In the world of blogging, a traditional maternity leave isn’t going to happen. An extended absence from your blog can mean a decrease in visitors, views, and income. Read on to find out some ways to prepare your blog for a baby (or an extended leave!)
When I became pregnant with baby number 2, I was not prepared. Yes, we were prepared – to welcome another child into the world, but I was not prepared to continue to grow my blog while enduring exhaustion and morning sickness and hormones. (lots and lots of hormones) I was so sick during my first trimester with this babe, and I couldn’t find the energy to put the needed effort into my slowly growing blog. I had my biggest month right before finding out I was pregnant and then slowly, as I became more pregnant, the page views and visitors started to fall.
Once I was out of the woods I began picking up the pace and I’m glad to tell you that I’ve far exceeded my previous top month, but experience has taught me that I need to be more prepared when it comes to this blog if I would like it to continue to grow, flourish, and hit my goals.
I have a big hurdle coming – obviously once the baby is here everything is going to once again change and I’ll have to learn how to be a mom of two as well as a blogger, which is a challenge I welcome with open arms. But since I know that a busy hectic time is coming, I have the ability to kind of pad the blog from any ups and downs I may have.
As bloggers, we don’t get maternity leave or disability. (Or maybe you do if you make a bajillion dollars or something, I don’t know. Clearly, that is not an issue for me ;)) So if we’re fortunate enough to be able to see an obstacle coming, it’s wise to prepare for it. I’ve done some digging and to be totally honest, I haven’t really found much of a resource for how to prepare your blog for a baby, or for any kind of absence for that matter, be it health, family, pregnancy, whatever. So I figured I would document what I am doing before the baby comes to help anyone else in this predicament. I hope to do a few more posts after about how it all worked, what I’d do differently etc, so keep an eye out for that as well.
Be sure to check out my other blogging tips for more great information!
Prepare Your Blog for a Baby
–Get organized. Make a plan. Personally, I want to make sure that all of my “evergreen” posts (posts that I can write ahead of time because they aren’t time sensitive, like tips, recipes or tutorials) are written, have any necessary accompanying photos, edited, SEO-ed, scheduled. I hopefully will also have social media scheduled at that point as well. My main goal is to have every post 100% taken care of for the month of April since I’m due April 3. After that I’ll work back to about mid-March and forward through May, if possible.
–Begin writing more. I committed myself to writing one and a half posts a day. Sounds weird, right? It is. But it works! This way, I can ensure that I am writing a post for the next day, and starting one (or finishing one!) for either the day after or for ‘maternity leave.’ I think the key (for me) is to hustle. When I first wake up, I get Ryan set up, start breakfast and start doing my daily blog tasks, like commenting and social media. During his nap I continue this and start fleshing out or editing any post that needs to be done for the following day(s) and then after he’s asleep and the house is clean (tidy) I hustle, researching, writing, planning out.
RELATED: How to Stockpile Blog Posts
–Get a calendar. As I write this, I have a post ‘scheduled’ for every day I plan on posting through May. Never have I done this before, but I find it kind of nice to not have to think about what I’ll be writing for the next week. I have notes at the bottom of each page to remind myself of other time sensitive posts I may want to write (for example, in April I have: Birth Story, 1/2 Week/1 Month Updates, since I assume those will be posted in that month.) which allows me for a bit of wiggle room. I also have a Google Sheets file to help me see what posts have to be written (I have columns for: date, title, scheduled, outlined, written, photos complete, SEO, social media. I highlight the line green when it’s completely ready to publish so I can see quickly what posts need to be worked on.)
–Consider guest posts. I personally haven’t done too much research or reaching out in this regard, mostly because I’m kind of shy and feel weird (if you’ve got a good post you want to share and think it would fit with the blog though, let me know!) but if you’re not a big fat weirdo like me, this is a great idea. It takes some of the actual writing work off your plate and you have someone who is (probably) willing to assist in the promotion of the post. It’s a win for everyone – your readers get to hear a new voice and get content, and your guest gets exposure to a new audience!
–Be willing to cut back. Although I’m hoping to maintain my schedule, I’m pretty sure it’s wishful thinking. I’ll probably be dropping WIAW for a month or so until I can get my act together and I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to do Friday Favorites (major bummers since I love both of those posts) since they’re both pretty time-restrictive and take a decent amount of time. I think that accepting this asap is very important for me since I’m definitely a “try to do it all, and then crash and burn” type of person. I’d rather get out a few, well thought and important posts rather than stressing and doing a bunch of poopy ones.
