41 How To Make Money On Maternity Leave Ideas PAYING WELL In 2023

Are you currently on maternity leave or planning for maternity leave anytime soon? Are you wondering how to make money when on maternity leave?

If you need a little extra money during that time (which new parent doesn’t?!), then you may want to look into how to make money on maternity leave. 

While maternity leave is traditionally considered to be the time that mothers bond with their new baby, there are some mothers who may want or need to keep on earning money

In fact, I know of a friend of mine who was entitled to 2 months of paid maternity leave. 

However, having had a relatively easy birth experience (and an easy baby!), she was itching to get back into earning and went back to work a month later. 

So if you’re anything like that and wondering how can I make money on maternity leave? Check out these great ways to earn money whilst on maternity leave!

Summary On How To Make Money On Maternity Leave

At a glance, these are:

1. Freelance Writing

2. Sell Your Artwork

3. Sell Your Clothes

4. Design Greeting Cards

5. Take Online Surveys

6. Sell Printable Meal Plans

7. Sell Jewelry Online

8.  Join An Affiliate Marketing Program

9. Start A Dog-Walking Business

10. Become A Transcriptionist

11. Sell Photographs

12. Sell Printable Planners

13. Write and Sell An eBook

14. Create and Sell An Online Course

15. Test Websites

17. Become A Proofreader

18. Design Stickers

19. Make and Sell Natural Beauty Items

20. Offer Altering Services

21. Become An Audiobook Reader

22. Start A Blog

23. Conduct Art Classes Online

24. Provide Grocery Shopping Services

25. Start A Mommy and Me Group

26. Run Errands

27. Teach English Online

28. Become A Virtual Assistant

29. Become a Social Media Manager

30. Online Tutoring

31. Virtual Bookkeeping

32. Start a YouTube Channel

33. Print-On-Demand Business (POD)

34. Freelance Graphic Design

35. Sell Digital Planner

36. Sell Low Content Books

37. Join Online Focus Group

38. Become a Translator

39. Flea Market Flipping

40. Open Etsy Shop

41. Become a Make-Up Artist

Affiliate Link Disclosure

This article contains some affiliate links which means that I may earn a small commission when you click on them, at no additional cost to you. I do hope you find the information in this article helpful!

What Exactly Is Maternity Leave?

Maternity leave is usually taken by mothers immediately after the birth of their child. 

It is intended to be a time where the mother rests and recovers after childbirth and it is also used to bond with their new child. 

The duration of maternity leave can vary between 30 days to 6 months or even more, depending on the contract of employment. 

In some countries, paid maternity leave is mandated by law, together with the prescribed duration.

Unfortunately paid maternity is not mandated by law some countries, women may need to apply for maternity leave with no guarantees that they will get it. In fact, there are some countries (such as the US) where maternity leave is unpaid. This means that employers are not obliged by law to provide paid time off for new mothers. 

You can find a list of 120 countries that provide paid maternity leave here, together with the details of the benefits that mothers will get during this time. 

Whether you are on paid or unpaid maternity leave, you may want to earn some money. 

While the time is supposed to be for rest and recovery, if you feel that you have the time and energy, you can explore other opportunities as well. Who knows, maybe your side hustle while on maternity leave could very well turn into your new small business! 

41 Ways To Make Money On Maternity Leave

Now that you know that you will probably have substantial time on your hands, let’s explore ways on how to make money during maternity leave.

You can do almost all of these from home. That way, you still get to bond with your precious newborn! 

1. Freelance Writing

This can be said to be one of the easiest ways to earn money on maternity leave. If you have writing skills, and a decent laptop, you can write for blogs or online publications. 

Check out this 2022 guide on freelance writing for beginners. When you feel comfortable, you can also go on to explore this comprehensive list of blogging jobs for moms! 

If you enjoy freelance writing and are thinking about wanting to be a stay-at-home mom, check out my masterclass on how to become a freelance writer in 60 days! 

