"How I Stay Productive Working from Home (Even While Pregnant)"
Running a creative business from home comes with its own set of challenges—add a pregnancy into the mix, and things get even more interesting! As a first-time mom and full-time web designer, I’m navigating new territory while also preparing my business for maternity leave. With just three months until my due date, I’ve been focused on staying productive, building passive income streams, and creating a solid marketing plan to keep things running while I step away for maternity leave.
Whether you’re a fellow web designer, a small business owner juggling it all, or someone considering web design services, I hope sharing my current routine, mindset, and tools on how I stay productive will give you some helpful insights—and maybe a little encouragement. (And if you're curious about how I’m prepping for maternity leave specifically, you can read more here.)
My Morning Routine & Mindset: How I Start the Day (While Pregnant & Running a Business)
Before pregnancy, I was a true early bird—up at 5AM, Bible and coffee in hand, gym bag ready. My mornings would start with quiet time, a pre-workout snack, and a solid 1–2 hour workout before I even opened my laptop at 9AM.
These days? Things look a bit different (hello, pregnancy fatigue!). While I’m giving myself rest and grace, I’ve still managed to create a daily rhythm that keeps me grounded and productive. Here’s a peek at what a typical weekday looks like for me now:
7:00 AM – Wake up and ease into the day
7:30–8:30 AM – My quiet hour: Bible reading, journaling, prayer, coffee, water, and prenatal vitamins
8:30–9:00 AM – Breakfast time (current obsession: sourdough sandwich with eggs, cheese, and ham—so satisfying!)
9:00–11:00 AM – Deep focus work block. I use this creative window to tackle brain-heavy tasks like writing blog posts, scheduling content, and handling client design work
11:00–11:30 AM – Pre-gym prep + light snack
11:30–1:00 PM – Workout session: a combination of walking, biking, and 30-minute strength training
1:00–2:00 PM – Lunch + recharge
2:00–5:00 PM – Wrap up the workday with lower-energy tasks: client communication, creating website templates, designing social media content, or scheduling meetings
This routine gives me enough structure to feel focused without being rigid—it’s all about flexibility and listening to my body while still moving my business forward.
How I Plan My Week: Time Blocking, Theme Days & Digital Tools
I used to dream of being a consistent planner girl—the kind who color-codes a physical planner and sticks with it all year long. But after about 15 years of trying (and abandoning every paper planner by February), I’ve finally accepted what truly works for me: digital simplicity.
Instead of forcing a system that doesn’t fit, I now lean into a combo of using the Notes app on my phone, a running Google Doc, and a weekly rhythm built around theme days. Here’s how it all comes together:
📝 My Planning Tools:
Notes App (Daily Use):
I use this for general monthly goals and recurring to-dos—think of it as my at-a-glance dashboard. It helps me stay aligned with my big-picture vision throughout the month. EXAMPLE —>Google Doc (Weekly Use):
This is my master planning doc. For every month, I break down my general monthly goals into specific tasks and organize with due dates. It’s simple, searchable, and easy to update as things shift!
⏱ Time Blocking + Theme Days:
To avoid decision fatigue and stay focused, I assign themes to each weekday. This structure helps me prioritize what matters most, while still staying flexible enough to handle the unexpected (hello, pregnancy brain).
Here’s what a typical themed week looks like:
Monday: Weekly planning, blog writing, content creation, and client meetings
Tuesday – Thursday: Deep client work + designing website templates
Friday: Admin + wrap-up day — sending final deliverables, following up with clients, and launching any new templates
This system keeps me grounded, especially during busier seasons. I always know what the day is for, and that gives me peace of mind and a sense of momentum toward my long-term goals.
How I Work in Focused Sprints (and Stay Accountable)
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned during pregnancy is the importance of paying attention to my energy levels. Some days I wake up feeling focused and motivated—on those days, I lean in and work in high-energy sprints to make the most of it. Other days, I scale back and prioritize rest.
To stay consistent without burning out, I’ve adopted a “sprint + rest” approach to my workday. I tackle my most important tasks during 1–2 hour focus blocks and try to avoid multitasking during that time. It helps me get more done in less time—especially since my energy tends to dip later in the afternoon.
Each morning, I send my husband a quick message outlining my “Big Three” goals for the day. It’s a simple accountability practice, and helps me stay focused and intentional. These tasks are pulled directly from my weekly plan in my Notes app or Google Doc and sometimes includes personal errands (hello, baby prep!).
Here’s an example of what that text might look like:
Finish & schedule blog post | 9:00–10:00 AM
Design About Page for new template | 10:00–11:00AM
Complete Client X’s Week’s Deliverables | 2:00–5:00 PM
Working in short, intentional bursts like this keeps me moving forward—even if I’m not running at full speed every single day. It’s about progress over perfection, and making the most of the moments when creativity (and energy) hits.
How I Stay Inspired (and Avoid Burnout)
When it comes to productivity, staying inspired and avoiding burnout is everything.
I’ve learned that being consistently committed to a
few meaningful habits
is far more powerful than trying to juggle
a hundred things inconsistently.
That mindset alone has helped me stay consistent and grounded in both life and business.
One of the most life-giving routines I’ve built during this season is taking daily walks. My husband and I have made it a non-negotiable to go for a 30–60 minute walk together every evening after dinner. It’s become our sacred space to decompress, reconnect, and step away from the constant push of productivity.
During these walks, we talk through what we’ve been learning lately, new ideas, offer each other feedback, dream about future projects, and just enjoy each other’s company (fun fact: my husband runs a baseball coaching business, so we’re both entrepreneurs!). This simple habit has been one of the best ways to reset mentally, reflect on the day, and keep our family team aligned.
And yes—we’re definitely a TV-at-the-end-of-the-day couple. After a walk and a hot shower, we’ll cozy up with some tea and snacks and catch up on whatever show we’re currently into. Around 9:30PM, we shut it down for the night and either chat about life or wind down with a good book.
The biggest takeaway? Staying inspired doesn’t require a dramatic routine or a complete overhaul. It’s the small, consistent rhythms—rest, reflection, movement, connection—that build long-term sustainability. Kind of like building muscle: slow and steady effort over time will always outlast a short sprint of intensity.
Fin & Pregnancy Adjustments
As much as I love setting goals and staying productive before maternity leave, I’ve also had to learn to slow down and listen to my body. I can’t do it all—and that’s okay. My husband and I operate at different paces (I mean, I am the pregnant one 😂), and he’s been an incredible support!
My weekly and monthly goals are simple, focused, and aligned with what truly matters. But let’s be real—sometimes we pivot. That’s part of the beauty (and challenge) of working from home while growing a tiny human.
Productivity is powerful (I am the productivity queen, after all 😉), but so is giving yourself permission to rest. So whether you’re an expecting WFH mom or already juggling business and babies—you’re doing amazing. We’ve got this!