–Most importantly, remember what’s important. As much as I love it, this blog is not everything in the world. As much as I would love to continue to grow this blog through the newborn and postpartum period, my children(!!), my family and my health are the most important things. I know that this blog would be here when I come back if I had to take a break. Yes, I may have to work harder and my goals will take longer to reach, but that’s okay. Always remember what’s important, remember why you’re doing what you’re doing, and remember to weigh the value of things.
While a traditional blogging maternity leave may not be 100% possible, with a little preparation you can definitely prepare your blog for a baby. I plan on writing a follow-up post after the baby is born and I’ve put all of this into effect, so definitely stay tuned for that. And remember, all of these tips would also be perfect for any other extended leave that you may be able to foresee, such as surgery or even something as simple as a vacation.
Thank you to Amanda for letting me think out loud about how to prepare your blog for a baby!
Have you ever taken a leave of absence from your blog? How did you prepare your blog for a baby? Or another extended leave? Let me know in the comments, I would appreciate any advice or tips!
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Melissa says
Great (and timely for me ) blog post! With so much to do before I’m due in June I haven’t even thought about my blog. Good tips and reminders here!
Morgan says
I definitely feel like I have a little bit less to do the second time around since we have a lot of the things we need and it’s easy to figure out what I can and can’t do after baby this time around. All of my nesting has gone to the blog this time!!
Amanda @ .running with spoons. says
Blogging takes up so much of my day that I honestly have no idea how I’d keep doing it if I had a baby to look after, so I have so much mad respect for all the momma bloggers out there. I can’t s ay enough good things about keeping an editorial calendar, though! I used to fly by the seat of my pants as far as post ideas went, and not only was that stressful, but sometimes I wouldn’t have anything to write about and either had to force it or take a day off. Also, love the idea of writing 1.5 posts at once!!
Morgan says
Seriously, an editorial calendar has been a game changer. And writing 1.5 posts a day bare min ahas been AWESOME. It’s not much more work than one, but that half post adds up quick!
Susie @ SuzLyfe says
I know that things are going to change in a big way when that day comes, I look forward to coming back to this post! I am likely going to change up things now that I have a full-time, and fully-engaging job, but I am going to try to do my thing as long as I can until then 😀
Morgan says
I mean, no one can really predict how the first few months will go, but I’m trying my best to put a little bit of padding into this so it’s one less thing to worry about.
Emily says
Lord willing, if I get married and have babies someday, I am definitely keeping this in mind! 🙂 I’m glad that you are sharing what you learned from Ryan to Baby #2. Blogging is a HUGE job, and I’m glad you’re preparing now, because I really do enjoy reading your posts! 🙂
Morgan says
Thanks so much Emily! Blogging is definitely a TON of work, but I love it so much which is why I’m hoping to keep it up!
Kate says
Can I just say I am so excited for you to have your bebe? I can’t wait to read all about it! Please give us a detailed birth story… is that weird to ask? Sorry if it is.
While I plan for no baby anytime soon, I will keep these in mind when I am in my internship next year!
Morgan says
Not weird at all!! I’m obsessed with reading birth stories ahah Plus, if we’re going by Ryan’s birth, this one should be an interesting birth! And yes! That’s why I tried to note that these would work for any kind of break!
alexandra @ my urban family says
That is so amazing that you’re planned out that far ahead! And I’m super excited to read about your experience once you have two 🙂
Morgan says
I’m pretty sure that instead of nesting around my house I’ve been nesting on the blog – I’ll take it though!!
Anna says
Loved this! If it were me, I’d have some pre-scheduled content and make a plan for engaging readers again once I was ready. Maybe there’s a video or e-course (check out teachable!) or pdf you can make to put up during your maternity leave.
Like something on how you meal plan or baby related. Offer it for free if people sign up for your newsletter. That way, in 2 or 3 months when you’re back to a normal schedule, you can email the list and re-engage them. From what I’ve seen, people are very understanding about people taking time for baby, it’s just nice to get alerted when they’re “back at it” so to speak 🙂
Morgan says
SUCH a great idea Anna! Thank you for sharing, I should definitely look into that!!
Julie @ Logger's Wife says
I was already in the middle of a blogging break when I was going through the trenches of first trimester while carrying for my 3yr old. But even when I came back, it was a struggle. I’ve been a bit scared of how I’m going to handle blogging with delivery and a newborn. Thanks so much for the ideas. I keep forgetting about the possibility of getting guest posters. Since I’ve had some complications and baby isn’t going to make it to her due date of May 16th before she makes her appearance, I really ought to get started getting the blog prepared. (visiting from the Sincerely, Paula blog hop)
Morgan says
I think I really started ot hunker down the last month or so, once I saw that the end was near. I definitely feel SO MUCH relief knowing that hte first few weeks of this dude’s life I won’t be stressing about the blog or abandoning it. Good luck with your little lady!
