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24 Maternity Leave Card Messages for a Coworker

What to write in a maternity leave card: 24 short, professional, personal, and whole-team wishes for a colleague, with advice on what to avoid.

· 5 min read · Updated

24 Maternity Leave Card Messages for a Coworker

Quick answer

The practical version

For a professional maternity leave message, try: “Wishing you all the best as you begin your leave. Thank you for everything you bring to the team, and take care.” Keep it warm and brief, use your colleague's preferred wording, and leave out questions about birth, medical details, or return dates.

Short maternity leave wishes

  1. Wishing you a gentle start to this new chapter.
  2. All the best for your maternity leave. Take good care of yourself.
  3. Sending warm wishes to you and your family.
  4. Here is to time away from the inbox and space for what matters to you.
  5. Wishing you support, kindness, and small happy moments in the weeks ahead.
  6. Thinking of you as your leave begins. No reply needed!

Professional maternity leave messages for a colleague

  1. Wishing you all the best as you begin your leave. Thank you for everything you bring to the team, and take care.
  2. With warm wishes for your maternity leave and the chapter ahead.
  3. It has been a pleasure working with you. Wishing you plenty of support in the weeks ahead.
  4. Thank you for such a thoughtful handover. Wishing you well as your leave begins.
  5. Sending our best wishes as you step away from work for parental leave.
  6. Your care for the team has meant a great deal. Wishing you time and space to focus on your family.

Warm wishes for a close work friend

  1. I will miss our coffee chats. For now, I hope you have good people around you and plenty of moments just for yourself.
  2. You have been such a kind friend at work. Sending that kindness straight back to you for the weeks ahead.
  3. I am cheering you on as you begin this new chapter, with no expectation of updates or replies.
  4. The desk next to mine will feel different without you. Wishing you all the support you need as your leave begins.
  5. You have made so many busy days brighter. I hope there are lots of bright little moments waiting for you too.
  6. Sending you a big hug, if you would like one, and my very best wishes for your leave.

Maternity leave wishes from the whole team

  1. From all of us: wishing you the very best as your maternity leave begins. Thank you for being such a valued part of this team.
  2. Sending warm wishes from the whole team to you and your family. There is no need to reply to this card.
  3. We have each added a note to remind you how much you mean to us. Wishing you well for the weeks ahead.
  4. All your teammates are cheering you on. We hope this card brings a little warmth as you begin your leave.
  5. Thank you for the patience, ideas, and kindness you share with us. With warm wishes from everyone on the team.
  6. One card, lots of good wishes, and absolutely no action points. Take care, from all of us.

Send your colleague a card from the team

Choose a neutral design, add your own maternity-leave title, and share one signing link so everyone can add a personal note. Free cards include up to 20 posts.

Create a maternity-leave card

What to say professionally

One or two sentences are enough: wish your colleague well, thank them for something real, and stop there. Use the handover example only if it reflects what happened. Reassure them about work arrangements only if you know those arrangements are in place; a card should not make promises on someone else's behalf.

Before leave is not the same as after the arrival

Before leave, focus on support for the time ahead rather than announcing or assuming an arrival. Once the family has shared their news, a separate congratulations message can use the details they have chosen to make public. Neither card needs requests for photos, medical details, or updates.

Follow your colleague's language

Use “maternity leave,” “parental leave,” or another term your colleague uses. Do not assume how the family was formed, who will be caring for a child, or what returning to work will look like.

Organising a card from the team

Start collecting notes a few days before leave begins, keep signing optional, and deliver the card privately. For a pre-leave card, choose a neutral design and your own title rather than a new-arrival announcement. Let each person add a brief personal note.

Keep these principles in mind

  • Use their preferred wording
  • Add a personal detail only if you know it is welcome
  • Avoid birth predictions and medical advice
  • Do not promise work coverage unless you can confirm it
  • Leave out return-date pressure and requests for updates

Frequently asked questions

What do you say to someone going on maternity leave professionally?

Try: “Wishing you all the best as you begin your leave. Thank you for everything you bring to the team, and take care.” Keep it brief and avoid questions about medical details or return dates.

What should I avoid in a maternity leave card?

Avoid birth predictions, medical or parenting advice, fertility assumptions, jokes about leave being a holiday, and pressure to share photos or return to work.

Can we call it parental leave?

Yes, if that is the language your colleague uses. Follow their wording rather than making assumptions about their family.

When should the team send the card?

A few days before leave begins gives the recipient time to read it without adding to a busy final day. Keep the timing flexible if their plans change.

Writing after the family has shared their news?

For congratulations after a new arrival, use the new-baby message generator. For a card before leave begins, use the wishes above.

Get new-arrival congratulations

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