Checklists are comforting. They suggest that if you complete every item, the process will go smoothly. Maternity leave does not work that way, because babies and employers are both unpredictable. But handling the items on this list before your leave starts means you will be solving fewer problems while sleep-deprived. That is worth something.
First trimester (or as soon as you know)
Check your FMLA eligibility. You need 12 months of employment, 1,250 hours worked in the past year, and an employer with 50+ employees within 75 miles. If you do not meet all three, you are among the 44% of workers without federal job protection. Know this early so you can plan accordingly.
Look up your state's paid leave program. As of 2026, 14 states plus D.C. offer paid family leave. If yours is one of them, find the application process now. Some require advance notice. Some have waiting periods.
Verify your short-term disability enrollment. If you are enrolled, find out the benefit amount, the waiting period (usually 7 to 14 days), and the duration of coverage (typically 6 to 8 weeks). If you are not enrolled and your employer offers it, check whether the next open enrollment window falls before your due date. Enrolling after conception may mean the pregnancy is excluded as a pre-existing condition.
Start a childcare search. This is not premature. Infant daycare waitlists in metro areas routinely run 6 to 12 months. In-home daycare and nanny options require lead time too. The earlier you start, the more options you will have when your leave ends.
Second trimester
Tell your manager. How you deliver this news shapes how the rest of the process unfolds. Lead with your plan, not just the announcement. "I'm expecting in [month] and I want to start building a transition plan" positions you as the person managing the process.
Talk to HR about your full leave entitlement. Ask specific questions. How do FMLA, state leave, short-term disability, and company leave stack? What is the total number of weeks available and at what pay rate per week? Do not accept a vague answer. If HR is unclear, ask them to put the breakdown in writing.
Create your maternity leave plan document. List your responsibilities, recurring meetings, direct reports, key contacts, and who covers each item. Share it with your manager and the colleagues who will be stepping in.
Begin documentation. If your treatment at work changes after your pregnancy disclosure, keep a private record: dates, conversations, reassigned projects, changes in feedback tone. You may never need it. But the time to start documenting is before you need the documentation, not after.
Third trimester
Finalize and distribute your leave plan. Share the document with everyone who needs it. Set up at least one overlap meeting per critical relationship so your coverage people are not starting from scratch.
Set up your out-of-office message. Write it now while you can think clearly. Include your leave dates, who to contact in your absence, and your expected return date.
Block pumping time on your calendar for your return. If you plan to breastfeed, your future self will thank you. Block 30-minute windows every 2 to 3 hours starting from your return date. You can always remove them. Adding them later, when your calendar is already full of meetings, is harder.
File all leave paperwork. FMLA forms, state leave applications, short-term disability claims, employer-specific forms. Make copies of everything you submit. Create a physical and digital folder for all maternity leave documents.
Prepare an emergency contact document. Where you plan to deliver, your OB-GYN's phone number, your emergency contacts. Share it with one or two trusted colleagues. Babies do not always wait for your scheduled last day.
During leave
Unplug. You are not being paid to work during your leave (even if your company offers paid leave, that is a benefit, not a retainer). Set your boundaries. A weekly check-in call with one designated person is reasonable if you choose it. Responding to Slack messages at 2 a.m. while nursing is not.
Check in with yourself. The World Health Organization reports that roughly 13% of women who have recently given birth experience a mental health disorder, most commonly depression. If you are struggling, contact your healthcare provider or Postpartum Support International (call or text the helpline at 1-800-944-4773). This is not a thing to push through. It is a medical condition that responds to treatment.
Before returning
Do a dry run. A few days before your first day back, practice the full morning routine: getting ready, the childcare drop-off, the commute. Time it. Identify the bottlenecks before they happen on a day that counts.
Confirm your pumping space. If you plan to pump at work, verify the location and logistics. A room exists on paper; make sure it exists in practice and that you know how to access it.
Set realistic expectations for your first week. You will not be caught up by Friday. You will not remember every password. Schedule meetings with the colleagues who covered your work, get briefed on what changed, and give yourself permission to take a full month before expecting to feel like yourself at work again.