frustrated pregnant teacher.

[ginny84]

Just wanting a bit of a rant/advice on how to cope/people to say you'e not alone.

I'm currently 13 weeks, so due in Jan, planning on leaving work at Christmas hols. I'm a secondary school teacher, got my timetable for next academic year today. It is busy! We have a six period day, got three full days, one free on a Wed and then three frees on a Fri. I've had four frees this year so its not a surprise to have the same, but they are usually more spread out. Also have to move classrooms a couple of times in the week between lessons (a bit worried about how busy it gets in the corridor).

Calendar also came out today, they have added more meetings and more morning briefings. Meaning that every week I have three morning briefings at least one after school meeting and many weeks also have a twilight/parents eve/open evening.

It is also an ofsted year (not due till after Jan so will hopefully miss it) so this means more observations early on, extra qa on marking, homework setting etc.

At the minute I am exhausted all the time. I'm hoping this will ease once I'm into my second trimester. However I am worried about how I will cope when heavily pregnant.

I may just be moaning, feeling a bit down today, so feel free to tell me to get a grip. But if anyone has nay advice on how to cope and feel less stressed please share.

Do you have occupational Health? If not approach HR, the workload may be negotiable but certainly the corridor should IMO be covered under a risk assessment which you are entitled to? Regards the meetings you are still entitled to Paid time off for Antenatal whatever your career so depending on how much you want to keep
Your employer happy you could arrange these for meeting days.
Congrats by the way im also due in jan

Hey i teach in secndary too n also due in Jan!..also due ofsted any day,aw crap! I had a little cry bout this too,not yet had my timetable but think il only have 4 frees too (had 6 this yr due to numbers) have felt nakered to t point of tears,n so sick,have been off today,Im just hoping to feel better come Sept.as its a crapper of a term!Im getting a lift key in sept,i teach on t 2nd floor n theyve offered to move me but I think il b ok...have u spoke to ur union rep?x

No advice I'm afraid - just sympathy! I'm 22 weeks pg, primary school teacher - 30 badly behaved children and no TA! My stress levels are ridiculous if I'm honest. Just VERY relieved we finish in 2 weeks, then at least I can have a rest.

HR were no help at all - certainly not compared to my previous occupation. I haven't even had a risk assessment! Come September, I'm going to object to doing x2 playground duties, as loads of children legging about and legging into me isn't much fun!

Advice? Sit down A LOT. You should get less tired. I"m certainly feeling better now than I was 10 weeks ago (but then I did have horrific morning sickness and the tiredness!). Just try not to let things stress you out (easier said than done) and just don't be afraid to ask for help moving stuff around. I know we don't move as much as you guys, but I do get the caretaker to take my books home for marking to the car, and get someone else to lift up the laminating machine. It's totally different though in primary. So not sure what advice I can give you!

Congrats on your pregnancy! x

No advice I'm afraid but lots of sympathy. I'm a primary teacher, 30 weeks in a very challenging school with a huge amount of pressure. I am on my knees atm, literally counting the days till hol. Was very close to being signed off with stress/work related depression a few weeks ago but looks like I'll make the end of term.

I really feel for you, its a tough job to do anytime but especially when you're pregnant!

I'm a DHT and I was wondering if your school were asking you to work more than your contracted hours. You can only be asked to work 1265 hours a year and with all those meetings I would think that you might be over especially if you have parent's evenings next term. I would call your union rep just to sound out what they think. When you tell your school you are pregnant they must write a risk assessment for you which should include safely moving around school between lessons. For general info, this might be useful www.teachers.org.uk/files/maternity-matters-may-2011-edition_0_0.doc

4 frees a week? I get 5 per fortnight. Things are getting harder and harder. :(

Thanks for the responses and the sympathy. Nice to hear I'm not the only one and just hearing other people say similar has made me feel better :)

Sorry to hear about your upcoming ofsted allchik! Can't be good for your stress levels!

No union rep at our school for the union I am a part of, but will think about getting in touch with the local one if need be.

Haven't confirmed in writing that I am pregnant yet. Only spoke to the head teacher about it a couple of weeks ago when needing time off for the scan (he is now away on a school trip). When I do confirm do I need a MAT B1 certificate from doctor/midwife? As not seeing midwife again until a few weeks into the summer holiday. Guessing my risk assessment will only come after I have confirmed in writing?

Am planning to speak to Head of department about the room thing, and will have to be late for lessons if I do have to move (it's for sixth form, which is usually taught in a different room).

Thanks SpringFlowers - may be worth checking how the hours add up. Out of interest do you know if you can be asked to do more than this if you have a TLR? I don't but a colleague is a bit miffed with the extra meetings he has to do on top of what the rest of us have been asked to do. (realise that is slightly of topic, sorry!)

That's terrible spg1983. I know four isn't as bad as it could be (they only have to give me 3 for ppa). I don't know how you manage on 5 a fortnight.

