Quick answer: a good maternity leave card wishes them well for the arrival, names one thing the team will miss, and tells them to forget about work. "Wishing you a smooth arrival and a lovely few months together. Meetings are already worse without your notes. Don't you dare check Slack." Three sentences, all about them, nothing about deadlines or return dates.
A maternity leave card is a card a team gives a colleague on their last day before leave for the birth or adoption of a baby. It's part farewell card and part baby card, which is why it's awkward to write: you're saying goodbye to someone who is coming back, and congratulating them on something that hasn't happened yet.
The examples below say "maternity", but nearly all of them work just as well for paternity, adoption or any parental leave. Swap the word and send.
Do you say congratulations to someone going on maternity leave?
Yes. If they've shared the news with the team, congratulations is the right tone, and it's what most people want to hear on their last day. Keep it about them and the baby, not about the pregnancy or how they look.
If you don't know them well, or you're unsure how they're feeling about it, a softer line works: "Wishing you all the best for the months ahead."
Warm maternity leave messages for a coworker
For someone you work with closely.
- Wishing you a smooth arrival and a lovely, slow few months. We'll keep your chair warm, and your mug clean. Probably.
- You've carried this team through some messy quarters. Now let someone else carry the load for a while. Congratulations!
- I'm so happy for you. Enjoy every sleepy, strange, wonderful week of it.
- The office is about to get a lot quieter and a lot less organized. Congratulations, and please don't worry about us.
- That baby is getting the most patient, funny person I know. Lucky kid.
- Congratulations! I hope the next few months are full of naps (yours as well as theirs).
- Thank you for the handover doc, which is honestly a work of art. Now close the laptop. We've got this.
- Wishing you an easy arrival and a house full of people bringing food.
- You're going to be brilliant at this. You already keep twelve of us alive and fed in sprint week.
Short maternity leave wishes
For the line you add under everyone else's.
- Congratulations! Enjoy every minute.
- Wishing you a happy, healthy arrival.
- All the best for the months ahead.
- So excited for you. See you on the other side!
- Go and be a family. We'll be fine.
- Congratulations, and enjoy the time together.
- Sending love to you and the little one.
- Wishing you calm days and good sleep (eventually).
Funny maternity leave card messages
Only if you already joke with them. Keep the joke on work, never on their body or the birth.
- Congratulations on finding the one way to get out of the quarterly review.
- Please send baby photos. We'll pretend they're for morale.
- Your out-of-office is going to be the most read email in company history.
- Enjoy your new boss. Heads up: worse hours, no HR department.
- We're not saying the team will fall apart without you, but we have printed your handover doc and laminated it.
- Good luck with your new colleague. Terrible communicator, very cute.
Maternity leave messages from the whole team
For the top of a group card, or for a manager writing on the team's behalf.
- From all of us: congratulations, thank you, and please don't check your email.
- The team wishes you a smooth arrival and a lovely few months together. We'll miss you every day, and we're thrilled for you.
- Thank you for everything you've done this year. Go and enjoy this. We'll be here when you're ready.
- We're already arguing about who gets to meet the baby first. Congratulations from the whole team!
- Wishing you, your family and your newest team member all the very best. With love from everyone.
For paternity, adoption or a coworker you barely know
- Congratulations on becoming a dad! Enjoy every minute of the time off with your family.
- Wishing you and your partner a wonderful start as a family of three.
- Congratulations on your adoption. We're so happy your family is growing.
- We haven't worked together much, but I'm really happy for you. All the best.
- Congratulations! Wishing you a calm, happy leave.
- Enjoy the time with your new little one. The team's got everything covered.
- Congratulations on the new arrival. Take all the time you need.
When should you give a maternity leave card?
On their last working day, or a day or two before. That way the whole team can still sign it, and it marks the moment they step away.
Leave is often less predictable than a normal leaving date. Babies arrive early, doctors sign people off, and plenty of last days get moved forward by weeks. So start the card as soon as the leave date is announced and get it signed early. A card that's ready a week ahead is never wasted; one that's half-signed when they suddenly stop coming in is a problem.
A short second message after the baby arrives is a lovely touch, but it's optional. Keep it to a line or two and don't expect a reply.
What not to write in a maternity leave card
- Anything about their body. "You're glowing!" is fine from a close friend, but in a work card even compliments about size or shape land oddly. Leave it out.
- Birth stories. Yours, your sister's, anyone's. Especially the dramatic ones.
- Parenting advice. They'll get plenty. A card from work isn't the place.
- "Enjoy the vacation!" It isn't one. People mean it kindly, and it still stings at 3am.
- Return dates. "See you in March!" can feel like pressure, and plans change. "See you when you're ready" is better.
- Work requests. No "quick question before you go" under a congratulations.
How to organize a group maternity leave card
The easiest way to get the whole team in, including remote people and anyone on a different shift, is an online group card: one link, everyone writes a message, and it's delivered together. A few things help:
- Pick a close deadline. Because last days move, set the deadline a week before the planned date.
- Ask for one specific line each. "Good luck!" twenty times reads like a form. One real memory each reads like a team.
- Let people write privately. When everyone can see the first message, the rest copy it. Private messages come out warmer and more varied, which matters for a card someone might reread at 4am with a baby on their shoulder.
- Pool any gift. One shared gift beats a pile of small ones. Our guide to collecting money for a group gift covers how to do it without a spreadsheet.
WishWarmly's group baby card is built for this. You share one link, each teammate writes a message or records a short video on their own private page, and your colleague opens a flip-book of every message. It's free for up to five contributors, $9 for unlimited contributors, and $12 if you'd like a downloadable PDF keepsake too. A keepsake is a nice thing to have from a time that tends to blur.
If you're also signing a card once the baby arrives, see 40 baby shower messages, or what to say when you barely know the parents.
Frequently asked questions
What do you write in a maternity leave card for a colleague?
Write a warm send-off that is about them, not about their job. Wish them well for the birth or arrival, say one specific thing you'll miss, and tell them not to worry about work. For example: "Wishing you a calm few months and a very happy arrival. The Monday stand-up won't be the same without you. Don't give us a second thought."
Do you say congrats to someone going on maternity leave?
Yes, congratulations is the right note if they've told the team they're expecting and are going on leave to have or adopt a baby. Keep it simple and warm, and focus on them and the new arrival rather than on the pregnancy itself. If you're not sure how they feel, "Wishing you all the best for the months ahead" is safe and kind.
When should you give a maternity leave card?
Give it on or just before their last working day, so the whole team can sign it while they're still around. A separate card or message after the baby arrives is a nice second touch, but the send-off card is the one that marks them leaving the team for a while.
What should you not write in a maternity leave card?
Skip comments about their body or size, birth horror stories, unsolicited parenting advice, and anything about when they'll be back. Avoid calling it a vacation or a break too. Looking after a newborn is rarely restful, and jokes about time off can sting. Keep the message warm, short and about them.