This is an ebook that will give you all the information you need about becoming a freelance writer. You will get step-by-step guidance on how to get started and how to look for sustainable freelance writing work. You also get over $300 worth of bonuses including SEO training AND writing opportunities! 

2. Sell Your Artwork

If you are a creative mommy, channel that creativity towards earning money while on maternity leave! 

You can choose to sell either physical or digital artwork and promote your work on social media. 

Etsy is a great place to set up your new art shop. 

If selling art is something you’d like to delve a little deeper into, check out this detailed guide on how to start selling prints on Etsy.

3. Sell Your Clothes

You may find that you do not need your maternity clothes anymore. Or that you may not fit into your pre-pregnancy clothes. There’s no shame in that, momma! You just birthed an entire human being! 

Or maybe you feel that your style has just changed over the years. 

If your clothes are still in good condition, you can sell them online and make money during maternity leave! 

You can put them up on online marketplaces such as the one on Facebook. Alternatively, you can do a quick Google search to check out local platforms where you can sell your clothes. 

4. Design And Sell Greeting Cards

People are willing to pay good money for personalized greeting cards. It is definitely better than giving someone they love a generic greeting card for special occasions! This is one of the creative ways to make money during maternity leave.

If you have an artistic side, you can take custom orders on Etsy and sell them.

 If you don’t want to entangle yourself in shipping or delivery issues (you already have enough to deal with at this point!), then just sell them as a digital product! 

You can also check out this list of digital products to sell on Etsy! 

5. Take Online Surveys

This is a popular way to earn extra money on maternity leave. 

Sites such as Swagbucks and LifePoints pay you to give them your opinion on all kinds of things! They carry out surveys primarily for the purposes of market research. So go tell them what you think and get some money out of it!

You can also take a look at this list of the best sites to take online surveys. 

6. Sell Printable Meal Plans

As a mom, you are probably already planning out healthy meals for your family. Or even if you aren’t, you have to think about what to cook. 

So if you are thinking of how to make money on maternity leave, why not turn it into a PDF document and sell it online?

 You can even make it look super pretty if you want! 

If this is something you think you’d want to delve into, you can find out all you need to know to get started with how to sell printables here! And here is a FREE Etsy Ebook that will share a list of best-selling products by month and teach you how to capitalize on seasonal trends to make sales.

7. Sell Jewelry Online

Do you have an artsy craft streak running through you? Do you have an eye for style and what looks good on people?

Why not make your own jewelry and sell them on Etsy?

You can start with simple stuff like beaded bracelets and earrings. They don’t take up too much time and there is a big market for unique handmade items on Etsy. 

To get more ideas, check out this list of the best things to sell on Etsy! 

8.  Join An Affiliate Marketing Program

An affiliate program is where you sign up with a company, recommend some of their products either via your social media pages or blog and earn a commission each time the company makes a sale from the recommendation!

As a mom, you will probably have your favorite baby products that you will be recommending to people anyway. So why not make some money out of that while you are on maternity leave! 

Of course one of the biggest companies that offer affiliate marketing programs is Amazon. However, you can also explore other affiliate opportunities for beginners here!

9. Start A Dog-Walking Business

If you have a dog, you are probably going to need to take it out for a walk a couple of times a day anyway. 

You can make some money out of this side jobs while on maternity leave by offering to walk your neighbors’ dog and then expand it a little more as you gain more experience. Plus, you get to surround yourself with adorable furry friends that will brighten your day!

You can set up a social media page to let people know about your services. So you get to earn some money and get in a little gentle postpartum workout! 

10. Become A Transcriptionist

If you have excellent listening skills and an eye for detail, put that to work as this is another great ways to earn money while on maternity leave!

All you need to do is to listen to audio recordings and type out what you hear. 

If that’s something you might be interested in, you can learn more about how to become a transcriptionist. 

When you’re ready, you can check out this list of the best transcriptionist jobs for beginners to get you started on monetizing your listening skills! 

11. Sell Photographs

Chances are you are probably taking a million pictures of your newborn! If you are using a professional camera and have an eye for photography, you can sell these to stock image websites such as Shutterstock.

