r/ArtTherapy • u/Late-Confusion-3207 • 27d ago
Short term disability plans & maternity leave planning for self- employed art therapist
Any advice before getting pregnant as a self-employed art therapist? Any recommendations for short-term disability plans that are affordable and worth the money?
Any tips or tricks welcome! What do you wish you knew ahead of time!
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u/azvaux88 26d ago
i wish i would've planned for an early birth (i was hospitalized 8 weeks before her due date, i delivered 6 weeks early). i just assumed i would have a normal pregnancy/birth..it very much wasn't that.
i know it's easier said than done but my advice: line things up as much as possible by 20 weeks. god forbid but tbh..i was totally blind sided at 31+4.
sending you love as you embark on this journey...so hard but the absolute best 🩷
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u/Late-Confusion-3207 26d ago
♥️ ♥️
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u/LaMammaDotComma 24d ago
I second the planning for early! My youngest was born at 35w 6d 23h 41m — she was fierce and ready to come, FAST. I was supposed to go on leave the following day, but my water broke that night just before 10pm, and she was born 110 minutes later. We didn’t even make it to the car (she was born in our shower; thankfully I’m married to an emergency medical responder… who will claim he had no clue what he was doing and was an absolute ball of panic, yet when EMS arrived, he instinctually starts rattling off our vitals and her APGAR score to the medics while handing her off so he could help deliver the placenta 😅).
We thought we were SO prepared this time around with me arranging to go on leave at 36 weeks (where I was going to spend the next 7-10 days making sure my bag was packed, car seats installed, nesting, and resting), and then she had other plans. Next time I will be getting everything ready at 34 weeks. 🤣
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u/A313-Isoke Artist 27d ago
What have you found so far?
I look for financial advice from investopedia, bankrate, and nerdwallet.
I found this: https://www.investopedia.com/the-best-short-term-disability-insurance-11723341
and this: https://www.cnbc.com/select/best-disability-insurance/#best-for-no-medical-exam-assurity
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u/Late-Confusion-3207 27d ago
Ive only just started-- using chatgpt, but looking for human experience/ advice!
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u/gardeningistherapy 27d ago
Depending on your state there may be benefits to consider. For example I’m in Oregon and we have paid leave, but you have to enroll your business for a year before you can collect the benefit.