Hi. I'm 36+5 and I teach in a middle school. I've only made it this far as my maternity cover started three weeks ago for an extended hand over and I'm not teaching at all now. Ofsted came when I was 12w and gave us notice to improve so it has been horrible when it comes to extra meetings and pressure. I've been surprised by how considerate my colleagues and some of the students have been. I've had lots of offers of help and general care and concern. I would speak to SLT about your concerns up front and ask how they can support you. It is in their interests to keep you healthy rather than piling on the pressure and you ending up on the sick. Make sure you ask for what you need. I've tried to help out with admin type stuff to pay back favours. Stopped doing lunch duty after twenty something weeks and swapped my break duty for in tuck shop so I could have a snack and a seat if needed.
Just speak up and make sure you're looked after. Good luck!

Oh and think I got my matB1 at about 24 weeks. You need to hand it in by 25 so they do cut it a bit fine but school didn't even ask for it, I went to them with it. They did give me a copy of the county maternity policy which told me what I needed to do and when which was really helpful.

I believe that a tlr is an additional payment in recognition of the fact that additional work will probably be done at home. I don't think that's an official line but what it amounts to. Teachers contacted hours don't change if you have a tlr.

Major sympathy OP. I'm due in late Sep / early Oct but know how busy that term is. Just keep an eye on yourself - you'll get a good rest over the summer but by the time you go back you'll be 3rd trimester and they'll be keeping a closer eye on you for BP etc. Don't be afraid to take time off if you need it - I had to take a few days there in June because BP was really high. I'm finished now (in NI) and BP has dropped right back down so you just don't realise how stressful it is when you're in the thick of it!

Anyway

You don't have to wait for MATB1 to notify the school officially. If that were the case nobody could have a risk assessment until at least 21 weeks which would be silly really as some people need their work to be modified before that, especially if they do something hazardous.
Write a letter notifying the head of your pregnancy and your EDD and tell them in that letter that you will give them notice of your maternity leave in due course when you have your MATB1 form but in the meantime you would like to request a chat to discuss your risk assessment. I was supply teaching before my baby was born and I had to stop at 23 weeks due to SPD/tiredness/inability to cope with demands of the job. Obviously if I had a permanent job I would have expected them to make adaptations to enable me to stay longer, or else I would have been forced to take sick leave.

Sorry to hear your concerns - this is a common topic on the TES website forum pregnancy pages, you may read of more specific advice there.

Schools really do seem to be ridiculously crap at arranging risk assessments considering there's probably more than the average workplace and any contact with HR or OcH always seems completely impossible. I'm 20 weeks and also expecting ofsted from Sept, teach autistic children who can have some very physically challenging behaviour (luckily been given same class) and getting a new child with pathological avoidance demand syndrome whilst not being given the correct staff ratio (2 kids per staff, have 5 kids with 2 staff and two not toilet trained - aged 10). Plus the year 6 review reports to be in before Oct (6000 words each). I do love my kids and my job but extremely apprehensive about those last two months from Sept till Nov as getting big even now!

No one has ever mentioned risk assessment to me but I did have tell people in my team early and they were fab (teaching assistants) it actually made me very down as I felt disrespected and suddenly a hassle when I've had such a major role in developing the school over the last 6 years.

I've found my docs to be very supportive (been signed off for 12 weeks for slapped cheek and thyroid probs but want to be back in that last week to lessen the Sept shock!) and actually found they'd written 'works with violent children' in my notes. They were more bothered about that than all my worries about my thyroid!

They do have a duty of care for you and your unborn baby. Aside the issue that they need to look at work load and physical logistics and put an RA in place (chat to union), if it gets to to point where you feel the anxiety is causing a problem I really don't think it would hurt to discuss this with the doctor. As other posters have mentioned, bp could be an issue later on. I know teachers worry about admitting to stress but its a separate thing in pregnancy. (however they may put 'non preg related stress' so as not to trigger maternity leave at 36 wks) It seems to be a mystery as to how to get Oc health involved in schools unless via the head.

Remember you can self certify for a few days and yes pregnancy is not an illness but it can exacerbate/ create them eg spd, back ache, high bp (and thyroid issues) so it's in their interest to look after you. A colleague had pelvic problems and was managing a class with a severely disturbed child who ended up cornering her and threatening her baby. Oc health began to get involved due to the spd and after that incident advised the head gave her duties at home or risk serious consequences for the school. She was in hospital with the pelvic pain in.the end and baby came very early. (ive always wondered about the stress) At no point was an.official risk assessment done even when the TAs were asking. They do take stress and anxiety seriously in pregnancy as prenatal depression is more common than most realise.

Luckily since the doc has been adding unstable thyroid to my sicknotes (though all great now) they are taking more notice of how that physically and mentally affects me (a member of staff chewed the heads ear off about how much she struggled with it).

If it helps I have noticed I felt loads fitter with more energy at 17 wks. I've had to structure my day to help slipping into a lazy routine of sleeping all the time - mostly to help me going back for the last week and Sept. im trying to swim 3/4 times a week, as well as my normal yoga and preggo yoga.

Id recommend trying to keep as active as poss over the hols as I've been astonished how quickly you suddenly start to stiffen and slow up, even if just lots of walking. Oh and definately get some compression socks or tights too (boots good), they seem to help with the tiredness, as does keeping hydrated (always really hard in schools). I feel like im preparing for WW3 in September!

Lots of best wishes x