Pregnant women included in high at risk for coronavirus uk what to do now!?

[NishaaS123]

So just saw Boris Johnson's conference said pregnant women are also added to the vulnerable group and should self isolate!? But what about working pregnant ladies what should they do!? I work for the MOJ which is a goverment department would they be more lenient towards me? What should I do? So confused still have 13 weeks to start maternity leave

I'm not due in until Saturday so I'm going to self certify sickness for 7 days and then I have a telephone app with a doctor on Friday to see if I need a sick note as I'm just feeling soooo stressed with it! I normally wouldn't get this stressed, but I'm charging towards the end of my pregnancy now so I blame hormones 🙈

I feel stressed about it too !! I'm waiting to hear back from my manager with what the company are willing to do...if anything. Had headache all day 😞.
Wish I was near the end of my pregnancy so I could just go on maternity leave earlier but I'm only 20 weeks so got ages

Completely understand having relatives you Have to stay away from my mum had COPD so staying away from her which is going to be hard as she lives on her own I don't want to think of her getting down in the dumps on her own :/ hopefully this is all over soon I really feel for everyone that still has ages of there pregnancy to go or isn't yet on maternity and still working. Xx

the last few days have been shit. shitty shit. a pandemic during my first pregnancy. working from home but today it's very hard to stay positive. will probably feel better tomorrow. sorry just needed to moan as i'm really scared as are all of you

Just seen that at some point today NEU have changed it's stance on pregnant women at work and are now advising that they be at home... that's a relief. If one union has done it more might and there might be hope for others on here I hope...

Spoke to my local midwife centre yesterday, and the midwife confirmed that CURRENTLY, all midwife appointments are going ahead as planned, unless you have symptoms and have self-isolated.

My school, however, have said that if I self-isolate without any symptoms, just on the gov advice, then I will have to take it as unpaid leave, and it will affect my eligibility for SMP.

(SMP is worked out on you being in continuous employment, but then you also have to earn above the threshold amount (roughly £120 a week). This earning is calculated as a average between week 17 and 25.)

As I'm only part time, I don't earn that much each week, so if I left today, my average for that period would be below the earning threshold.

Meanwhile, a friend from a different local school, but different academy chain, has been told not to attend school, on full pay, not to protect him, but to protect his pregnant wife.

@Vebrithien Oh god I hadn't even clicked about my SMP eligibility being affected!! I'm 16 weeks pregnant so if my work make me take unpaid leave/statutory sick pay for the foreseeable I won't get my statutory maternity pay because I will have earned under the threshold between weeks 17 and 25. So I have to stay working! OK, I'm freaking out now. Thank you for bringing this to my attention though... Feel sick!

@Vebrithien
Are you with NEU? Could you swap? They might be able to help given their new stance? mrs87don't forget that it's an average - you might not need to be off for that long and you should only be getting SSP if you have symptoms. If your work put you on medical suspension (which they may do if chased with a union?) then it should be on full pay.

Hey ladies, I hope everyone is staying safe. I am currently 16 weeks pregnant and have been worrying about the virus etc as I work in retail. I was on my way to work this morning when I got a call from them asking me to return back home and not to come in. They have advised me to take a week off for now and they will update me, this time off is paid. What is everyone else’s situation like with work?

@ThatLady115 that is good, at least you can relax for the week and hopefully the will extend it. I worked from home anyway but the rest of the department are now work from home as will the whole company be soon even call center and helpline staff are been set up to wfh - we have been told this will be until at least the middle of May . My fiance is also now working from home full time until his paternity leave ends we are currently 33 weeks pregnant. We are quite lucky we are both from home so are completely self isolating apart from hospital appts.

I had to change jobs before I found out I was pregnant so will be getting maternity allowance, currently 31 weeks pregnant and I work in a food shop. And I'm still expected to go into work! Because it doesnt say Not too in the government advice. Obviously working from home is a no no and my maternity allowance is greater than SSP anyway so would you take early maternity? Bit gutted as it means going back to work early January but I can't see a way around it.

