Nobody hands you leave. So let's do the math.
When you work for yourself there's no HR portal and no twelve weeks paid. This maps the three numbers that matter — how long you want to rest, what it costs, and what still comes in — so you see the gap now instead of finding out with a newborn.
Your situation
Time you have to prepare
Be honest, not heroic
Rent, food, insurance, baby costs
Per month — passive sales, partner support, anything that doesn't stop
Leave will cost
$10,500
3 monthsIncome during leave
$1,200
keeps trickling inYour gap
$8,300
Still to coverSave each month
$1,383
for 6 monthsYour timeline
Ways to close your $8,300 gap
Save $1,383 a month
Set aside that much for the next 6 months and you'll walk into leave covered.
Or build $2,767 a month of income that doesn't stop
Digital products and affiliate income keep earning on the weeks you're not working — which is exactly why they're worth building before you need them. Map that out in the Creator Stack estimator →
Or a mix — and partial still counts
You do not have to hit the whole number. Covering even half makes your leave meaningfully softer than it would have been.
$7 · from me
From Problem to Product →
If building income that doesn't stop is the plan, this is where I'd start — turning something you already know into a small digital product, before the leave, not during it.
This is informational, not financial advice. Every family's situation is different — this just helps you see the shape of yours.