Teachers- when did you tell your head teacher?

[cupofteaplease]

I am only 9+4 weeks pregnant, but I think due to this being my 3rd baby, My tummy has popped out already, so it's getting hard to hide, especially later in the day!

I'm wondering when to tell my head teacher. My '12' week scan is in the Easter holidays, so I'll be nearly 15 weeks by the time I go back and will definitely be showing by then!

I'm worried because this is only my 2nd teaching year in the school. Obviously I want to go back after maternity leave, but I think the head might be annoyed at the thought of having to recruit another teacher again to cover my maternity leave.

When did you tell your head teacher, and how did they take it?

I told my line manager really early on, mostly because I was getting horrendous morning sickness, and it meant that she covered for me and was happy to field questions if I wasn't there for morning registration.

I told my HT the day after my 12 week scan. How did he take it? He hugged me (yuk - seriously. It was his habit and it wasn't nice) but was very supportive. I had ID twins, which meant scans every fortnight, and school were great about it.

Hi

I told my Head the day after my 12 week scan with DC1 - got similar reaction to Eviltwins (slightly sick-making hug, even though the sentiment was appreciated!!)
With DC2, I did the same thing, waited until after scan. Got very different reaction with the new Head though ... said the right things, but he was clearly miffed!
I'm now pregnant with DC3 and am still on mat leave from DC2 - like you am showing much earlier, but have been wearing empire line type clothes as still wanted to wait until after the first scan to tell anyone. Am really not looking forward to the reaction this time though - will have only been back at work for a term before I will be on Mat leave again.
Am not expecting them to be pleased at all.

However, as a line manager myself, I think I would rather know asap if one of my staff is pregnant - purely so I can do their risk assessment and generally look after them a bit. Teaching is a tough job as it is and it can be really hard in early pregnancy to keep the normal enthusiastic and boundful service going when you just want to crawl into a corner, throw up and fall asleep! For that reason, I would tell your Head as soon as you feel comfortable doing so. If nothing else, it will afford you some protection as a newly pregnant employee and it will give the school a longer timeframe to plan effectively for your leave.

Many congrats and good luck!

I told HT and HOD at about 13-14 weeks, day back after Christmas hols. Both were very good and have been supportive with everything like time off for antenatal appointments. Just told my HT my ML dates and again he was very helpful and supportive.

I told her about 8 weeks because I needed time off for the booking in appointment, and there was holiday in the middle so I needed to give her notice. She'd already guessed.

I told my head teacher the day after the 12 week scan. She has been really supportive. Didn't tell the children and parents until I was about 16 weeks and couldn't hide it any more!

I told mine just before October half term as was in a similar situation to you (3rd baby, big belly, scan during holiday etc). He was fine and everyone congratulated me .

I'd only taught there a year when told them I was pregnant with DC2 and I only went back two days a week, which was fine too.

I told my line manager at about 7 weeks having been caught throwing up in my prep room sink and the loos severeal times - no point trying to hide that! Told the head after the 12 week scan - and like others got a slightly uncomfortable hug and a kiss!

Yesterday! I was 6+4 but there was a note in briefing asking that if anyone else was thinking of retiring they let the head know asap as timetable planning had already begun. Only the head and HoD know at school.
Our head didn't hug me, but she laughed and clapped and said it was wonderful news, that when she had seen my email asking for a meeting she thought either I was pregnant or resigning and she was delighted it was this and not the other, which was lovely.
She's retiring this year so she's not too worried about budgeting, I suppose. But she said it works out well as they're already advertising one job in our department, so if they get two good candidates they can offer one a temp contract to cover my maternity for a year. And she agreed cover for my booking in appt a week tomorrow too, which was great!
So can be an unexpectedly pleasant experience!

It's nice to hear of people who have had positive experiences! I'm very nervous, and would like to hold off as long as possible, especially as another member of staff has just found out that a close family member has only been given a couple of weeks to live . It would seem wrong in the midst of her sadness to bring up something like this.

I had my 12 week scan in the summer hols so told Head in the Sept when I was 15 weeks. He was ok abot it, supportive but not thrilled.
Didn't tell any kids til about 17ish weeks, the latest I could get away with it really.

Supportive (in a "I am legally obliged to do this" way) but not thrilled here too...I already knew this from DD1 so waited until after 12 week scan and made it all fairly official. Bit depressing but hey-ho! They might not like it, but as a teacher you are very well protected, it will be fine.

I told mine when I was 7-9 weeks (it was few years ago now and my memory's a little fuzzy!) for a couple of reasons. One was that she'd know if any children had anything like chicken pox etc and could let me know (primary), another was so she could plan ahead re staffing. She was lovely when I told her, very supportive and gave me tips on handling morning sickness. I'm sure she would have been supportive through a mc too (as she was with other members of staff).

cupofteaplease, sometimes a pregnancy can be a lovely thing to hear about. I was pregnant when my fil fell ill and died (within quite a short period of time), it really helped in the family to have new life ahead as well as mourning. It was still a difficult time, of course. A different set of circumstances for you, I know, just thought I'd mention it. Telling the head doesn't have to mean telling the rest of the staff either - it could just be known to the head for health and safety reasons and shared with the staff when you feel ready.

Thanks for those words Omi .

I've already been exposed to a chicken pox epidemic- 9 children in my class but midwife said it wasn't a problem due to having had it myself before.

As far as I know slapped cheek is the only thing that isn't checked for already, you should have a note of mmr immunity in your notes too. But if you have a nice/discreet school secretary get her to tell you asap if slapped cheek is reported, you might need time off. COngrats btw!

I was 11 weeks pregnant when we started the September term and I told my department pretty much the first day back. I ended up telling the Head teacher at the end of that week as I needed the Monday afternoon off for the 12 week scan. She was thrilled for me, as was the rest of the department who were so supportive all the way through my pregnancy. I was about 16 weeks pregnant when it became common knowledge - dam those children, no matter how many times we do pythagoras they forget but putting pieces together to work out I'm pregnant they can do! It is my first though so I wasn't showing until about 16 weeks and even then it wasn't really noticeable.

Now 39+4 and glad to be on ML though.

At 9 weeks some kids had a fight (worked in a PRU) and one needed to be restrained. The head nodded to me to help and I had to say no, and he knew straight away.

That doesn't look very good written down

I told mine the week after my 12-week scan, but a colleague who is also pregnant told us all at about 8 weeks, as she was having a really rough time of it, so she didn't want us to guess before she could announce it! Like you, it's my second year in the school, so I was nervous about telling my HT, but don't forget, she'll only be replacing you temporarily, it's not like you're leaving altogether.
I only told the children at 28 weeks, and the 'official' letter informing the parents went out yesterday (I'm now 31 + 4!). Luckily, I teach infants, so they aren't particularly observant, and were all really surprised when I told them!

I told the head (and my TA) at about 8 or 9 weeks - I teach Nursery and had to know what viruses were about, have weathered out chicken pox (not really a risk as I had that when I was little) and now am off as one of my class has had slap cheek this week. Didn't tell anyone else in school until after the 12 week scan though