Preparing for Maternity Leave as a Business Owner
Maternity leave!
That must mean… yes! I’m expecting my first baby next month. A boy!
I’ve been blessed with a relatively smooth and healthy pregnancy so far. I’m trying to take things one day at a time as it seems like every day brings something new. Pregnancy is wild!
Preparation for maternity leave began well before I even knew this baby existed. It took a ton of time, strategy, and money to try and figure out the best approach to taking several consecutive weeks off with my type of business.
Keeping my clients’ projects moving forward and them happy is my top priority, and when this baby comes I will need time to physically and emotionally recover.
Here are four ways I am preparing to take time off when this new life joins the world:
Saving money. My husband and I saved our entire health insurance deductible plus one month of household expenses so when my income goes to nearly $0 and the hospital bills roll in, we are covered.
Ongoing lists of tasks to complete before/during/after maternity leave for each client. With limitations on how far out you can schedule content on social media (Facebook is 30 days! Ugh!) I will have 30 days of content drafted and approved at all times for all clients that I post on Facebook for. I’ve set aside creative time to think as far in advance as possible and set several calendar reminders of important deadlines leading up to my due date.
Keeping my expectations low. I won’t be able to be 100% off for as long as many new mothers can. I plan to take 4 weeks as much “off” as possible and then 2 weeks of a grace period where I try returning to work at ~ 50% ~ to try out a new routine and schedule before the baby can start daycare. How and when this will all unfold is unknown so my expectations are real low so I feel no shame or guilt with what I’m able to do or not do during this time.
Clear communication far in advance with all my clients. I’ve already had several conversations with my clients about what my maternity leave will look like, and what I need from them before and during my leave. I’m communicating well in advance (anything can happen!) and often to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Bonus #5: Virtual Assistant. I coordinated with a virtual assistant to help manage my email, take care of anything urgent, and be my client liaison during my leave. This will give me peace of mind, help my clients stay on top of projects, and prevent me from checking my email in the middle of the night and panicking when I see dozens of unread messages (Team inbox zero 😂)
If you run your own business, are self-employed, or don’t qualify for paid parental leave, was this helpful? What steps do you plan to take or have you taken to carve out time for parental leave? I’d love any/all ideas!
