To pull out of this school trip (teacher)?

[dybb]

School trip to mainland Europe in December. I am one of 4 staff accompanying about 25 14-15 year olds. It is always a struggle to find female staff members to go on these kind of trips.

Trip is 5 days, quite full-on with travel and activities for staff and students. Lots of walking and city transport. 2 hour flights both ways.

I will be 36 weeks pregnant the day we are due to fly back. Technically the airline allows travel up to the end of the 36th week with a Drs note. No complications so far but I’m only 16w at this point and aware that could change.

AIBU to pull out of the trip?

YABU - go
YANBU - don’t go

I don’t think the school would let you go and I doubt the insurance would cover you.

SLT here. We wouldn't even give you the choice at my school! You'd be pulled out. Teaching while pregnant is tiring enough as it is, you need to take care of yourself.

Can you imagine?! That on top of the usual stress and chaos!

Honestly I can't see the school wanting you to go! The last thing you need with a group of teens to look after abroad is one of the members if staff needing hospital treatment, potentially taking away another staff number to accompany them, leaving two in charge of all the teens.

This is exactly why she won't be allowed to go.

No way would I go, I could barely waddle up the street at 36 weeks and I fell asleep every time I sat on a sofa. Theres no need to put yourself through it at all, no one would expect you to do this once they know you'll be 36 weeks pregnant-also what on earth would they do if you went into labour half way through the trip, no-one wants to be in that situation.

Yeah that’s a major no. I’m 23 weeks and already exhausted (and I’m a generally very fit and healthy person with no complications). I wouldn’t want to fly at 36 weeks, just in case. But the trip even without the flight sounds like hell when pregnant at all, let alone 36 weeks!

I had DS at 34 wks +1 on a Sunday and was due to travel for work on the Monday, albeit in the UK, it's better to pull out now so there's plenty of time to get someone else in rather than leave it until the last minute and then decide you can't go

Agree with others @dybb no way would I go.

Also agree it’s not unreasonable to be pulling out now. Waiting till at least 12 weeks is understandable. This is plenty of notice.

ETA sorry op seen your update, I see you hadn’t shared pg before. Totally reasonable to pullout now.

Wow rude! Perhaps the trip was planned before she became pregnant.

No - don't go - someone can step in - that's not your problem - who knows you could have been signed off ( hopefully not) by then and then what would they do? Furthermore, I've covered a school trip on a temp supply contract with an agency - ( I knew the school and the dept HOD / trip lead very well ) and did it as a favour in this exact scenario - teacher signed off early who fell quite ill early on in pregnancy in the term and I agreed to go on the trip ( got paid usual day rate but not evenings/ travel time or expenses etc .) Think of this way - you wouldn't be doing the trip with the baby in tow after its born !!!
It would be incredibly unreasonable for anyone to expect you to go and this is just life !

Some people do not commit to a trip. They get told they must do it.

Yes pull out, you’re meant to be able to help, you won’t be able to run, lift, carry, bend or kneel down over someone if they need assistance. You are the one who may need looking after. Staying at home is the best idea

Pull out now, there's plenty of time to replace you. Sometimes teachers' wives or husbands go on these trips if there are not enough teachers, someone may really be glad to do it.

36 weeks pregnant is too far advanced for a school trip such as you describe. Presumably when it was arranged you were not pregnant.

I don't think you will be allowed anyway. You'll be risk assessed throughout your pregnancy. I wasn't allowed to go on even local school trips, do playground duty etc... in the third trimester at my school.

Tell the trip leader as soon as possible and the rest of those involved when school reconvenes in September. IMO you would be very unwise to embark on this trip, for a start how could you possible keep up with active teenagers when you’re potentially going to be quite large (and I meant that in a very kind way) . Far too much could go wrong for you.
And good luck with your pregnancy OP 💐

Don’t give it any thought- your school won’t want you to be going anyway. At 36 weeks there is a very real risk of having the baby or needing medical treatment for any complications. There is no way your SLT will want you going on the trip even if you want to.

Don't go, you will be exhausted. Don't worry about it, life happens and they will understand. School will understand. You're giving them plenty of time.

helpful

Let school know nice and early and they will find someone else to take your place. I think this is a valid reason not to go

Why has the school included you on this trip? Has a risk assessment been completed? Have you been instructed to do this or volunteered? What does you union say?

My second child was born by EMCS at 35 weeks. Unless you've insisted that, "It's fine, it's fine!', the trip was planned prior to your pregnancy or your SLT are complete idiots (possible), I can't see how this was the plan in the first place.

Does the school know you are pregnant?

Double post.

At 36 weeks, no way.
Uncomfortable, tiring, need to pee all the time, sleep is limited, you might have sciatica or other aches and pains, not to mention the risk of picking up an infection on the flights. Please mask up on planes! (And in healthcare settings).

Seriously though, COVID is on the up, anyone who is pregnant should be aware that COVID in pregnancy can have adverse consequences for the baby (just like other infections like flu). Plenty of research to back this up. Public health is failing to protect unborn babies by not publicising this.

Brand new study June 2025, adding to 100s showing maternal COVID-19 infections harm babies. At 6 months:
33.3% infants exhibited cognitive delays
20% communication delays
40% motor delays
Increasing to 35.71%, 64.29%, and 57.14% at 24 months, respectively
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40500279/

I think you're mad to even consider going

At 36w I was on maternity leave, massive, bloated, fed up, just wanted to be in my pjs.

No school I've worked in would have allowed a woman on a trip at that stage, not even a day trip in the UK! The teachers have enough responsibility looking after the pupils before potentially adding a colleague into the mix.