My Approach to Maternity Leave as a Self-Employed Business Owner (It’s Not What You Think… and That’s Okay)

I posted to social media while in labor. With a typo.

I’m not proud of it. I definitely don’t recommend it. But it happened.

And honestly? It’s a pretty accurate snapshot of how I approached my third maternity leave—my first as a self-employed business owner.

It looked nothing like what I planned. Nothing like what anyone expected. And absolutely nothing like the “right” way to do maternity leave.

But here’s what I’ve learned:
There is no right way.
There’s only what works for you, your baby, and your family.

This is my story of navigating maternity leave as a business owner—not a prescription, not advice, just honest truth about what worked for me.

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What I Knew From Before

My first two daughters were born while I worked in corporate marketing. I took the standard 12-week FMLA leave with both pregnancies.

On paper, it looked great. Twelve weeks fully paid. Complete disconnection from work. Time to heal and bond with my babies.

In reality? I struggled.

With both pregnancies and postpartum periods, I dealt with postpartum anxiety and depression. The black-and-white approach—be completely off, then sprint back to full-time work—was really hard for me.

I felt the pressure to be “fully present” at home, to not think about work, to embrace every moment of early motherhood. And when I couldn’t do that perfectly, I felt like I was failing.

But during those maternity leaves, something else was happening too. I felt a calling hit differently. A pull to build something that could work for my kids in a different way. Something more flexible. Something I controlled.

I just didn’t have the means or opportunity to act on it yet.

What I Learned About Myself

The Truth I Had to Accept

Here’s what I had to come to terms with, through therapy and a lot of self-reflection:

Work is healthy for me.

Not all work. Not 60-hour weeks grinding until I burn out. Not work that pulls me away from what matters most.

But staying connected to my business, my clients, and my purpose—that actually supports my mental health. It gives me energy. It makes me a better mom because I’m taking care of myself in the process.

This isn’t true for everyone. Some people absolutely need complete disconnection to heal and bond. That’s valid and healthy.

But for me? I needed something different.

My therapist said something that stuck with me: “All Penn cares about is that you’re healthy.”

Not that I’m following some prescribed timeline. Not that I’m doing it the “right” way. Just that I’m healthy—mentally, physically, emotionally.

That gave me permission to think about maternity leave differently this time.

How I Prepared for Baby #3

When I found out I was pregnant with our third (who we were trying for but didn’t necessarily plan—we always thought two was our number), I started thinking about how maternity leave could look different.

I was self-employed now. Running Bondi Marketing and Olive + Emme. Building the businesses I’d dreamed about during those first two maternity leaves.

I had flexibility I didn’t have before. But I also had responsibilities to clients, projects, and a business that depended on me.

Here’s what I planned:

The Timeline: I would take 4 weeks completely off. No email. No client work. Just recovery and baby bonding.

The Prep Work: I worked ahead on all client accounts and projects that I could. (In retrospect, maybe too much. I don’t necessarily recommend this approach—it was A LOT.)

I recorded social media content. Drafted email campaigns. Got projects as far ahead as possible so clients would be covered.

What I Let Go: I had goals to launch a course and build a community after the first of the year. I let those go completely.

I decided to focus 99% on my clients and 1% on my own marketing for Bondi and Olive + Emme during the fourth quarter and into the new year.

The Boundaries: Clear expectations with clients about my availability. Out-of-office messages ready. Backup plans in place.

I felt prepared. I had a plan. Boundaries were set.

Then reality happened.

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The Reality

What Actually Happened

Here’s what my maternity leave actually looked like:

In the Hospital: I took time off while we were in the hospital with Penn. Real, actual time off.

Except I also wrote a social media post and published it while in labor. With a typo. (Again, don’t recommend. But it happened.)

When We Got Home: I gave myself permission to keep my email on my phone. I had an out-of-office message running, but I could check in if I wanted to.

And here’s the key: if I wanted to.

Some days I didn’t touch my phone. Some days I responded to a few emails while Penn slept on me. Some days I worked on client projects during nap time because it felt good to stay connected.

