As the CEO, being an expectant mother can bring on many emotions. Hopefully it’s mostly the good and squishy butterflies; but we understand that owning and operating a business can also leave you with questions and anxieties. We want to help you prepare your business for this exciting time in your life so that you can soak in every moment with your precious babe. 

Here are some quick and (mostly) mindless tasks you can complete before your maternity leave:

1. Do a quick review of your recurring expenses and point out 1 (or multiple!) that you have been meaning to cancel- then actually cancel it. Sometimes we subscribe to a lot of ‘systems’ and before long we have some that just aren’t useful to us. You may have been hanging on to a subscription because you think “well, that could come in handy one day”- but going on maternity leave is a great chance to say “I’m not going to be using this for at least x amount of months (or ever).” 
2. Set up an automatic recurring transfer to at least one savings account. This does not have to be a large amount. Do not trap yourself into thinking you can only set aside money when you have hundreds or thousands extra. Go ahead and set up just $10/ week (or $15 or $20 or $25..)- it’s something to get started and to have a little cushion. It’s a mindless way to set aside money so you are not pressured into creating sales to keep your business afloat.
3. Start a maternity fund early on in pregnancy. Set up an automatic recurring transfer to this account as well. Again, even a tiny amount is something. This fund is just for you, momma! You would like to give your employees paid maternity leave, right? You deserve that same value.
4. Create a simple “to-do” list. Have one place to go to see what needs done, the priority of it, and a deadline if applicable. Maternity leave can make you feel like you will fall too far behind, but having everything in a quick list can keep you organized and sane. “Mom brain” is a real thing. Own it, organize it.
5. Have a support person that you trust to be a substitute for you. This can be a team member, a friend, or a family member. How much you will be paying them ~ or how much of their time they can gift to you ~ will vary and should be communicated beforehand. Having a trusted temporary substitute will be your best route to truly step away.
6. Boast your pregnancy!! For real. Let everyone know that you are expecting; your clients, your team, etc. You deserve all of the support and space and grace in the world during this time. Your clients will know what to expect from you and your team will know how to support you. Let them know your expected time frame of absence (please do not give yourself a hard deadline) and then allow yourself to have that absence.

The ultimate goal here is more attention to yourself and babe, and less on numbers and operations. Good luck, momma. You’ve got this.