Pregnancy & Teaching

[botbird84]

I've just found out I'm pregnant, due September 🤗 I'm a secondary school teacher and department head, and already find the job exhausting! I'm concerned that I'm going to find teaching the rest of this year a struggle. I was planning to tell work once I'd had my first scan, maybe before if needed, but I know that they'll be supportive. Could any teachers out there share their experiences? How did you manage?!

Be selfish when it comes to your health. I found it so difficult to put myself first, but during my third trimester I had an awful cough which probably lasted longer than it needed to - I should have just taken a week off and got better! Support from your line manager is key (I had very little/none from my HoD ) and as you are HoD, hopefully your department will be helpful and supportive too. Good luck! It is exhausting (especially while running out of the classroom occasionally to puke) but it can really help you reevaluate priorities (did me anyway).

Really glad I previewed this post - HoD had become God!

Thanks @Queenofpi, I feel like I've got better at putting my wellbeing first (had a bad year mentally last year) but need to make it more of a focus this year. I'm a department of one, but colleagues in nearby departments are amazing and I think my line manager will be alright!

September is a great time to have a baby, it means you get late pregnancy off while not actually starting maternity leave. Start your maternity on 1st Sept, or if you can hack it go in for inset days.

As for being pregnant and teaching;
-It's ok (and needed) to sit down mid lesson so plan lessons that give an opportunity for this.

• Take time off if you are ill. Pregnancy related illness can't go against your absence record so make sure if illness is remotely pregnancy related you say it is.
• If you are struggling with tiredness or sickness tell your classes. I found kids surprised me that they were pretty considerate of me once they found out was pregnant.
• If you are teaching in classrooms too far for you to nip to the loo between lessons start thinking about the room swap options now!

Congratulations
I'm primary rather than secondary but didn't find it too bad. I'm 36 weeks and finished at Christmas when I was 34 weeks. Are you planning to start your mat leave in September? That's what I'd recommend doing and as such with the 6 weeks holidays and depending on your due date you may be less that 34 weeks when you finish. That makes it a lot easier! Mentally though I knew I had to look after myself and baby and just didn't let things bother me that usually would. Was a bit of a magic switch!

Thanks everyone! I'm due around 9th Sept, we usually go back the day after August bank holiday but my headteacher is a bit tight so would probs get me to finish before summer hols! I could argue I'll go in for results day and write up reports which means I'm technically still working! 😂

Hi OP I'm in the same position. I'm due 30th August, but I think I'm going to have to tell work on Monday (if I make it in on monday) because the sickness is really getting to me, if barely been able to move this past week.
I'm 37 and had a MMC in June so I'm anxious as it is.
What have you decided to do?

Your head can go whistle, YOU decide when you start your leave! Well, baby might have an opinion too, and if you have sickness absence after week 36 you can be told to start leave, but that's all!

My head didn't let me put first day of holidays as my return date, even though that's customary, but as he had agreed my flexible working request I decided to let that go as it was only a week different. Definitely agree about kids being really good once they know, make the most of it 🙂

Botbird They get no say unless you are ill in the last 4 weeks and then they can force an early start. You'll have to officially start a week before so it will be around 1st day of term. Don't feel guilty about the summer holiday, you will have spent all year warning that time off.

*earning

Primary teacher (ks1) and taught up to 38 weeks. I found the toughest part to be the bloody heatwaves as schools get so bloody hot!

Had horrendous sickness with number 2, so that was quite challenging 😕

Definitely go in for the inset day in september if you can manage it.

Your head doesn't get to decide when your mat leave starts! You will have to be signed off as fit for work over the summer by your midwife though (this happened to a friend and at the time I thought it was ridiculous seeing as she wouldn't technically be working anyway but I get it now).
You can also put the first day of the holidays as your return to work date so you get paid over the holidays.
Stand firm on this one OP! Not your heads decision!

31 weeks here and finishing at February half term, HOD of 6. Tbh my pregnancy has been pretty easy up to now so, apart from needing a pee break mid-lesson occasionally, nothing has changed. I think this term might be more difficult as I'm struggling more with sleep and there's increased pressure towards exams etc but you'll miss all that so should be ok!

Oh, and you decide when you go on maternity leave so do not let your head dictate you go on leave before summer.

Secondary here too. Definitely agree, School cannot make you start maternity before the holidays for financial purposes! The only way the school can dictate an earlier start is if you are off school after 36 weeks with something pregnancy related. In a similar way, you can return to school at the start of the holidays (so I’m returning at the start of summer this year so I get my 6 weeks salary before going back into the classroom in Sept).

