Guest Post - Baby Signing Mummy

I would like you to meet another great twitter friend of mine, Louise from Baby Signing Mummy talks a bit about something that may affect many Mumpreneurs!

I love being asked to write articles or guest blog posts so I was thrilled when the lovely Kelly from PiddleyPix asked me to write for her fab new business blog. So what to write about? Well seeing as I am usually always talking about the benefits of baby sign language I thought I might do something a little different - how about a little bit about me  and the mammoth decision to quit my regular day job and become a full time mummy at home running my business Baby Signing Mummy?

I do not think I have ever had such a tough decision to make, and it took months to reach the final decision, that in the meantime made my beloved Baby Signing Daddy (@kjlloydie) despair of me whenever I would mention the subject. Mainly because my ‘decision’ would change every few seconds.

 

Louise's Daughter Isabella on her 3rd Birthday!

My ‘regular day job’ was as a paediatric nurse - which had always been my dream job, from the tender age of 3 I was given my first nurses uniform dress up set and from that moment on I told everyone I was going to be a nurse. I qualified in 2000 as a paediatric nurse and could not have been prouder, graduating from the University of Surrey I thought I knew it all, I had reached that goal! Then I started my first job and realized I wanted more...I was the lowly newly qualified and I wanted to be a senior nurse! As my career progressed I realized I was always going to want to achieve more and each time I broke that goal a new one was set. In 2008 I reached my ultimate goal I was a Sister. I had worked in paediatric intensive care for 4 years and passed the university course that went with it, I had moved on and specialized in Children’s Allergy and was then promoted to clinical nurse specialist. Whilst very happy in this role for a couple of years (balancing this role full time whilst my beautiful daughter travelled with me daily to London to go to the hospital nursery) it soon became apparent to me that I again wanted a new challenge.

So I took on a Masters course in Advanced Practice - yes that would do it, I wanted to be an advanced practitioner now that would complete my career. So I undertook the advanced assessment skills course and passed - leading me into running my own nurse led clinic with my own patient load. I loved working closely with the families and diagnosing their child’s allergies and producing management plans. But still something was missing. So I undertook the non-medical prescribing course. This is known as the ‘hardest’ post qualification nursing course there is. I loved it, it made my brain think and extend my knowledge even further. I passed with flying colours! I can now prescribe medications.

This last part, I only found out the Monday after my last day at my job. Am I sad? A little bit I guess - but was I happy? No. Forever putting a new goal on my nursing career it suddenly occurred to me when I was deciding whether to hand in my notice or not that I wasn’t sure what my end goal was.  I am not sure what my end goal is now actually! - I want to be successful in my business - I am going to put in as much drive and determination into my business as I have done my whole education and nursing career. I can only hope that will help me to succeed. I love being my own boss and running my business around my daughter and being able to be there to take her and pick her up from preschool. I love the fact that I am involved in her life more. I also know how lucky I am that I have been able to make this move.

Making that final decision was a risk, we need the business to be successful as I do need to earn some money for the family, but I couldn’t give the business my whole whilst I was nursing three days a week in London. I really felt split down the middle and to be honest even with my resignation letter in my hand it was touch and go as to whether I was going to actually hand it to the Matron. I have taken a huge leap of faith and left behind a part of me that I always felt was innate in me. I thought I would feel like I was missing a part of me, but so far I have been adjusting well. I think passing that final exam and getting the prescribing role added to my registration has made me realize that perhaps nursing is a way of life for me. Maybe I will end up going back to it one day, but when I am ready. Right now I have a new goal and focus in my life, I want to be the best mummy I can be to our beautiful daughter and I want to prove to myself that I am more than just a nurse. I can be a successful businesses woman and learn a whole new world, whilst still keeping within my passion of working with children and families.

My advice to anyone else who is wondering whether to give up their ‘regular day job’ is to think long and hard about why it is that you are doing it. For a long time for me it was because I loved what I did and there was always something I wanted to achieve. But I had reached my peak and I couldn’t see a new goal.  Until Baby Signing Mummy was born.

Have a browse of the Baby Signing Mummy Website or Find Louise on Twitter at  http://twitter.com/babysigningmum