Don’t worry–no one is.
My business has been my baby for the last 3.5 years. I quit my TV news job and birthed a daily news podcast into the world with nerves and excitement. In the midst of Googling and learning on the fly, I felt the highest of highs when things went well and pretty darn low when things went wrong. It was like postpartum–I was navigating an entirely new world of entrepreneurship, after all.
Eventually, though, I got the hang of it. I started feeling more confident, making money, and recognizing the positive impact I was having on my podcast listeners. Now, my one-time business “baby” is learning to walk on its own. I’ve been able to hire a team that is ready to take over as I go on maternity leave. And yes, I’m taking maternity leave with no guilt. It’s important for not only my sanity, but also for the example I want to set.
Yet, it feels like I’m starting from scratch once again. So many of us have spent years building our confidence as a badass in the boardroom, and then suddenly, we find ourselves walking into a nursery with no clue what to do next. That’s why I’m rounding up expert advice about maternity leave for the both of us.
Whether you own your own business, work a 9-to-5, or do something else entirely, I hope these expert tips will help you prep your workplace, finances, and mental health so you, too, can confidently take much-needed time off and embrace this new journey called parenthood.
Warming Up Your Workplace
Ideally, you’ll want to start the process of “warming up” your workplace for your absence at least two months before you plan to take leave.
“The more opportunity for others to deliver aspects of your role with you alongside them, the smoother the transition will be,” Team and Leadership Coach Shelli Warren said.
Warren spent 26 years leading projects and people at a Fortune 500 company, and she’s now chief people officer at BizChix, helping small business owners hire, fire and inspire teams of high performers. She encourages soon-to-be-moms to think about their business or the company they work for as less people-driven and more process-driven. In other words, help your bosses, coworkers or team members rely a little less on your individual mastery by setting them up for success while you’re away. That means creating clear processes for your team to follow.
“It’s much more than knowing the passwords and the status of key projects. There will be less confusion, mistakes and constraints when workflows, standard operating procedures, and troubleshooting know-how are documented and tested prior to mom leaving,” Warren said.
She also encourages you to tell your coworkers or team members to ask questions, questions, and then more questions. Now is the time–before you’re on leave. Consider worst-case scenarios and build troubleshooting guides as much as possible.
“The clearer you are about the new responsibilities, the more effective your team will be,” Warren said. “Let them leverage your insight and expertise before you go.”
Forecasting Your Finances
How much time you can ultimately take off typically depends on both your personal financial situation and the family leave policies offered to you at work. Understanding both is the first step in properly calculating and forecasting your finances for maternity leave.
“Sit down and take the time to understand and budget,” said Jamila Souffrant, money coach, podcast host and founder of JourneytoLaunch.com, where she shares her journey to reaching financial independence and helps others do the same.
For US employees, Souffrant notes there are a few key things to find out about your employer’s policies:
- The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides certain employees the ability to take some unpaid time off. Yes, it may be unpaid, but this option is all about job security.
- Short-term disability may help you replace some of your income while you’re away. The coverage likely won’t cover your full salary, but employees typically receive about 40 to 60 percent of their regular wages for a certain period of time.
- PTO can often be saved up and added on to your maternity leave to enable you to take more time off while also still getting your normal paycheck.
Once you understand these policies, you can start to evaluate how long you can realistically stay out-of-office and still have enough money to cover your costs.
Keep in mind that your expenses will now also include those one-time costs for labor and delivery as well as any baby-related essentials. Souffrant suggests creating two columns for baby products: “One can have your ideal or best-case scenario baby products that you’d like, and then list the more economical and budget-friendly options in the other so you’ll have a range of items to consider that ultimately works for you and your budget.”
Mastering Your Mindset
It’s common for ambitious women to have their identity wrapped up in their career, according to marriage and family therapist Tristan Coopersmith. When we press pause at work, it can leave those familiar feelings of confidence and self-worth pretty fragile.
“You won’t always get medals, degrees or pats on the back from bosses for parenting, but you can tap into self-approval and self-validation,” said Coopersmith.
That starts with owning your own choices. There’s no need to apologize for choosing motherhood and taking maternity leave. Ultimately, you’re allowed to do you. Stepping into self-advocacy, regardless of what other people may or may not think, can go a long way towards feeling prepared and empowered before you take leave.
Coopersmith encourages women to “look at those stretch marks as a reminder of how incredibly strong and capable our bodies, mind and spirit are to expand and rise to the occasion.”
Similarly, it’s important to stay flexible as you figure out your new normal. To be clear, this doesn’t mean perfection is the goal. In fact, kicking perfectionism to the curb is key. “Having reasonable and fair expectations of ourselves will help avoid a nasty emotional cocktail of anxiety, shame and fear, especially when you’re doing something brand new,” says Coopersmith.
Of course, no matter your postpartum experience, you’re not alone. Having a great therapist, or reaching out to other trusted friends, family members and experts can have a profoundly positive impact.
As I begin my own maternity leave, I feel happy and confident with the processes I’ve put in place. Despite some inevitable nerves to press pause for the first time in my business, I feel confident my team will not only survive, but thrive. I hope this advice helps you, too, plan for a maternity leave that works well for your company, your family and yourself.
Erica Mandy is the founder and host of the daily news podcast, The NewsWorthy. With its signature “fast, fair, fun” approach to the day’s news, the show keeps listeners up-to-date on a variety of perspectives and stories in just 10 minutes each day. The NewsWorthy has been listed as a top 25 daily news podcast on Apple Podcasts, named a “Best Podcast” by Harper’s Bazaar, recommended as a ‘Best News App’ by Fast Company, and more. Erica was also named one of “50 Women Changing the World in Media & Entertainment” by nonprofit Take The Lead in 2018.
Career
Don’t worry–no one is.
From finances to preparing your team, this expert advice is sure to help prepare you for taking time off for your new addition.
