Teachers- when did you tell your class that you were pregnant

[Izzy82]

As it says really. I'm a year 6 teacher, and am 16 weeks. I have quite a bump but not one of them have noticed. Should I tell them or would you wait until they notice?

[PandaNot]

I waited until a week before I left but they were only nursery so didn't really pay much attention and the parents were too polite to ask!

[stargirl1701]

After the 12 week scan.

[Em1503]

I'm 20 weeks tomorrow and still haven't told my year 3 class. I'm not too surprised they haven't noticed with them being a bit younger, although I'm sure some of the parents must have an idea, given how my bump has ballooned this last couple of weeks! I'm planning on telling them next week after my 20 week scan.

As long as your head teacher spent mind then I guess it's when you feel happy to tell! I'd imagine year 6's would start to cotton on soon if you're showing now.

[kiwiscantfly]

My Head used to to decide and would put in the newsletter (primary), I was 22 weeks and it was the end of the first week back in Sept, so the class only had me for one term. I was sad I didn't get to tell the previous year group, but I saw them round school heaps.

[Em1503]

*doesn't not spend!

[sdaisy26]

I waited til after the 20 week scan both times - felt risk of something going wrong was as low as it was going to be by then. First time I was about 24 weeks in the end & this time 22 or so. Was much harder dressing to hide it until then this time (lots of scarves!) but I didn't even tell my head/colleagues til 18 weeks so had been hiding it from her anyway.

Children really are pretty oblivious to it (even in yr 5/6) & parents/colleagues were surprised too, even though I felt it was really obvious, I obviously hid it better than I thought!

[barebranches]

I wanted the parent to know first... and not find out through their children.. i teach reception and went on mat leave end of jan. cant remember how far along but quite far.

[LurkingCinners]

When I was pregnant with my last, I had a year 7 and Six Formers. Year 7s didn't notice anything, not even that I had a gap year student with me all the time, because I had to run to the loo to be sick after lunch most days and always had them after lunch.
Only about 18 weeks in they asked me, because my bump was showing.

It took one incident in year 12 and 13 of me running off to the loo, and they knew .
And asked me and I told them. That was really early, 7 weeks in.

[LurkingCinners]

PS obviously my head knew about it, I had to tell her.

[mssleepyhead]

i was hoping to hold on till after the easter holidays when i will be going to have my 20 week scan but i got outed by my year 10s, 9s and 8s, and a very brave TA, at 14 weeks! they noticed the bump and said they thought i must be because i'd changed to baggier clothes. i work in a girls school and they seem to be very perceptive...

[MummaSmurf1]

It went in the newsletter at about 20 weeks. Lots of parents have said things to me, but my class never mention it. I never announced it or refer to it. Saying that, one girl did say to me she thinks I should call it "Sunshine"!!

[Morgause]

The mums noticed at the gate .....

I kept getting knowing looks so told them at about 4 months.

[squizita]

I am a secondary teacher and (hopefully- I have a recurrent miscarriage condition) tell all when my bump becomes apparent.

I have told my boss for risk assessment etc', but telling kids is something else. Someone mentioned after the 12 week scan... that's a bit early (especially if they're young, it is easier if they see a bump!).

And I'm not bothering disguising any bump but that's just my little rebellion against my own demons! Bet half my students will just think I've hit the burgers anyway!

[squizita]

Kiwi "My Head used to to decide..." spectacularly illegal.

Takes union hat off

[Tea1Sugar]

The head to wrote to my year 5 parents when I was 22 weeks

[Raxacoricofallapatorius]

DD is in Y2 and we found out yesterday that her teacher is pregnant. It was announced via parentmail by the head. We suspected because she's been off sick a lot since Christmas all with non-specific stomach related issues. DD has told me several times that Miss M looks very green at lunchtimes, is struggling with PE and sometimes gets a bit sweaty and dizzy. We all put 2 and 2 together but I do appreciate the head telling the parents first and it lets us tell the dc in a way they will understand/appreciate. I feel quite sorry for her. She's clearly struggling with sickness but is still working far too hard for even a non-pregnant woman. I think her health issues have forced the head to tell us slightly sooner than they would have done.

[WorriedMouse]

I taught year 6 and told them when I heard them say, " well she's either fat or pregnant".

[squizita]

Raxa It's fine if she said to the head it's OK to tell. But teaching is a job: s/he is our manager. We have duty of care to the children but not to the extent that we have to tell them our medical histories if we're not comfortable.

We are humans just doing a job. Sometimes that is forgotten and it feels like we're public property (especially in smaller towns).

Example: IBS can make someone green, breathless and make their belly pooch out. Would he head announce that to avoid confusion? "Miss has the constant runs, boys and girls and gossiping colleagues and parents ..." That actually happened (the gossip and pressure to tell about a non existent pregnancy) to a colleague.

When I was going through my sickness and severe pain stage, I was at the very highest risk for miscarriage (the time when my condition usually kills off the forming placenta). I would have been livid if anyone bar HR and my family knew.

[pinkgirlythoughts]

I asked my head if it was okay for me to tell when the lady I job shared with mentioned that she'd overheard some of the children saying their parents had told them I was having a baby- one very gosspiy mum had noticed in the playground and told everyone else! I was about 23 weeks at the time, head wasn't happy as she'd been planning to write a letter to the parents to tell them "but not for another few weeks!" as she said in a horrified tone when I asked her! When I said that most of them already suspected, she reluctantly agreed and wrote a letter to be given out that night, after I'd told the children that afternoon :)

[pinkgirlythoughts]

*Year 2 children, by the way

[squizita]

Pink I am genuinely interested here... is this a primary thing? This control and having to ask permission to tell (or even the head deciding)? On paper, it's not meant to happen that way.
In secondary the head would have no right to say anything, be horrified etc'. They would never plan or decide when to tell: it would be 100% in the hands of the teacher. Her body, her career as a professional, her choice.
That's from having worked in 5 schools, 3 managing a team.

But then again several of my RL friends teach in primaries and just decided when they would tell: the head asked but certainly did not express opinions.

[pinkgirlythoughts]

I think it was just our head, to be honest. She liked to be in control of everything, be The One to make decisions, etc. She's retired now

[noblegiraffe]

After the 12 week scan at secondary, but that's because kids were already asking.

[squizita]

Pink Ah! Yes it may be a generation thing. I had a head (now retired) who sighed to me "You're Catholic, you're marrying a generic irish surname I see ... what a waste of money putting you through that management course was..."
Lovely lady and great teacher... but didn't realise what a racist/sexist/religiously insensitive comment she'd made!
I was just brazen and said something like "Don't worry Mrs Name, I'll keep my legs crossed until after OFSTED!" and she guffawed.
She got on very well with her HR and union staff as they often had to tell her "Mrs Name, we don't say/do that anymore... "

[squizita]

My surname is not Mrs Genericirishsurname ...that would be hard for my literacy group to spell.