Teacher and just found out pregnant

[danceintherain18]

Hi
I am a teacher and I've just found out I am pregnant - approx 4 weeks today. I am currently doing a mix of remote teaching from home and emergency childcare for key workers in school.
Just want a bit of advice about what to do regarding work, normally I wouldn't dream of letting anyone let alone my work colleagues know this early (I have had a loss in the past) but I'm worried it may not be safe for me to work with the children of front line workers at the minute? Also I am up for a promotion which has been verbally agreed however the formal offer probably won't be made until late May and I'm worried that if I'm due to go on maternity before Christmas I will no longer be considered for this - which wouldn't be a problem in normal circumstances as I wouldn't have let anyone know about my pregnancy until 12 weeks at the earliest which will June time.

Basically I'm asking what are the guidelines around working when pregnant now? Is it safe or should I let my employer know so I am taken off the childcare rota - once my name is removed from the rota I am sure all of my colleagues will guess about my pregnancy as there wouldn't be any other reason for me to be taken off and I'm worried about people finding out at this early stage especially with my history of previous loss

Early pregnancy isn’t a reason to not work for key-workers unfortunately
Neither is late pregnancy to be fair - my nhs colleagues who are late pregnant are all still working albeit moved to ‘clean’ roles

Thanks,
I have a couple of colleagues who are not on the rota and only working from home as they are pregnant although they are both in second trimester so maybe this is why.

We only have a small number of children in school (approx 10 each day) so I'm sure it will be ok. Just panicking as I've read that a high temperature in early pregnancy can be dangerous for the baby and wasn't sure if the advice was to work from home during pregnancy.

Incorrect info there ☝️
Are you part of a Union?
Current NEU advice is that if you are pregnant you should not be onsite

Most schools and some employers (eg Tesco’s) have taken the view that being in a vulnerable group is reason enough to not work for 12 weeks. Pregnancy is vulnerable group as listed here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

It sounds like your school have already taken this stance. I would tell your head.

I’m a Reception teacher and I found out I was pregnant a few days before they announced pregnant women to be in the vulnerable group. I had already been worried about it and confided in the school nurse- so when it was announced and I still went in the next day she said I really shouldn’t be there. Then went to speak to the lady in charge of HR and she also said I shouldn’t be there. They’ve alerted SLT so like you I haven’t been asked to go in and I’m sure a few people might be wondering why. Likewise I never normally would have said so early as I have also suffered a loss last year but I thought circumstances called for it.
They are still having some keyworker children in and the other day a keyworker GP parent tested positive and his two boys had been in. It’s one thing continuing work but another working with small children who have no idea of hygiene or personal space!
Keep yourself safe

I found out yesterday that the guidance for key workers is to be in work until you’re 28 weeks. I may be called back in to work to look after children but my head has said she’ll only do that if she has no other choice.

No, you shouldn't be in. I've been out since the Monday briefing when they first changed pregnancy to being one of the at risk groups, as have several others from my school. No quibble and no suggestion that I should be in at all. I think it's NHS staff (stupidly) who are having to work despite pregnancy - education unions and schools seem pretty united in keeping us at home.

I told school when I was 7 weeks (10 now) because of it all!

I'm 16 weeks and have been working from home since the announcement last Monday. Everything on my union website says that headteachers should be making provisions for pregnant teachers to work from home. I would tell your headteacher, mine knew since just before all of this became an issue but she has been extremely understanding and supportive.

First of all Congratulations, you need to let your employer know ASAP you are now pregnant and it doesn't state how far along someone should be it states All pregnant woman to stay home your employer will be discreet but right now you need to put you and your little baby first

Hey OP, congrats! Is it correct that you yourself are not a key worker, but you are helping to look after children of key workers? It seems that possibly the guidance for pregnant women is different for key and non-key workers.
General advice for non-key workers is to work remotely and not go in to work. This is especially strong for pregnant women who are in the vulnerable group.
There is no evidence of how corona affects pregnant women in first or second trimester and only limited for how it affects in the third. It's best to be on the safe side, tell your employer, and work remotely.

I also work in a school I'm a one to one for child with learning needs my head teacher actually contacted me the night that Boris Johnson made the announcement of ALL pregnant to stay home and that includes school staff so please stay home offer to organise some work online if you can which can be used for your key stage

NEU is clear that all pregnant women should stay home. My school is also allowing flexibility so if your partner/spouse is pregnant then you can stay home. I would tell your head as soon as possible and follow the guidelines to stay home. Pregnant women are in the 12 weeks self isolation group.

Congratulations, you shouldn’t really be at work, I’m also a teacher and currently 11 weeks pregnant, since the announcement just over a week ago that pregnant women are in the ‘vulnerable’ category I haven’t been at work, obviously a few days later schools closed and are open to only select children. It was my head teacher that advised me - and other pregnant member is staff to not be in - I had previously told her a couple of weeks before as I had a bleed and needed to go to the EPU so she did already know yet I had to tell close colleagues at 9/10 weeks which I wasn’t comfortable with but it has to be done for my health and the health of the baby.
Personally I don’t think you should be in, I too have had a loss but you might need to be brave in this instance and talk to your employer, remember this is a new pregnancy, completely different to before and a new chance. Good luck with everything x

Thanks to everyone for responding, I'm not in tomorrow but I will let my head know on Monday and hopefully he will agree to me continuing to provide remote learning from home but not carrying on with childcare in school.