Going on maternity leave is one of the most daunting and exciting stages of your pregnancy. You know that the end is near, your life is about to change forever, and you have months ahead of you to care for your little one. If you are passionate about your career, you must start taking steps to prepare your company for your departure and pave the way for your return. Of course, you may find that your plans change somewhere down the line, but it will still give you peace of mind when you know that you have made all the necessary preparations.
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Achieving a work-life balance is the ultimate goal when you return to your job, which is something that more and more women intend to do. So, let’s look at some ways that you can prepare your company and yourself for your impending departure.
Inform Your Boss and Clients
Though you will be very excited to tell your friends at work about your big news, it is also a good idea to inform your boss at the earliest possible opportunity—preferably before your bump starts showing! Speak to them in person at first, and then draft a maternity leave letter that outlines your intentions. Of course, these are just preliminary plans that may adapt and change over time. You will also want to inform your clients about your big news, preferably with plenty of time to spare, and when the plans about covering your absence are firmly in place. This way, you will be in the best position to explain how things will work while you are away.
Plan Your Leave
Once you know the date that you will be going on maternity leave, you can start preparing for your departure. Make a list of all your tasks at the company and who will take them over. If it is a current team member, you can start getting them up to speed as soon as possible. If someone is going to be covering for you on a short-term basis, you can make a document that helps them to transition into the role.
Crunch the Numbers
Making a detailed budget is always a good idea, no matter your financial situation, but it is essential if you are about to have a child. It may be quite challenging to calculate all your expenses in detail, but it is a good idea to make a rough estimate. You can then weigh this up against the amount of money that you receive from your maternity leave and any other sources of income. If you can also accumulate some savings, it is always a good idea to have a contingency plan in case your expenses turn out to be much higher than expected.
Plan Your Childcare
Though this may seem like a very early time to start planning your childcare, you can never be overprepared. It is worth visiting different centres to look at their facilities and see how they operate on a day-to-day basis. You can also find out about their availability and how far in advance you need to apply. The other potential option is hiring a nanny, so it is worth considering the pros and cons of this approach. A nanny gives your child individual attention and care. You can also look up 3 month old milestones to see how your baby is likely to develop. On the other hand, a daycare centre allows them to interact with other kids. A big influencer in your decision will be the standard of care available in your local area, and how your and your partner’s jobs will fit around what is available.
Stay in the Loop at Work
In most workplaces, things tend to change at a fairly rapid rate, and it is worth keeping track of what is going on—even if it is just the occasional update from a close work friend. Even better, if you have a colleague who is just returning from maternity leave, you can find out the inside scoop about how easy or challenging it has been. Of course, when your baby arrives, you will find your attention very much pulled in another direction. But if you are passionate about returning to work, it helps to stay up to date on what is going on. As the return-to-work date approaches, you could start coming in to meet with your boss to discuss how you will manage the transition phase together.
Create a Resources List
The balancing act between your family and your job is so challenging to get right. So, to give you a helping hand at this early stage, you can start pulling together a list of people and resources who can help you in all eventualities. For example, someone who can clean the house, look after the dog, and take care of the baby in an emergency. You are entering a daunting new world, and you never know exactly which direction it will take you. Creating this list will help you feel better about the challenges ahead. You will probably find that organising your life becomes much more difficult when the baby arrives!
Wrap Up Any Outstanding Work
In the last weeks and days before your maternity leave begins, you should be wrapping up any projects that are still ongoing. Since babies often arrive ahead of schedule, it is a good idea to address the top-priority items first in case your little bundle of joy decides to make an early appearance! One of your final tasks will be to draft an out-of-office email that explains who people should contact in your absence. You can help out whoever is monitoring your emails by unsubscribing from any newsletters or email lists. Keep a note of them, and you can subscribe again once you are back at work.
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