Just feel it's so unfair that we shouldn't see friends or family yet still expected to work in close proximity to hundreds of different people etc. They have said to not be as "customer facing" but this isn't possible as there are minimal back office jobs to do and boy do those shelves need restocking! Ugh

I'm lucky to be working from home starting tomorrow cause I can with my job role , however another girl who is also pregnant in my work is being forced to leave Monday and take her annual leave and then SSP for the 12 weeks

Does anyone know how we're supposed to travel to ante natal appointments if we don't have a car? I don't want to use public transport at the moment. Will taxis still be running?

So confused!

I think I'm going to have to go to my 12 week scan alone as we have a 2yo and only childcare support (apart from now closed nursery) is my parents who are now in lockdown too.

I'm not due to October so really hope this is over before the birth. Can't imagine labouring by myself

@YukoandHiro it says to travel by private transport...taxis are still running. It does say if struggling call 111 - but I suppose it depends who you talk to and how busy they are if you have any luck !

@soph91 That's only for women who have symptoms of covid. The rest of us should be fine getting public transport to appointments. The isolation advice is only a precaution anyway.

@ClassicallyConditioned ahh okay I was thinking sending an ambulance seems a bit OTT given how stretched the NHS are !

@jdy123
Is she choosing to do that? Don't think they can force her not to come in but then not pay her properly?

@Sunnydays60
It wasn't her choice no, they said they can't pay her as she can't work from home because of the role she does ! I didn't think they could do that either...

In Ireland pregnant women are told to take the same precautions as everyone else and that we are not more susceptible to getting the virus just because we are pregnant. I heard on the radio today that there has been no evidence of the virus showing up in the amniotic fluid or breast milk, and that women with mild symptoms should self-isolate at home. That's what's helping me to stay calm.

We are all working from home since last Friday when schools closed, and that seems to be the sensible thing for everyone if at all possible. Anyone who suffers job losses as a result of the virus (even if they are not infected) will be paid 206euro a week. Are the schools not closing in the UK? I have been following the live feed in the Guardian and thought they were closing. But here there are still lots of pregnant women working, even working in hospitals. It is scary but so far the evidence points to a positive outcome for mum and baby. Mx

Hi ladies I just wanted to update as I went to see my consultant yesterday. In a nutshell she said they will not be pulling any drs or midwifes from the mat units onto normal wards or to help with the virus. She said they are quite protected in maternity units as they are all so specialist and ladies need to keep having babies ! She also said C sections won't be getting cancelled . She did say some birthing units are been closed and ladies are having to give birth in the hospitals mat units and quite a few hospitals are stopping home births - this is to prepare for possible staff shortages due to sickness but isn't happening everywhere. She also said there is no evidence pregnant ladies get worse symptoms or that it causes any harm to the baby and it is unlikely it can be passed via the womb - the cases we have heard of are more likely to have been caught just after birth and every baby so far has recovered. She also said like any sickness it is advised pregnant woman do their best to avoid it such as staying away from someone with a cold or tonsillitis etc. Basically she said they are just been over cautious with pregnant women and following guidance that we are normally told to try and avoid sick people anyway !

@jdy123
I understand she can't work from home but have they told her she is not allowed to come into work either even though she wants to? Basically they've laid her off for being pregnant then? Which doesn't seem lawful. Or does she herself not want to go in? If that's the case then I guess not getting paid is the choice she's making?

Also, I didn't think you could get SSP unless you were ill? I don't think we're getting the same deal as Ireland if we're not ill but our employment suffers?

@maggie272 Schools are closing over here officially but in reality that doesnt really mean we're closing. We're still open for key workers and at my school at least that means everyone has to turn in for their normal hours. Lots of people still expected to work as normal as plenty of jobs aren't possible to be done from home and that means pregnant women too, just like in Ireland it sounds like.

I've just spoken to my midwife and she says, in our area at least, as of this morning, 16 week appointments are now being done on the phone so the normal tests you'd receive won't be done. Booking ones are being done on the phone too but you can still go in for a blood test. It's all a bit crazy. Just hope nothing too serious gets missed for all us pregnant mums with all this! X