Teachers Having Babies

[HampdenMum]

Reading other threads it looks like there are lots of teachers having babies in 2012!
Anyone going to join me?
I'm 5 weeks - first baby, due date 20th October - and I teach Early Years!

Hi I'm a primary school teacher - I teach Y 5/6 and am 10 weeks. Due on 14th September so I'm hoping he/she makes an appearance around then for obvious financial reasons! I'm super queasy but not actually been sick thank goodness. Had an early scan too so my HT and DH both know but they are fab and were very supportive so I'm glad I did. I'm loving half term but have a seriously busy term approaching so bit nervous about coping with that. When is it Easter!?!

Hello! Im 15 weeks- due 9th August with DC2. DS in only 14 months- yes we are insane!
I teach secondary and 6th form Science and morning sickness plagued me throughout entire 1st pregnancy. Often sick at school and constant peeing (and cystis!) Had a fabulous lab tec in room next to me who kept a close mothering eye on me. Really struggled as have to stand all day when teaching Science during practical work and had to have special antenatal physio and hardcore backstrapping thing going on to get through.
Following birth of DS we moved areas during my Mat Leave (DH who also a teacher got a promotion) and I had to quit my job [:(] Was looking to go back to work part-time this Easter, but ermmmm, I seem to find myself pregnant again!
Have to say even though I'm currently not teaching running aroung all day after a toddler is exhausting! Dont get me started on the sleepless nights!
Congratulations everyone!
And yes, I understand the embarassmen (blushing from my toes to top of my head! Am I'm a Biology Teacher which somehow was cause for even more myrth amongst staff!!)

They have to find you somewhere suitable to express milk at work by law. Schools I have been into were pretty good at this when I was doing daily supply after I went back to work when DD1 was 7 months old. I just used to ask in the morning when I went in, even if it was a cupboard they always found somewhere for me. I always expressed with my back to the door and with a wrap/scarf slung over my shoulder covering my modesty, then popped it in a bag in the fridge until home time. Only problem I found was that some schools didn't have freezers for the cold packs to keep milk cold when transporting, so I used to buy cheap ice pole lollies from the local shops to go in cool bag for long hot rush hour tube journeys home.

I expressed in the medical room, which was fine I had my own key and I found out that one of our nurses used to be a midwife and she helped me a lot. I found the hard part was having enough time to get it done, eat lunch visit the loo and set up for the next lesson in a 40 minute lunch break. And i used to get much less milk at work than at home!

Good idea about the ice pops Zhen.

I'm a teacher... University lecturer -like you Trillian about 11weeks and very exhausted!

It is interesting many of us seem due round September ish?

Sorry this is a really naive question! Did you need to express at work because it was uncomfortable not to or because you actually needed that much milk to feed the baby? I think we'll go for formula feeds when I'm not there BUT if I have to express anyway else leak everywhere obviously I'll put it in the fridge at work and use it at home.

Sorry if that is a daft, daft question!!!

funchum8am Yes we do Edexcel for RE. I found they didn't ask really personal questions, but they are very interested in the minute details of pregnancy and the baby's development so I do get quite a lot of questions relating to that.

Thanks for starting this thread @HampdenMum
I'm a secondary teacher at an international school in Cairo and I'm just 6 weeks (a scan in a few weeks time!).
When did people / will people tell their Heads? I would like to leave it till 3 months, but as recruiting / arranging maternity out here is a little bit of a challenge I might tell them earlier.

Hi, I'm a primary teacher too. Due at the end of May with baby number 3. I worked til 37 weeks with my previous 2 (teaching in reception) but was lucky and didn't feel too tired. Also have a very supportive head- now work part time. Lovely to meet fellow teachers ( so to speak!) a lot of our teachers deliberately plan to have babies in Septdmber for financial reasons... I buck the trend and have summer babies - crap for maternity leave etc, but lovely for birthday parties!!!!!

Hi Cairo- I had to tell my Head at 6 weeks as I had a lot of bleeding and was subsequently being scanned every 2 weeks and had to have time off for appointments. He was fab and kept very quiet until I "officially" told him and the school at around 14 weeks. I also teach Science so very early on a risk assessment had to be done as musnt be exposed to lead salts or radioactive sources which we use frequently. The lab tech were great. What subject do you teach? If you have to do lifting or work with chemicals it might be worth mentioning it to a trusted senior member of staff so they can make sure your working conditions are safe. I was uncomfortable telling them (it meant they knew before my family I was pregnant!) but wanted to keep me and my bump safe! Not sure when you are legally required to tell your employer though. Good luck!

Hi Naturally - Thanks for sharing. I feel a bit better about telling them early now. The senior manager I'd tell just had a kid out here and so is understanding.
I teach geography so no major risks there, but because I 'roam' (don't have my own classroom) I need to carry supplies between rooms. If I can get a space in each room to store supplies then that'd be helpful!

Hi cairo- that's just reminded me- 3 of us in the dept were pregnant at the same time. The other 2 were roamers and for the very reason you mentioned the timetables were tweaked. It meant they spent a whole day in one room abd didn't have to carry stuff around all day or get squashed/knocked in corridors between lessons. I don't know if this is the norm or we just had a loverly Head, but it might be worth enquiring if something similar can bd done for you of if you can borrow a Science trolley (tecs tend to have them for shifting equipment) to move your stuff around if you have to keep roaming. Good luck!

funchum8am I expressed at work because I didn't want to mix-feed with formula during the day. If you intend to mix-feed it is always best to drop feeds slowly (i.e. one feed every couple of days) as you can get mastitis if you go from feeding regularly in the day to not at all.

