Baby checklists
Third trimester
Paternity Leave Planning Checklist
20 items · 16 must-haves · Weeks 28–36
How to prepare, protect, and maximize your time off when baby arrives
Company Policy
- Confirm your paternity leave duration and payCheck your employee handbook or ask HR directly. Some companies offer 2 weeks paid, some offer 12+ weeks. Know exactly how many days you get and at what pay percentage.
- Understand FMLA eligibility requirementsFMLA gives you 12 weeks unpaid (job-protected) if you've worked 12+ months and 1,250+ hours at a company with 50+ employees. Know your eligibility before you plan.
- Check state-specific paid family leave lawsCalifornia, New York, New Jersey, Washington, and others have state-paid leave programs. Some stack on top of employer benefits. Google '[your state] paid family leave' now.
- Know what short-term disability does and doesn't coverOPTIONALShort-term disability pays while a medical condition keeps someone off work, like her recovery from the birth. It rarely covers bonding time or a non-birthing parent. For your own paid time off, check your employer's parental leave policy and whether your state has a paid family leave program.
Work Prep
- Document all ongoing projects with status and next stepsFor every project you own, write a one-page summary: current status, next milestone, blockers, and who to contact. Your brain will be mush after day 3 of no sleep.
- Create handoff documents for each projectName the person covering each project, walk them through it, and give them everything they need to succeed. A good handoff means fewer calls during your leave.
- Set up auto-responders on email and SlackDraft your out-of-office now so it's ready to flip on. Include who to contact for urgent issues, your return date, and a clear statement that you won't be checking messages.
- Brief your backup person or coverDon't just send a doc - sit down (or call) and walk them through everything. Answer their questions now so they don't need to call you at 2am during a feeding.
Timing Strategy
- Discuss your start date with your manager 6+ weeks before the due dateGive your manager time to plan coverage. Be direct: 'Baby is due [date], I plan to start leave on [date], and here's my transition plan.' Proactive beats reactive.
- Plan for early arrival - babies don't check calendarsAbout 1 in 10 babies arrives preterm, before 37 weeks, and plenty more come in the weeks before the due date. Have handoff docs ready by week 34-36. If baby comes early, you don't get a planning grace period.
- Consider splitting leave if your company allows itOPTIONALSome dads take 2 weeks at birth and save the rest for when partner returns to work. Splitting covers two critical transition periods instead of one.
- Coordinate your leave with your partner's leaveOverlapping leave in the first 2 weeks is essential - you both need to learn together. Then stagger remaining leave to extend total coverage before childcare starts.
During Leave
- Set firm boundaries on work contactTell your team: 'I'm unreachable unless the building is on fire.' Every Slack message you answer trains them to keep messaging. Boundaries are a skill, not a perk.
- Designate one check-in per week maximum if neededOPTIONALIf you absolutely must stay connected, one 15-minute call per week with your manager. Not daily emails, not 'just a quick question' Slacks. One call, scheduled, boundaried.
- Turn on out-of-office on all platformsEmail, Slack, Teams, Notion, whatever your company uses. Set it on every single platform. One missed out-of-office status and people think you're available.
- Don't feel guilty about being offlineYour company existed before you and will exist while you're out. The baby who needs you right now won't be this small ever again. This is the job right now.
Return Plan
- Schedule a gradual return if your company allows itOPTIONALHalf days for the first week, or 3 days the first week then full the second. Going from 24/7 baby mode to full work mode in one day is brutal on everyone.
- Arrange childcare before your return dateDaycare waitlists can be 6-12 months long. If you're using daycare, get on the list during pregnancy. If it's family, confirm the schedule weeks ahead.
- Plan a first-week-back buffer with lighter workloadBlock your first week's calendar with 'transition' time. No major meetings, no deadlines. You'll need time to catch up on what happened while you were out.
- Discuss flexible schedule options and update emergency contactsAsk about remote days, adjusted hours, or compressed work weeks. Also update HR with your new emergency contacts and any changes to your benefits. One conversation covers both.
Check it off together
Make a free account to tick items off as you go. Your partner sees the same list, ticks included.