Personal soI Just Found Out I'm Pregnant

[LilChefBeth]

Again! I'm not sad...but I can't say I'm overjoyed at the moment...I'm 19 and I have a 5 month old at home... I just signed up to do PC at the end of December and I was wondering how easy it is to do PC while pregnant... My son was also premature so I don't know how much I will be able to do in the last trimester. I'm only 5 weeks along.. due in October. But I still want to work my business, I just don't know how it will affect it. And I know many women have done it while pregnant (a lady in my hospitality cluster has done it through 5 pregnancies in 10 years!) But do any of you have any advice from previous experience? I really want to make this work, I love doing Pampered Chef.

 

[mountainmama74]

I did it through my second pregnancy!! It was fine - just take breaks and sit down if you need to. And ask someone to carry the heavy stuff!!

 

[chefsteph07]

I signed up to do PC in May 03 and found out I was pregnant in June! I worked PC all throughout and did catalog shows for the month before and after I had my daughter. I actually started doing shows again 4 weeks after I had her....my husband just came w/ me and carried everything for me,etc and helped me alot. It CAN be done!
I am hoping you have a supportive family who can help you be successful! Good luck!

 

[Sheila]

If your son was premature due to IC (incompetent cervix), then you need to reconsider doing cooking shows by yourself. You'll either need a helper to carry all the heavy stuff or you'll need to switch to catalog shows to get you through the end of the pregnancy. IC patients need to be extra careful during the 2nd & 3rd trimester! I have a friend who just recently delivered at 20 weeks, 6 days and it was just too soon for them to save her son.

It would just pretty much depend on why your son came early. Some things are just a fluke & probably won't happen again. Other things might mean that you are on bed rest for the end of the pregnancy.

I took 8 weeks off last year because I was expecting preeclampsia again and knew that I was having a repeat c-section. I had catalog shows going during that time & remained active. But you can submit a sales waiver to the Home Office if you think that you'll not be able to maintain your active status at the end of your pregnancy or the first few weeks after delivery.

 

[LilChefBeth]

The doctors say that it was possibly a placental abruption so I'm not sure the likelihood of it happening again...
I did not know I could do a sales waiver... that's cool I didn't even think about it haha.
Thanks for all the help! This was a really really unexpected turn for my husband and me so I'm still recuperating from the initial shock. But I just started and just got my momentum going and I don't want to have to stop. This is what stopped me from signing last March (when I found out I was pregnant with my son)

 

[raebates]

Congratulations. There are plenty of people on here who can give great advice about working your business right through your pregnancy and recovery. Since I've been with PC for just shy of 6 years and my baby boy is almost 24, I'll not be much help.

 

[chefsteph07]

Is the waiver still there? I thought w/ the new plan they did away with it? Might want to check HO.

 

[wadesgirl]

Is the waiver still there? I thought w/ the new plan they did away with it? Might want to check HO.

As far as I know you cannot submit a waiver!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I don't think there is a sales waiver any more.

When I was pregnant, I did a lot of "sit down" shows. Where we all just sat around a table and made the recipe together. those are called interactive shows now. If you let people know you are pregnant, you won't have to carry a thing!

Then, I was on bedrest the last 3 months of my pregnancy, and I did catalog shows. that worked out great - I just had friends and family, and referrals from friends and family do catalog shows. I never went inactive, and I never took a waiver (back then we had them!) then, after my son was born, I started back slowwwwly doing cooking shows. My first couple of cooking shows were also with friends, and I brought the little guy with me. Great attendance at those shows, since everyone wanted to see him!

 

[DebbieJ]

Once your hosts find out you are pregnant, they will offer to carry everything in for you! I just made sure to ask/remind them during my last host coaching call.Before I had my son in September, I did 6 cooking shows in August, did 4 catalog shows in September to keep me active. He was born Sept 20th via emergency c-section. My first cooking show back was mid-October at my sister's house and lots of the shows I did this fall were for people I knew or repeat hosts, so it was very easy to ask them to help. Again, my hosts carried everything for me since I couldn't due to the c-section.The biggest thing that got me, especially during trimesters 1 & 3 doing shows was the fatigue. I was just WIPED OUT after shows. Women are VERY willing to help, so just ask!

 

[wadesgirl]

Also to show you it can be done, my HD had her baby on a Friday and did 6 shows the following week! Not on purpose though. Her baby came a month early when she had planned on packing her calendar to help for the following month when the baby was supposed to be born. She had one bad issue with canceling a show so she just decided to keep on doing them. She said that she sat on a chair during her demos and her husband helped pack the car and her host helped carry everything in.

 

[Becca_in_MD]

I'm another one ... I found out I was PG with my second one a few weeks after signing. Never had to take a waiver. And it sure was good getting out of the house and having something for me after he was born. Plus the income helps!

 

[Sheila]

I think the waiver still exists. I thought I was going to be taking my maternity leave during the changeover last year (March & April) and they didn't say anything to me about it not being in effect as of April. A friend was having health problems & was asking for an extension on her waiver ... since it was in the middle of the switch-over they couldn't give her one. They told her that if it had all been before April or all after April 1st they could have worked with her, but they couldn't split it between the two plans. They didn't tell her it was no longer an option either. So now you girls have me wondering if she & I both ended up with an employee at corporate who just didn't know or if it's just a rumor that they have done away with it???

 

[chefjeanine]

I think the waiver still exists.

I don't think so. . .there have been a few discussions on here with people who could have used it but it was no longer available.

 

[wadesgirl]

No I think that they did away with it April 1st.

 

[redsoxgirl]

WOO HOO!! I'm 8.5 mos pregnant and my little ones will be about the same difference as yours. We're in for a ride!I'm due 3/9 and my last cooking show was 1/30. My first was a month early and I had to pass my last show off to my director because it ended up being 5 days after Megan was born! This time I decided to give myself enough time in case that happened again.I have catalog shows set up in Feb, March and April and am planning on doing cooking shows again in mid-late April (or sooner depending on how I'm feeling).Be sure to ask for as much help as you can! I also tell people right off the bat a at show "Please forgive me if I'm out of breath/forgetful/etc. I'm xx months pregnant!" They always love to hear it and are super nice about everything.

 

[etteluap70PC]

The waiver is now a 1 month extension. All the details are in the Consultant policies manual.

I also did PC thru a 2nd pregnancy and 2nd c-section. It's all in the planning. I was able to stay active no problem! Make sure to have 2-3 catalog shows on your books the month before during and after your due date. That should cover you.

 

[LilChefBeth]

I saw the extension thing in the policy guide...But I don't know that I would try to use it... I'm really excited now! I was skeptical at first if I could pull it off but I think I can do it!

 

[etteluap70PC]

I saw the extension thing in the policy guide...But I don't know that I would try to use it... I'm really excited now! I was skeptical at first if I could pull it off but I think I can do it!

Good for you!Oh and a major go getter in my cluster signed up at the same time as me, she was 6 months pregnant with her first and has had 2 more since. She consistently has over $3000 in sales each month. Again this is part of her personality but she is one motivated lady and makes it happen!

 

[kristina16marie]

i'm currently 7 mos pregnant & have cooking shows scheduled up until about a month before my due date and after that i tell people at my shows that i'll only be booking catalog shows while on "maternity leave". don't forget to take your catalog tote w/host packets to the hospital when you're in labor! nurses LOVE pampered chef!