Pregnancy, teaching and The Virus

[MissHoney85]

So after a couple of years quite emotionally draining ttc and a failed round of IVF in January I appear to be pregnant. 😯🙏🎉 It's super early days (13dpo) so I'm being careful not to get ahead of myself.

However, I'm in a bit of a quandary regarding work now. I'm a teacher, and I teach 4-5 year olds so they are excellent germ factories. We're currently on a rota, taking it in turns to go in with the Key Worker children. Next week is supposed to be my week. My questions are...

1. Should I tell my Head that I'm pregnant to get out of having to go in next week? She would be the first person other than my OH that I've told and it's still so early. She knows about the IVF though so she will know how precious this pregnancy is.

1. When schools go back, what do I do? The govt and union guidance on early pregnancy and CV seems quite vague. Working with such young children, I can't realistically maintain social distancing. It seems ridiculous not to work for potentially 9 months though...

Gah why is nothing ever simple? Still though... 😁🎉🤞🙏

Huge congratulations! I was in a similar position but just before lockdown. I told the headteacher and have been working from home since (same with other preggos at my school). While it’s a rota system and very few children in it doesn’t seem to add much more in school work for colleague( though I am of course very grateful to them). I wonder if guidance might be formed up at such a point as more children go back to school. The guidelines say (I think!) that you shouldn’t work if can’t socially distance and pregnant people should wfh if able. If more kids go back it’ll presumably be on the premise that they can (at least theoretically) social distance. If there’s not much home learning to be setting then I guess we’d maybe go back at that point? I’ve got in my head that in the last trimester we might need to be off though but who knows! Many congratulations again! X

@wishing3 thank you! It still doesn't seem real and it's so early that I'm trying not to get carried away. I emailed my Head and she's super excited and understanding so I'm off the rota now. I guess we'll just have to play it by ear when schools start going back. Hopefully the NHS/govt/unions will release some more guidance then to help clear things up. Congratulations to you too!

Yay! Glad you got it sorted! Here’s to successful pregnancies for both of us! 🍻

Hi there, I am in a very similar position to you. We hadn't been through IVF but were halfway through fertility investigations when we went into lockdown. After 3 and a half years TTC we have fallen pregnant. I told my head straight away and made it clear that I wouldn't usually be telling him but given the circumstances we are in I felt I needed to. He was so understanding and like your head took me off rota straight away. Congratulations! Hoping everything goes well for you.

I don't think you should have to go in, however, it's really urgent to let your head teacher know. It's a shame you've left it till the last working day before you're due in.

Nevertheless, many congratulations on your wonderful news!

@FriedasCarLoad it is not ideal I know, but I literally did the test this morning! (Well, yesterday but it was a squinter and I wanted to be sure.)

Thanks for your advice everyone!

I also work in a school and ended up telling my work two days after I had found it (13dpo). It wasn’t ideal to tell people so early but felt it was best to keep me safe. I’m very nervous about what is going to happen for the next few months at work. I’m now 10+3 and haven’t been included in the rota. Congratulations to you.

I'm also in a similar situation (secondary teacher, mid fertility investigations and unexpectedly fallen pregnant during lockdown) but I'm not on a hub rota as im Head of Dept and our school is wanting middle management to focus on teaching and exam estimates etc. I don't know when I should tell mine...if the schools do go back before the summer will there be more guidance for us do you reckon? I don't want to be off longer than I have to be but equally don't want to put myself (and baby) in a vulnerable position.

I'm imagining that schools will have to put some clear social distancing / PPE measures in place before restarting (though how teaching with a mask on would work, I'm not sure...). It's going to involve some difficult decisions though I'm sure. Hopefully the unions will have our backs.

I hoped that the unions will support us. Hopefully we will know more on Sunday.

Glad that your head was understanding. I’m 10 weeks now, not currently on the rota for key workers because there are plenty of other volunteers. My school hasn’t completely decided what they will do with reopening, but apparently the greatest risk is during third trimester, so my maternity cover has been hired from September even though I’m not due till December, so that way we have flexibility and we can discuss it closer to the time. Obviously to organise this I did have to speak to them very early - when I was 5 weeks. I’d always recommend speaking to your HR department (or head in small school) to see what they confidentially recommend.

I’m assuming that if schools go back this term then I will be teaching, and maintaining social distancing as well as is possible under the circumstances.

@crazychemist That’s good that your school have hired someone for September. I will be in the third trimester by then too as I’m due in November.

The national society of midwives (think that’s what they’re called) had issued a new document about a week or so ago about the risk factors of covid and pregnancy. If you are in the 1st or 2nd trimester and have no underlying health conditions you are at the same risk level as everyone else so should social distance like everyone else but no need to shield. From 28 weeks that changes and you should shield more.
I’m a teacher - primary school although upper ks2 - and will be going back into work if we go back in June which looks very likely, I had previously been off since the initial announcement about pregnant in March. I’m currently 17 weeks and have been off work since I was 9 weeks but as things have changed I’ll go back in accordance with the guidelines, I’ll wear gloves though and the older children will be easier to keep away from so I understand your worries but honestly unless you have a health condition you’re at no greater risk that you were a few days ago x

@Prettylittlelady thank you ☺️ it's less me I'm worried about than the pregnancy. I know there's no evidence about it impacting early pregnancy but it seems like a fever would be a bad idea, especially in the first few weeks. Based on no scientific evidence apart from my own hunch!