constantly asked, "how long will you go on mat leave?" As an entrepreneur and CEO of a small agency, how do I answer that? I dodged it, left and right.

My answer now that I am on the other side??

At least 3-4 months.?

Three months because that’s when the bodies of most babies and moms begin to regulate and a semblance of a rhythm starts to form. Four months because you can technically start sleep training by then if you have the sanity to.?

My preferred method: BabyWise!?

Baby No. 2 was sleeping eight hours per night about two weeks into the routine. That meant I could SLEEP! Which meant I also had the MENTAL CAPACITY to think about other things besides milk, naps, burps etc.

2. Don’t fight your body when it comes to breastfeeding!

Month two had a day of mastitis on either side, clogged ducts … it was the worst!?

I didn’t know halfway into month two, the milk supply would suddenly increase! Yikes! I was having Nouver do acupressure-type massage to try and get the knots out and, boy, was it ever painful! Figured I went through labour and birth, so I could handle this … then I hit my breaking point and called in a lactation consultant (yes, they exist) as the end of every Google article would recommend.

She came in and -- once we got through the paperwork -- I thought she’d do some kind of intense massage. But, no, to my surprise and shock, she had me:

1. Apply a hot compress
2. Allow baby to latch on
3. Gently massage the plugged duct, and …

Voila! The combination of the baby sucking the milk with the massage cleared the duct!

WHAT THE???? Why was I working against my body doing painful martial arts moves to clear the duct?

Lesson: Work with your body. Pause and listen to your body and your baby.

3. Embrace Rest

I remember the first few weeks feeling everyday like there was something I needed to do at the company. The task list never actually ends.?

It took almost a month before my mind and body could fully disconnect from work and I could truly bask in the season of newborn goodness and motherhood (that and plugged ducts will get your mind off everything else!).

In the end, each person took care of him or herself, the company carried on just fine, my team rose to the occasion and excelled in delivering on projects. Somehow, there’s this miraculous grace that carries us through this season.?

It does take a leap of faith, though!

4. You don’t have to Push!!??? @^&@#!

This one is because my first baby was an unplanned c-section and my second was a natural home water birth.?

It’s crazy, but for new moms-to-be out there, don’t believe anything out of Hollywood. In an ideal situation, we don’t actually need to do any pushing! I was lucky enough to have everything go well, which meant my body did the pushing for me and all I needed to do was just relax between the contractions.

When the baby’s head is half way out, the contraction timing actually changes to allow for the body to stretch naturally. It does it all on its own! (Of course, at some point, I didn’t want to wait anymore and just gave it a push - but that was because I didn’t fully get the concept until after).

5. Get a Personal Trainer!

This one is still in progress, so I’ll have to update as I go.?

I had an epiphany last month: as business owners, we will hire consultants, trainers, and experts to help us move our businesses forward ... but why don’t we do this for our bodies and our own wellness???

Who’s keeping us accountable with our nutrition and physical fitness? They say gyms only work for 5-percent of the population who actually go ... and that 90-percent of weight loss is based on your nutrition.?

A week into my decision to work with a personal trainer and I already felt like it was one of the best decisions I could have made. Not only for getting back into mental, physical, and emotional shape, but for my long-term health.

Continuing On

I have no doubt the lessons will continue as Nouver and I work through the co-parenting of our sons and the co-owning of our business.??

Stay tuned … I have plans to get into great physical and mental shape in the coming months!

About Donna Cheung

Donna Cheung is the Executive Producer of Wakefield Agency. With a flair for the dramatic and a desire for impact, Donna loves to make a difference with the work that Wakefield does. Through her 13-year background in business and management, when a client has a message that needs to be heard, Donna is there to mine it out and make it happen. Learn more at wakefield.agency.