In fact, if you have a good camera on your phone, that’s all you will need! 

Of course, you don’t have to show your baby’s face to protect their privacy. 

But artistic shots or even shots of everyday items that you use or places that you go to are likely to sell well online!

Check out this list of the best places to sell your photographs! 

12. Sell Printable Planners

Are you a super-organized mom who has everything planned out? Do you write things down or use a digital planner to plan your days and weeks?

Why not design your own planner and sell them then? This is one of the great side jobs while on maternity leave as you can do it from home!

You don’t have to limit yourself to daily planners. If you are good with personal finance, you can even design something as unique as a budget planner!

Here is an epic guide on how to get started with selling printables online! 

13. Write and Sell An eBook

This is a great idea if you’ve been thinking about how to make money while on maternity leave. 

Your eBook can be about any subject that you are an expert in.

 Whether it is pregnancy, or motherhood, or anything to do with your line of work in general. Put it out there and let it earn you passive income while you are on maternity leave! 

The best part is, you don’t have to create an ebook from scratch. There are plenty of templates that are available online. 

This site gives you a step-by-step guide on how to create and sell your eBook online for free! 

14. Create and Sell An Online Course

If you prefer to be in front of a camera or prefer to verbally teach then you can come up with an online course. This can be a combination of video recordings and reading materials or it can be based entirely on reading materials alone. 

You can choose to run it live at a schedule that is comfortable for you or you can sell the recordings of your teaching. 

The possibilities here are endless! This is another avenue for you to share your knowledge and expertise and earn money while on maternity leave. 

This detailed step-by-step guide on how to create and sell online courses is extremely helpful to get you started. 

15. Test Websites

Big companies are usually on the lookout for people to test their websites before they officially launch them. They want to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that there are no glitches or technical issues. 

You can apply to be a website tester and get paid while on maternity leave. 

Here are 19 sites that will pay you to test out websites.

17. Become A Proofreader

This is a great way to start making money during maternity leave. 

If you are a stickler for correct grammar and pay close attention to detail, then this is the perfect maternity leave job!

If you aren’t sure about how to start doing this, you can take a look at this guide on how to become a proofreader online. 

When you feel ready to look for proofreading jobs, check out this list of the best proofreading jobs online that do not require any previous experience!

Also, here is a FREE workshop that will teach you how to become an online proofreader!

18. Design and Sell Stickers

Who doesn’t love stickers? Whether it is physical or digital stickers, there is a huge market out there for stickers.

 If enjoy doing digital illustration, turning your illustration into sticker is one of the great ways to make money while on maternity leave.

Printing out stickers requires low capital to start, you can find a local printing shops and negotiate a reasonable rate for bulk printing.

You can learn how to design and sell stickers here to start making money while on maternity leave! 

19. Make And Sell Natural Beauty Items

Handmade soaps and make-up are all the rage these days. 

People are increasingly concerned about the sources of their beauty products and are moving towards organic and homemade items. 

You can easily learn how to make any of these on YouTube. Customize the products with your brand and your own special touch, and you’re on your way to running a small business, momma! 

Here is a comprehensive list of things to make and sell on Etsy. 

20. Offer Clothes Altering Services

If you are good with a needle and thread or come from a fashion background, then this is a great way to get started on earning money while on maternity leave. 

You can offer your services online or get your friends and family to spread the word! 

You can pick up some nifty sewing tips and tricks from this Sewing 101 course on Udemy. 

21. Become An Audiobook Reader

Make money with your voice! You might be wondering how to earn money on maternity leave as a audiobook reader? Well, it is actually quite simple!

If you have a strong, clear voice and are able to enunciate your words properly, then this is one of the best ways to earn money on maternity leave. 

You don’t need a fancy studio or super expensive equipment. In fact, all you really need is a quiet place and your phone. 

Learn how to make money with your voice here! Once you’re ready, you can check out this guide on how to get paid for reading books! 

