I'm self-employed, and family planning as a freelancer is scary. I don't have parental leave, and I don't know how much money to save.

The author (not pictured) enjoys freelancing, but says the lifestyle makes it difficult to plan for a future with her husband. Olga Pankova/Getty Images

I'm a freelancer, and being self-employed makes family planning difficult.

I don't have parental leave, and I often wonder how other freelancers do it.

My husband and I also don't have family nearby, which makes it even more difficult.

When I worked a typical, corporate 9-5 job , I dreamed of the day I could freelance. I so badly wanted to be my own boss and feel a sense of autonomy and ownership around something I had built from the ground up.

Now that I'm living the freelance life, while I don't take a second of it for granted, like any job, it's not perfect.…