It is hard, I’ve found. I told School really early as was struggling, wanted a risk assessment, and wanted any pregnancy absences recorded as such (they can’t count against you). Get savvy with making sure you have supplies in your room like food and drink to help with any Sickness/nausea. I also invested in actual vomit bags as was a little trek to the loo and I didn’t want to get caught out. My department have been amazing and really supported me, even during my hormonal meltdown at inset yesterday because of a HR f-up! So if you are happy too, telling colleagues (especially those in close rooms or who you spend lunch with etc) can be invaluable.

Also, do make sure you continue to put yourself first as you’ve been doing. We had a scare where we thought this little one was making a 22 week appearance and was off a couple of days. Stupidly I tried to go back once the danger had passed and it was a very bad decision and I was signed off for a little while. I now realise that no school/class/exam group is more important than my baby and as such if I’m not fit for work, I won’t be there!

Congratulations on the pregnancy :)

My advice would be to tell your closest colleagues and your head sooner rather than later. It's a tough job and you will need their support when you feel like crap. I ended up having to tell my HoD, Head, and 2 close colleagues (in neighbouring rooms) because I had 2 early bleeds which required early scans at the EPU and I needed time off for that. After the first bleed I felt like I needed support in case I miscarried and I needed those people to know. Also, I had occasions where I needed emergency loo trips and my colleagues next door would keep an eye on my class. School wouldn't do an official risk assessment til I'd had my 12 weeks scan but they didn't actually get round to it until I was 15 weeks. However, I asked early on for my break duty to be changed because it was on the yard with the lads playing football and, even though there should've been other staff there, sometimes there wasn't and I felt vulnerable. So my deputy head (whom I had to then tell I was pregnant) changed it. I'm glad I told people because it actually meant I got a lot more support and understanding. I'm 17+6 now and all my colleagues know and some of my older classes do, too. My GCSE kids are really understanding and help me out with the physical bits (giving books out etc).

As for mat leave, your head CANNOT dictate when you start it. Speak to your union if he/she does try to. I have a family member who has just retired from being a secondary head teacher and I checked my rights out with him and you can start it on any day you wish. I want to start mine on the first day back after the May half term as I'm due 7th June and he confirmed that I can legally do this.

Best of luck, hope your first trimester goes well. It can be a long few weeks with sickness, tiredness, and anxiety, but it's also really exciting x

Secondary here too. It’s hard.

Tell head early as you can as you have legal protection. I had three losses before this pregnancy so it’s been a fraught time. I’m already worrying about the stuff I have to do for my maternity cover (obviously they’re not trained in the right subject and it’s exam classes.... yikes, not my choice at all) and I really need to be resting. However, same advice as previous posters. Be single-minded. It doesn’t come naturally in our line of work but this is the one time you really do have to think of it as JUST A JOB. Off to do some prep on no decent sleep and try to take my own advice!

Definitely don’t sign yourself onto mat leave before the summer unless you are ill and need to. I would start your leave on the first day of the new term in September. Then when you return to work if you want to whole year off sign back in on the last day of term in July so you get the 6 weeks off on normal pay!

I’m a teacher and went off at 38 weeks with my first but I had horrendous SPD with my second and was on crutches so was signed off ill from 33 weeks. My mat leave automatically started at 36 weeks because I was off ill.

I worked up to 37 weeks. Having supportive colleagues makes a big difference - I had days off here and there for various things and they would all chip in to help cover for me.
I second the idea of telling the students once you've had 20 week scan. My students, particularly the older ones, were very understanding and if I said "I just need to sit down for a minute, please get on with your work" or whatever they would understand why and do so.
You are really lucky to have timed it at the beginning of September. I had my baby in March and found it really difficult to leave classes, especially GCSE classes, halfway through the year.

Thanks everyone! I have looks nearby and my classes are lovely so I don't see them being an issue. As for Mat leave, I'll set it for for the first day back and hope I can survive until then!

Congratulations!

I'd definitely tell someone (if you feel comfortable) that teachers near you if you need to pop to the loo mid-season. There have been times that I've had to run mid-teaching!

I had extreme hunger in my first trimester and the only way to stop the nausea was to eat all the time. I picked at pineapple and nuts when I'd set the students a task..not ideal but you definitely have to put yourself first.

Good luck!