22. Start A Blog

If you’re thinking about how to make money on mat leave, then this is probably the easiest thing to do.

 It may take some time to set up but once you’ve got it, you can make money by displaying ads or entering into affiliate marketing programs. 

Learn all the details about how to get paid for blogging here! 

23. Conduct Art Classes Online

If you’re a mom with a background in art and teaching, then you can start holding classes online. 

These classes can be catered to kids or adults.

 You can even take it a step further by putting together a basic art kit and selling it as a part of items to be used for your class. 

This will add more value as your students will not need to go out and make individual purchases. It will also allow you to charge more for your classes. It’s a win-win! 

24. Provide Grocery Shopping Services

This is something you are probably doing anyway! You can start an online grocery shopping and delivery service for the elderly or for those who aren’t able to get to the grocery store on time.

Promote your services on Instagram or Facebook and you’re good to go! No fancy online shop needed here! 

Alternatively, here’s a list of companies that you can sign up with to earn extra cash by delivering groceries and food. 

25. Start A Mommy And Me Group

Being a new mom especially can be rather isolating and lonely. 

Why not start your own support group and add in some educational activities while you’re at it. You can run these groups online or from your own home! 

The kids can have a group playdate and the moms can bond with each other!

You can learn how to start an online mommy group here! If you prefer a physical mommy group, then this guide gives you the 5 best tips for starting an in-person moms group. 

26. Run Errands

With this, you can offer to deliver documents or food within your locality. 

While this does mean you have to leave your home, you get to choose the number of jobs you want to take and the hours that you want to work. This will give you the flexibility to enjoy your new baby and bond with them as well. 

Here is a detailed guide on how to start your own errand services business. 

27. Teach English Online

You don’t need to have a special qualification to teach English online. While it is ideal and certainly will earn you more money, you can start teaching English online without one. 

You can learn how to teach English online with no experience and then get on this list of the best online English teaching platforms to look for your first online English teaching job!

28. Become A Virtual Assistant

If you are wondering how to make money while on unpaid maternity leave? This is one of those jobs where you can quickly make money while on maternity leave. 

There is a range of things that you can do as a virtual assistant. 

From being a social media manager to a Pinterest manager to being an executive administrative assistant for a person or company that is located halfway across the world. The possibilities are endless. 

If this is something that’s a little new to you, you can learn how to become a virtual assistant with no experience here!

If Pinterest is more your thing, you can learn how to become a Pinterest manager here. 

29. Social Media Manager

The role of a social media manager consists of creating content, engaging with the community on social media platforms, and creating a marketing strategy.

Even if you are not experienced in managing a social media account, the skills you need to be a social media manager can be learned! 

Are you well-organized and can help a business to increase traffic to its social media? Do you have creative ideas on how to increase a business’s sales through social media? Can you write an engaging caption for a social media post?

If your answer is YES then why not give this a go?

Read more on how to become a freelance social media manager with no experience in this post, where I share a step-by-step guide on how to get started! 

Learn how to become a freelance social media manager with no experience here.

30. Tutoring

Offer 1-1 tutoring in any subject you are knowledgeable about and feel comfortable teaching. This could be from math, science, English, history, or others. Market your service through word of mouth, through friends, family, and neighbors.

You can also tailor your service flexibility depending on the needs of the children, for example, instead of offering to tutor one subject, you can offer to help out with their school homework or preparing for exams. 

If you prefer to tutor online, consider teaching English online like I used to when I quit my corporate job. The demand is huge and there are many online platforms that pay well to teach English online! 

You don’t need a degree to get started, all you need is to have a Teaching English as a Foreign Language “TEFL” certificate, a good internet, headset and a laptop! 

To learn more on how to start teaching English online, check out my article on the best teaching platforms that pays well! 

31. Virtual Bookkeeping

Are you good with numbers? Virtual Bookkeeper is worth looking into to earn some extra income. 

You don’t need a CPA or an experienced accountant to get started as a virtual bookkeeper. Many small businesses need bookkeepers to help manage their taxes and invoices, so this is where you can come in with your service.

