Maternity Leave Prep: A Practical, Copy‑Paste Template
A simple framework to prepare your team, protect your peace, and leave without last-minute chaos.
Why This Template Exists
When I went on maternity leave with my first child, I had only been in my role for about six months.
I knew from day one that maternity leave was coming, which meant I was doing two things at the same time: ramping up in a brand-new role and quietly planning for three months of being out. At the time, I was a marketing manager at a startup. My work was very tactical; building a website from the ground up, creating a content strategy, setting up blogs, social media, and brand assets. (Fun fact: I rebuilt the entire website in about two months… which still feels a little unhinged in hindsight.)
Because it was my first child, I had capacity I wouldn’t have later. I could work long days, plan far ahead, and front-load a lot of execution. Marketing also gave me the advantage of scheduling; getting content built, queued, and ready to go before I stepped away. We brought on interns and contractors to handle smaller tasks while I was out, but most of the responsibility for preparation sat with me.
And honestly? I cared a lot. I had just built this thing, and I wanted it to succeed. That meant I probably over-prepared in some places and tried to make everything perfect, when in reality, a few things could have been left undone. That’s part of the learning.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that this same approach would end up serving me far beyond maternity leave.
I knew going into postpartum that my child had congenital heart disease, and we had no clear picture of what recovery (or life) would look like on the other side. Since then, I’ve used this exact framework to prepare for medical leave surrounding my daughter’s surgeries—five times so far. Each time, it’s helped me step away knowing my team wasn’t scrambling, important work wouldn’t stall, and I wasn’t leaving chaos behind.
That’s why this isn’t just a maternity leave template.
It’s a leave well template.
And it works! Whether you’re preparing for maternity leave, medical leave, or any season where you need to step away without everything falling apart.
Now Let’s Get to the Good Stuff
This guide is designed to help you prepare your team for your maternity leave without last‑minute chaos—and without carrying unnecessary guilt.
Before we jump into the template, two important things to say out loud:
This will look different depending on your role. Whether you’re executing tasks, leading decisions, managing people, or working for yourself, the structure stays the same—even if the content changes.
The goal is not perfection. The goal is clarity. You’re not trying to predict every scenario—just to leave your team with confidence instead of anxiety.
If you do nothing else: document what you do, who owns it while you’re out, and how decisions get made without you.
Step 1: Align on Expectations (Before You Do the Work)
If you’re in an execution‑focused role, expectations may be given to you clearly—and that’s actually a gift.
If you’re in a leadership, planning, or decision‑making role, pause before preparing. Make sure you and your manager/team agree on:
What actually needs to be covered while you’re out
What can pause or be simplified
What decisions you don’t need to be involved in
This prevents you from doing a ton of prep work no one asked for.
Step 2: Inventory Your Work (Daily / Weekly / Monthly)
Instead of trying to remember everything at once, capture your responsibilities over time.
Use this framework:
Daily: Things that happen almost every day
Weekly: Standing meetings, reports, recurring tasks
Monthly / Quarterly: Reviews, planning, payments, deadlines
Projects: Anything finite with a start/end
Pro tip: Keep a running list for 1–2 weeks and jot things down as they happen. You’ll catch way more than relying on memory.
Step 3: Decide Coverage (Do, Delegate, or Document)
For each responsibility, ask:
Does this need to be done while I’m out?
If yes, who owns it?
Does that person need instructions or context, or just permission?
At higher levels, this may look less like “how to do the task” and more like “how to think about the decision.”
Step 4: Give Yourself Margin
Babies don’t follow calendars.
Build in at least 2–4 weeks before your due date to:
Share documents
Train teammates
Answer questions
Troubleshoot gaps
This lets you shift from executor → mentor before you leave—and avoids Friday‑before panic.
COPY / PASTE TEMPLATE
You can drop this directly into a Google Doc and customize it.
Maternity Leave Coverage Plan
Name:
Role:
Estimated Leave Start:
Estimated Return:
Primary Contact While I’m Out:
1. Role Overview
While I’m out, my role is best described as:
☐ Primarily execution‑based (tasks assigned to me)
☐ Mix of execution and decision‑making
☐ Primarily leadership / planning / decision‑making
☐ Self‑employed / business owner
Key outcomes my role supports:
2. Responsibilities by Frequency
Daily Responsibilities
TaskCoverage OwnerNotes / Instructions
Weekly Responsibilities
TaskCoverage OwnerNotes / Instructions
Monthly / Quarterly Responsibilities
TaskCoverage OwnerNotes / Instructions
3. Active Projects
ProjectStatusCoverage OwnerDocumentation Link
4. Decision‑Making While I’m Out
Decisions that can be made without me:
Decisions that should escalate to:
Person:
When:
If an unexpected decision comes up:
Default principle to use:
Backup decision‑maker:
5. Documentation & Resources
Links to folders, recordings of processes, or guides:
6. Final Notes
Things I want the team to know:
You are empowered to make decisions while I’m out.
It’s okay if things aren’t done exactly how I would do them.
If something truly urgent comes up, here’s how to handle it:
Step 5: Share, Get Feedback, Lock It In
Share this doc early with your team
Ask: What’s unclear? What am I missing?
Update once
Then stop tweaking
Your job is to prepare, not to hover.
You’re not responsible for making everything run perfectly while you’re gone. You are responsible for leaving your team with clarity, context, and permission to move forward without you. This kind of preparation isn’t about control, it’s about care. Care for your coworkers, for the work itself, and for the version of you that deserves to step into maternity leave without carrying everyone else’s anxiety along with you.
Congratulations on entering a new chapter! You’ve got this.
And if you want coaching on how to implement this template so it works for you, sign up for a coaching call. I’d love to design your maternity plan alongside you.
And for more on maternity leave prep, check out our podcast episode packed with more tips and love for prepping well.