What This Looked Like:

• Keeping projects moving for e-commerce clients who were projecting busy holiday seasons. They needed support, and I could provide it without overwhelming myself.
• Keeping Bondi and Olive + Emme marketing on the back burner. My own businesses took a backseat, and I was okay with that.
• Having discovery calls and sending proposals for work starting in the new year. New business inquiries came in, and I could respond when I had energy.
• Bringing Penn to meetings—both virtually and in-person. He came to client check-ins, strategy sessions, even a few networking events.
• Working while he napped on me. (Like I’m doing right now as I write this.)

It wasn’t the 4 weeks completely off that I planned. It was flexible, responsive, and entirely on my terms.

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“You’re Working During Leave?”

I was questioned over and over about working during “maternity leave.”

Friends asked if I was sure I should be working. Family wondered if I was taking care of myself. Other business owners had opinions about what I “should” be doing.

And I get it. From the outside, it doesn’t look like traditional maternity leave. It doesn’t follow the rules. It challenges the narrative that good mothers completely disconnect.

But here’s what I know after navigating this three times now:

Finding balance as a small business owner, solopreneur, AND mom is hard as hell.

There’s no perfect formula. No one-size-fits-all approach. No “right” way that works for everyone.

What does exist is being true to YOU and what YOU need.

Saying yes to what serves you. Saying no to what doesn’t.

Some days that meant working on a project because it energized me. Some days it meant ignoring my email completely because I needed rest. Some days it meant bringing Penn to a meeting because I wanted adult conversation and professional connection.

All of it was valid. All of it was healthy for me. All of it was the right choice—for our family, in that moment.

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What I Actually Learned

Here’s what this experience taught me:

1. Balance Doesn’t Exist (But Permission Does)

I used to think I needed to find “balance”—the perfect amount of work and motherhood and self-care all perfectly distributed throughout my day.

That’s a myth. Balance doesn’t exist.

What does exist is permission. Permission to do what works for you in each season, each week, each day.

2. There’s No One Right Way

Some mothers need complete disconnection during maternity leave. They need to be fully off, fully present, without any work pulling at their attention.

That’s beautiful. That’s healthy. That’s the right choice for them.

I needed flexibility. I needed permission to stay connected to work that fulfills me while also being present for my baby.

That’s also beautiful. Also healthy. Also the right choice—for me.

Both can be true.

3. Your Mental Health Matters

My therapist’s words keep coming back to me: All Penn cares about is that I’m healthy.

Not that I’m following some arbitrary timeline. Not that I’m doing it like everyone else. Just that I’m healthy.

For me, staying connected to my work supports my mental health. It gives me purpose beyond motherhood (which I love, but which can also be isolating and all-consuming). It reminds me that I’m still building something meaningful.

That makes me a better mom. A healthier person. A more present parent.

4. You Can Change Your Mind.

I went into this with a plan for 4 weeks off. That lasted about 3 days (maybe).

And that’s okay. Plans are allowed to change when you learn more about what you actually need.

Giving yourself permission to adjust, to try something different, to abandon the plan when it’s not serving you—that’s not failure. That’s wisdom.

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There’s no blueprint for this. No perfect formula. No “right” way to navigate self-employment and new motherhood.

You get to create your own approach.

You get to decide what works for your family, your business, your mental health, and your season of life.

You get to ignore the “shoulds” and trust yourself.

This is my story—not a prescription for how you should do it. Just one example of what’s possible when you give yourself permission to do it differently.

If you’re planning for maternity leave as a self-employed business owner, or you’re in the thick of it right now, here are some questions that might help:

• What do I actually need to feel healthy and supported? Not what you’re “supposed” to need. What do YOU need?
• What serves my mental health? Complete disconnection? Flexible connection? Staying engaged with projects you love?
• What are my non-negotiables? What boundaries matter most? What needs to be protected no matter what?
• What can I let go? What expectations, goals, or “shoulds” can you release for this season?
• What does success look like for me? Define it for yourself. Not based on what worked for your friend, your sister, or the Instagram influencer you follow.
• How can I give myself permission? Permission to do it differently. Permission to change your mind. Permission to trust yourself.

If you’re navigating this journey, I’d love to hear about your experience. What’s working? What’s hard? What did you learn?

And if you want to hear the full story with even more behind-the-scenes details, I’m diving deeper into this topic on the BFF Podcast.

Here’s to doing it your way. 🌊