If you are interested on how to earn extra money on maternity leave as a virtual bookkeeping, check out this FREE training that guides you on how to get started as a virtual bookkeeper!

32. Start a YouTube Channel

Starting a YouTube Channel may sound intimidating but hear me out first. YouTube has a great potential of earning a passive income through Google AdSense. 

On average, for 1,000 views, you can earn between $3 to $5. It may not sound like much, but imagine if you have a hundred thousand views!?

However, starting a YouTube channel takes a lot of time, consistent work, and luck for a channel to gain views. But, once you succeed, you can sit back and enjoy the sweet passive income in return.

If you enjoy taking videos, or you have ideas you want to share, a YouTube channel is the ideal platform than posting on Facebook or Instagram as you can monetize it once you hit 1,000 subscribers! 

If it is your first time being a parent, one idea could be starting a mommy vlog, where you record your journey as a new mom. Viewers will appreciate the raw and authentic content and this can also help new mothers out there who are also going on the same journey. 

What if you don’t want to show your face? Take a look at this Korean YouTuber who creates content showing what she does as a housewife without showing her face. Her channel has more than 2 million subscribers with an average views of 1 million!

Who knew watching a person doing house chores can be so soothing?

33. Print on Demand Business (POD)

Starting a Print on demand (POD) business has never been easier. It requires minimal to zero capital to start. All you have to do is upload a design to a POD platform or your online store and when your design is purchased, you will earn a commission! 

The best part about doing a POD business is that you don’t have to keep any inventory or worry about shipping products! This is a great small business you can try from home while you are on maternity leave. 

Opening an Etsy store to sell your print-on-demand design is the easiest way to get started as you don’t have to worry about having to build a website or deal with payment gateways. Read more on this article as I guide you step by step on how to start selling prints on Etsy!

Here are some of the popular print-on-demand partners:

• Printful 
• Printify
• Gooten
• CustomCat
• Lulu xPress (Specializes in stationery, books, magazines and calendars)

If you are not sure where or how to start, I highly recommend taking this E-Printable course as it covers more in depth on how you can find the most profitable niche and convert into profitable business! 

P.S: Check out their FREE Etsy E-book to find a list of best-selling products by month in Etsy to capitalize on seasonal trends.

34. Sell Digital Planner

With the rising trend of note-taking Apps such as Goodnotes & Notability, Digital Planner is becoming an increasingly popular digital product on Etsy. You can create a digital planner using Canva or Keynote (Mac user) and save the file as PDF. 

There are also many types of digital planners you can make, from an all-in-one yearly planner, meal planner, recipe planner, journaling planner, religious study planner, grieving planner, and more! 

Looking for more digital product ideas? Check out my article on the best digital products to sell on Etsy!

35. Freelance Graphic Design

Are you creative and have experience using Canva? Why not offer to design templates for small businesses as part of your graphic design service?  

You can offer to design slideshows, brochures, booklet designs, menus, business cards, packaging, and more! Canva is a great platform to use as you can also share the file with your client and give them the flexibility to edit the file when needed. 

If graphic design is something you want to dive into, start building a portfolio with platforms such as Behance. It doesn’t have to be real client work, build mock-up samples and show a variety of designs so your potential client can see your style of work! 

36. Sell Low Content Books

Another thing to do on maternity leave to make money is to sell low-content books! 

Low content book is a book with no content such as notebooks or journals. It is a popular business on Amazon KDP as it requires minimal investment and time to make. Essentially, it is a Print On Demand for books.

To get started, you can use Canva to design a book. It can be a short story, finance tracker planner, recipe notebook, or just any notebook with a nice design cover and published on Amazon for free.

When someone purchases your book, Amazon will print and ship the book and you will receive your royalty payment!

Learn more on my guide on how to sell short stories for money!

37. Join Online Focus Group

Similar to taking an online survey, but instead you will be participating in a group interview.

Companies are always looking to collect direct user data on specific research studies, and this is another great addition on how to make extra money on maternity leave while sharing your insight. 