Ashley says
Thank you so much for this post! I’m about halfway through my pregnancy and have already had those “Oh no, my blog isn’t where I want it to be yet!” moments. I need to work on a lot of these to ensure that the blog stays afloat while I’m pregnant and is easy to come back to after she is born!
Morgan says
I don’t think I’ll EVER feel like I’m ready in terms of the blog for this new baby, but at the same time I think it’s just a channel for my baby stress, ha! I think that just having content ready to go before the babe comes is the most important in order to cut a big part of the stress!
Kristy @ Southern In Law says
This is such a great post for Mom’s to be!
Blogging takes up so much more time than people realise so it’s definitely something you need to be organised with when life changes/gets busier and you still want to keep up!
Morgan says
Yes! Blogging is WORK. I think that building in a bit of a safety net is going to be my savior!
Lydia @ Thrifty Frugal Mom says
Great tips here! I’m preparing for the birth of our 4th in July and I already have cut back on posting due to having awful morning (make that all day!) sickness the first 4 1/2 months.
I’m trying to write ahead, although it’s been tough and I also hope to get some guest posts lined up. It’s easy to kind of stress out about it, but like you said, it’s so necessary to remember what is important. And I *think* I’m finally doing that this 4th time around- at least more than I had before. 🙂
(Found you via Foodie Friends Friday)
Morgan says
YES! The first half of this pregnancy I was just so. dang. sick. It’s actually what inspired me to try to get on top of everything before this guy makes an appearance.
I think being pregnant makes me put unnecessary stress on things that don’t really matter, just because it easier to stress about having blog content than it is to stress about bringing in a new baby to the world! But I will say, all of my nesting energy this time aroud has been 100% directed toward my blog, which is really helping with writing ahead I think.
Michelle says
I think the guest posting is a great idea but I totally get where you are coming from on this. I’m struggling right now as whether I want to open this door for my blog. You make valid points here and offer again, great tips for moms. Always remember what is important and if you have a good flow of readers, most will be looking for you when you get back!
Morgan says
That’s my hope! Thanks for the input, Michelle!
Jenny says
This is something I’ve wondered about as I get closer to my due date. While I’ve worked hard on my blog and it’s an important thing to me, I don’t want to stress over it and worry about it after #3 comes. I think a lot of it will be learning to adjust to a new schedule and planning posts out. My biggest thing is how I’m going to keep my readers coming back while I’m making that adjustment. And how I’m going to gain more followers, and grow my blog through those months. Thanks for those tips.
Morgan says
Yes! That’s my goal – to bare minimum maintain readers while adjusting. Since I know that I’ll have a lot of late nights with my Nook/phone, I’m going to rely on a lot of Social media via my phone, and I thinkk pre writing all of my “evergreen” content with a clear, non-babied brain is going to help a lot!
Ashley says
What a great post! I am in the same boat – trying to grow my blog and expecting Baby #2 in July. Great minds do think alike! I’ve been doing some of the exact same things to prepare for the toll having a newborn will take on the blog. I like the idea of trying to write 1.5 posts a day!
Thanks!
Morgan says
The 1.5 posts thing is my new favorite tip – it seems like not much, but the .5 post adds up quickly!!
Bre Rock says
As a new blogger (and a major overthinker) I’ve wondered about this. I only have one at the moment, but Hubs’ and my goal is to have four…yikes! Sending relaxing thoughts your way as this exciting time approaches!
Lorna Croswell says
Thank you for writing this! I am in the same boat with Baby #2 coming soon. I am preparing posts to cover a month and a half around my due date which means writing 2 posts per week. I think the best thing we can do is to give ourselves some grace and realize it’s okay if all the momentum falls a bit once baby comes. We are doing the best we can and that is enough 🙂
Erlene says
Great advice for anyone. I’ve tried writing a post for every day, but writing a post a day doesn’t come so easily for me. Although it is wise to try to plan posts ahead of time. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday.
Lisa @ The Merry Momma says
I’m expecting our second baby in early September, so I’ve been preparing my blog for a “maternity leave” as well. Reading this gave me the kick in the pants I needed to really start stockpiling! It was very helpful for me to read another blogger’s experience with this, and I admire how organized and forward-thinking you were! Way to go – you are an inspiration to me!
And congrats, by the way!! 🙂
Corina says
Pinned this! I love your advice to “hustle.” I think that’s what it comes down to for me… need to write, write, write and fill in at least a month’s worth of posts for when baby arrives. Thanks for this post!