If you’ve ever looked at your calendar and realized your due date and a major client project are going to overlap — you’re not alone.
So many business-owning moms tell me they feel like they’re building the plane while flying it. And when it comes to maternity leave, that can feel even more intense. You’ve got clients depending on you, projects midstream, and a baby on the way.
But here’s the truth: maternity leave is one of the best opportunities you’ll ever have to refine your operations and strengthen your forward planning muscles.
Step 1: Get Really Good at Forecasting
When projects might overlap with your due date, it’s time to start forecasting — not in a corporate, sterile way, but in an intentional, human way that takes your life and your team’s capacity into account.
Start by identifying:
- Which projects will still be active during your leave & create systems or automations for handling those
- What decisions you’re typically responsible for & what you might want to decide before stepping out.
- Which tasks can be front-loaded before you step away
One of my favorite tools for this is something I teach in my workshops called the CEO Bottleneck Map. It’s essentially a brain dump of every decision or action that runs through you as the CEO. Once it’s on paper, you can front-load the essentials, delegate, and feel that lightness that comes from truly preparing to step back.
If you have a big launch or major event near your due date, take a hybrid approach:
- Decide and do early. Handle key creative, strategy, and decision-making before leave.
- Delay what can wait. Push any “show-up” pieces (like live sessions or interviews) until you’re back.
The goal? You come back to a clean runway — not a mountain of half-finished work.
Step 2: Be Transparent With Your Clients
One of the biggest questions I get is:
“Should I tell my clients I’m taking maternity leave, or just reduce my availability quietly?”
My answer: Tell them — with a plan in place.
When I first went on maternity leave, I told clients my team member, Alison (fun, right?!), would be taking over as point of contact. What I didn’t do was anticipate all the follow-up questions they’d have. Thankfully, I had built a lot of trust, but I learned something crucial:
Clarity builds confidence — confusion breeds uncertainty.
Here’s what I teach inside Master Maternity Leave:
Create certainty in your client journey.
Let clients know:
- Where they are in the process
- What happens next
- How support will look while you’re out
Whether that’s:
- A self-guided phase of their project
- A temporary referral to a trusted colleague
- Or a low-touch communication thread (like a private Voxer group) to stay connected
One of our therapist clients did this beautifully — she set up a light, supportive Voxer group for her patients during her leave, and it worked seamlessly. Her clients felt cared for, and she got the time she needed.
Step 3: Give It Time to Settle
Don’t spring changes on your clients the week before your due date. Give yourself plenty of runway — ideally 8 to 12 weeks — to test new processes, hand off roles, and adjust as needed.
You’ll return to work with a newborn and a smoother system than you’ve ever had before. And that’s the real win — not just a “covered” leave, but an upgraded way of running your business.
The Big Takeaway
Maternity leave isn’t a pause in your progress — it’s a practice ground for becoming a better, more intentional CEO.
The way you handle your projects and communicate with clients now will serve you long after the baby arrives.
Want help planning your own maternity leave?
Watch my free training about how to plan your self-employed maternity leave and learn how to create a business that can run while you rest.
👉 Watch the training here
Warmly,
Aly