Depending on the topic, the online focus group usually has around 3 – 6 participants and it can last up to 2 hours. The average pay varies, depending on the type of research, you can earn between $10 – $700 per interview. 

If you are interested, you can check out Respondent or User Interviews and browse to see if there is an interview that you are eligible for based on the requirements! 

38. Become a Translator

Are you proficient in more than 1 language? Why not offer a translator service from home? 

To start, you can take on small tasks so you can build on your work sample portfolio for bigger clients. Browse these sites to look for translator jobs:

• Translatorscafe.com
• Proz.com
• Linguee.com
• Freelancer.com
• Upwork
• Fiver

To learn more, check out my comprehensive guide on how to become a freelance translator.

39. Flea Market Flipping

Do you enjoy doing DIY projects at home? Flipping a flea market item can be a fun maternity leave side hustle to try!

If you have a good eye and a creative vision, head down to your local flea market, thrift store, yard sale or even Facebook Marketplace, and see what you can flip into a treasure and sell it for a profit online. 

Flipping unique items has huge profit potential if done right. Take it from Rob & Melissa, a professional market flippers couple who generated from $42k to $133k and created Flippers University to teach others on how they can do the same!

BONUS: Check out Flippers University 75 minute FREE Workshop where you can learn how to “turn your passion for visiting thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets into a profitable reselling business.”

40. Open Etsy Shop

In 2022, Etsy has over 93.9 million users! Etsy is a great platform to start if you are just starting a new business as it requires minimal capital and great exposure to target customers.

You can sell from crafts, home-made candles, jewelry, accessories, Canva templates, digital products, and more!

To open an account is free and each listing costs around 0.20$ and will renew every 6 months. If you have no idea what to sell, you can look at what is currently trendy on Etsy by using an SEO platform such as Sale Samurai. 

The potential of earning on Etsy is huge if you are consistent and find a profitable niche.

From all the lists on how to earn extra money on maternity leave, opening an Etsy store is one of the best options and could very well turn into a potential new small business! 

If you are planning to start your own Etsy shop, check out my guide on how to start an Etsy shop with no money at all and learn how to successfully start your side hustle on maternity leave.

If you are interested in learning more on how to earn money while on maternity leave on Etsy, check out my full comprehensive guide on how to start an Etsy shop with no money at all!

41. Become a Make-Up Artist

Do you love make-up and enjoy experimenting with new make-up styles? Why not consider becoming a make-up artist?

You can offer make-up service from home or on-site service, depending on your availability.

To hone your make-up skill you can watch YouTube video tutorials and practice with your friends or family members!

Remember to take a photo of the finish result and add that into your portfolio so you can show it to your potential clients! 

Start promoting on your social media and offer discounts for first time customers! You can offer your make-up service to help to do make-up for teenage high school proms, graduation photoshoot make-up or even wedding!

That should answer your question: how to make extra money while on maternity leave.

Check out my extensive guide on how to become a freelance make-up artist.

Top Tips To Make Money While On Maternity Leave

Now that you have seen some of the ways on how to earn money during maternity leave, there are some tips and tricks to make the whole process smoother for you:

1. Don’t take on more than you can chew. You’ve still gotta take care of yourself and don’t stress your body out too much!

2. Lookout for work that has flexibility.

3. Try to take on work that allows you to be at home as much as possible.

4. Ask for help when you need it.

5. Promote your services on social media wherever possible to expand your audience.

How To Make Money On Maternity Leave FAQ

Okay, mommy! 

You are all set to have a productive and empowering period of maternity leave now that you’ve seen how to make money on maternity leave. 

Yes, you’re supposed to rest and bond with your baby during this time.

But nothing is stopping you from exploring other opportunities. You’ll never know where you will find your passion during this time. And it could very well lead to you leaving your full-time job and turning your maternity leave hustle into a career!

Good luck, mama! You’ve got this! 

How To Make Money On Maternity Leave: Everything You Need To Know

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