At this stage in my life, freelancing offers me wonderful flexibility, but I learned that there are some unique challenges – especially when you’re pregnant. With no instructions or HR support I needed to create my own post-baby plan of attack.

It was important to tie up my work as well as set realistic expectations with clients and online networks. I needed to be detailed and meticulous as well as flexible, adaptable, and open to the unexpected changes that were no doubt around the corner. How can you create a success maternity leave that works for you:

Identify goals: What do you want your maternity leave to look like? Before I did any other work I needed to set goals. While I couldn’t account for everything, I knew that I wanted to spend as much time with my daughter as possible and check in routinely with my networks.

Define expectations: Length of leave? Once I identified my goals, I was better able to determine how long that leave should be. This also took into consideration what we could financially swing. Downside of a freelancer’s maternity leave – no maternity pay. Be realistic with your time, you’ll probably need more then you think.

Be transparent: I wanted to embrace my time off. It’s hard, but you are doing something amazing and deserve (and need) the break. This is where communication is critical. I made it clear that I’d be a bit MIA and posted occasional updates on my blog, via Twitter, LinkedIn, and sent out periodic emails to select people and clients.

Say no: This is the time to say “no” and do so with confidence. If you’re like me, this is not easy to do, but it’s so important. It will make you better able to focus on adjusting to your new life, tend to your own needs, and address priority items. I am still working on this area, but it’s been invaluable to say no.

Be flexible: As I mentioned before, allow for the unexpected. Planning is great and being as organized as possible going into your leave is a sanity saver, but be flexible and adaptable to the situation. My expectations going into my leave have at times been dramatically different than the reality. I continue to revise my goals and actively communicate the transition to my network.

Final advice, identify what you want out of your maternity leave and own it. This is a special time. Relish in it and be sure to give yourself a break. If you’re open and honest, then people around you (your networks, clients and peers) will be patient, flexible, and most importantly, supportive.

For me, it came down to a little soul searching and identification of personal and professional goals. I determined that my goal was to attain space and balance without become completely obsolete during my hiatus. How’d I do? Well, perhaps that’s not for me to answer, but for the folks around me to critique on.

Image: Lu