On Instagram #healthyhairdresser, @modernsalon asked how you managed your salon career while pregnant and, wow, did you respond! Even for those of you who had to cut your hours, you told us that the baby’s worth it, of course! Whether you add back those hours or you continue to work less once you’re a mom, children are a game-changer. Some of you had to go on bed rest, and some of you lost clients. We appreciate all of your comments, negative and positive, but here we’re sharing some of the encouraging messages to help anyone who’s currently pregnant see that there’s a career still there when the nine months are over!

Make sure to check the print issue of MODERN SALON in April, where there will be a full Healthy Hairdresser article about the impact on your career as your life cycle continues to roll. 

eileen_marie: Loved everything about it! I’m very fortunate to have a career in hair. Three babies later and still have my clients.

melissaannm: It was tiring, but I was able to work right up ’til the end. Helps to make the time go by faster....I talked about it with my clients for months and had them prebook all their appointments with one or two girls in my salon who knew and could easily attain their formulas. When I came back, I shortened my work week and worked longer days. Didn’t seem to lose many—maybe a few, but I think that’s the name of the game anyway.

ashleysaysno: I found some clients went missing after I came back from maternity leave, but they’ve come back a few months later when they realized that they weren’t going to get the same level of service and quality elsewhere.

jovita_gwilliams: I worked up until I went into labor—my husband was literally emailing and texting clients from the hospital to reschedule them. I was back to work after a month :( I love this business, but people don’t realize it’s difficult at times when u have children. We don’t have the luxuries that people have that clock in from 9-5—paid vacations, sick time, days off on Saturdays. Oh well...

duhsavannah: I worked right up until I went into labor. It was absolutely exhausting working being so pregnant, and on top of that I went back to work in 3 weeks. It was tough, but in our industry if you don’t work you don’t get paid. I’ve cut down my hours and days to have more time with my children, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I lost some clientele due to not working late nights, but I’ve gained back new people to replace those who couldn’t work with my schedule, so all in all it has worked out wonderfully!

nicolemoore: Just had my first baby. Worked until a week before my due date. Came back to work 3 weeks after delivery. During the busy season, I lost a few clients, but that’s inevitable. Now I’m as busy as I ever was and have a wait list. I work the same hours I did during my pregnancy so I can have some family time. It’s a good balance for me.

levitownes: I lost some clients when I went back to work after my maternity leave, but I increased prices and now work fewer hours. Clients will always be there, and now I have something that I can come home to. It’s also nice to go to work when you have a baby, because it gives you your time to do what you love.

Make sure to check #healthyhairdresser on Facebook and Instagram to give us your feedback on our posts!