It depends on the age of your baby and how much food they are eating in the day as to how much you will be breast feeding when you go back to work, so you will have to see.

What you can do to make things easier is drop breastfeeds before you go back to work and offer formula instead whilst expressing small amounts to relieve pressure and reduce chance of mastitis. Then after a few days stop expressing altogether.

It is also worth getting DC's used to bottle from someone else long before return to work. My DD screamed all day at first and bottle refused for a few days, but she was eating 3 meals a day by the time I returned so was still getting enough nutrition and milk in yoghurt and cheese.

Hope that helps clear things up a bit for you :)

Hi funchum8am I expressed at work to give LO milk at nursery and to help with having full and painfull boobs. LO wasn't always having a feed in the middle of the day if she ate a lot of lunch, but I wanted to be able to offer her it at the weekends etc if she wanted it so I expressed mainly to keep my supply up for that. I hardly got anything, maybe 3oz total and would need to defrost 3-4 lots for a reasonable feed.

MS was bad today, I had to run out while a trainee was teaching for some fresh air. He had taken 35 minutes over a starter and I just sat there thinking about how sick I was feeling!

Thanks hetty and zhen that is really useful advice. I had a reassurance scan today and all the measurements were exactly right for 9+4 and the heartbeat was clear to see so I went back and told my boss. She said let's discuss it all in detail after the 12 week scan but will support whatever arrangements I want to make on my return. It's a huge school and they've had all this before so I'm sure whatever I need to do re expressing will work out fine.

I'm SO RELIEVED after the scan!!!! I have only ever had them to confirm MC before - it was absolutely lovely to have one which brought good news.

DH is treating me like a porcelain doll which is a bit weird!!! I hope he snaps out of it soon as it's a bit inconvenient not being allowed to leave the sofa when I have a load of planning to do!

I am a roamer as well and have quite a long commute between buildings at times - I will probably have to ask them to retime table me when I have a big bump, if only because I hoik an enormous bag of exercise books about with me much of the time. A pupil was looking for me the other day and asked a colleague "have you seen that teacher, the one with the GIANT purple bag? I can't remember her name but you know, the HUGE bag?". Sadly he did know who she meant. Surely evidence that I need to have one room once I'm heavily pg???

You must feel amazing to know your little bean is doing well funchum8am I have an early scan in 2 weeks and am scared and excited at the same time. With DD I wasn't scared at all, I just knew it was all OK but this time I am soo worried. The other day I was convinced that it had stopped growing because I hadn't had MS at all that day. I just want to know it's OK so I can relax a bit.

hetty I have practically no symptoms at all so I'm constantly stressed about the lack of information coming from my body that something is going on in there. I totally sympathise. Fingers crossed that you have a great experience at your scan! I know 2 weeks feels like a really long time.

santac I am already off lunch duty as I'm participating in the NASUWT's work to rule and we are not properly compensated for doing lunch duty. So now I just have a break duty and one start/end of day duty which is indoors and no problem. If I was still doing lunch duties I'd ask to stop though as I have had to break up fights and deal with some very challenging behaviour from large groups of boys with little support recently, so I'm relieved I was already off that!

Hi, I'm 11 weeks, am a primary teacher. Been back after H/T for 2 days then had to take today off, feeling really sick all the time, and the thought of facing 30 9 yr olds is unbearable have told my head, but not sure if he really believes I feel that bad! and surely I can't just keeping ringing in sick til Easter?!! (I luckily can keep things down so eating ok, only sick about once a day, at various different times but feel dreadful and I was struggling to get off the sofa today) Certainly doesn't help when all the other women at school seem to have sailed through their pregnancies glowing!!

Am I right in thinking as baby's due middle of Sept I can finish in July but won't officially start ML til Sept??

Having babies? How very dare you! - aren't you supposed to be nurturing my precious children instead?

Congratulations to you all

Hi HTog sorry you're feeling rough, you can take time off sick with pregnancy related illness anytime up to 36 weeks, at which time you have to start ML. Luckily that will be ok with you as it'll be summer holidays then. You just need to state the date you want ML to start when you give your official notice. I'm doing similar, starting ML on 16th April as that's the first day due back at work after Easter, but obviously I'll stop work at end of this term... Just over 5 weeks and counting!

That's great thank you pickledpeppers, that has cheered me up, knowing I will get paid throughout the summer- so only 5 months to go then! (Not like your 5 weeks! :))

Been to the docs this morning she prescribed me some anti-sickness pills, so hopefully back to work on Monday!

Hi all, I'm 39+3 with my first baby I'm a primary teacher working for my LA in behaviour support. I'm vv lucky as the fact I am on mat leave has just saved my job due to our service restructuring at the moment.. legally they have to offer me one of the posts in the new service... phew! I intend to return to work in Sept.. Am giving first day of summer hols as my return to work date so I get paid for them. Took mat leave at 35 weeks, really enjoying the time off, don't understand people who get bored... I love it, and much prefer it to being at work

I'm a secondary English teacher due in July. I don't know if it was just coincidence but in the first trimester my sickness was at its worst when I was teaching Year 7. :D I'm lucky to have a loo right by my classroom or I'd really struggle not to pee myself in lessons!

Work and students alike have been really supportive.

Mad day today - head sent an email calling a meeting after school for all staff. Everyone thought it was OFSTED so were considering cancelling weekend plans etc. Turns out he was announcing his retirement at the end of the year! Phew....I can go back to my plan which mainly involves sleeping.