Pregnancy and in the middle of Police application

[Surfermummytobe]

Hi all,

In a bit of a tricky situation here. So I work in a job which is 9-5 and working from home ( been here as a graduate for a year ). The pay is good but the work environment can be toxic and I constantly watch the clock until the day ends. Its definitely impacted my mental health being constantly bored and feeling no purpose in it. I do a lot of hobbies outside of work ( surfing , rugby , open water swimming ) and I decided to apply to become a police officer. I've had experience dealing with the public in different ways - lifeguarding , surf instructing and volunteering through surfing for people with different mental health issues! I love dealing with people and working in a team.

I (23 F) recently found out that my partner and I are going to have a baby! I'm over the moon. However the job situation is a bit more difficult now, I can't see myself joining up with a newborn and my current soul destroying job is more suited to spending more time with our baby. I'm worried about this job affecting me really badly though and feeling trapped in it.

I passed the fitness and the entrance test before finding out I was pregnant. There is a long hold on applications due to Covid so it would be a while for the last stage of the interview to come into place.

Does anyone have any advice? Also to add, my partner works offshore and this schedule does mean that it would be more difficult to become a police officer and being a young mum. Childcare for when he's home wouldn't be so much of an issue , however when he's away it would be a bit more difficult.

Any advice would be great. Feeling really alone because family and a lot of people tell me to stick it out .. but I cannot see myself doing this forever. I used to be so good with talking with people but being in this job has really affected my confidence even speaking to people in bloody shops .. I feel like a robot !

Hi OP, I totally get what you are saying about not enjoying your job.

That said, you’ve got a wee one to think of now and I don’t think joining the police at this stage is the correct thing to do. Plus I doubt they would even hire you now being pregnant.

I’m not saying never do it but you need stability right now and I’ve friends who joined the police and it’s heavy going for the first two years, exams they need to study for every month, they also will come off night shift and have to go straight to court if they are called up. Sometimes getting no sleep all day before going back on night shift.
I’m not sure how you could do that with a wee baby or toddler especially if your partner works offshore.

Hope you make the right decision but ultimately right now it’s not just about you, it’s about you and baby.

@Surfermummytobe congratulations on your impending arrival!

I am a serving police officer and have been for 12 years. I have a 3yr old and am due another in 2 weeks. It is tricky juggling it all but I would say the Police (this may vary force to force) are actually incredibly supportive of parents. The force I am in has an entire department set up to support mums, ranging from support during pregnancy, to job shares, adapting shift patterns etc. The plus side of 24/7 shifts means there is always time to make up hours, unlike if your office was only open Mon-Fri 9-5.

I recently went for an internal role, was interviewed and disclosed I was pregnant and I still got the job, despite me not being able to start for another year. I have not witnessed any discrimination against people with children, and the suppost for flexible work patterns is great.

In terms of your position now, it's hard to say as I had obviously been in the job for a while before I had my first child, but I would recommend the role to anyone who is passionate about helping people, fighting injustice, and giving hope and a voice to the vulnerable.

I also feel a great sense of pride at being a role mdoel for my daughter too.

Good luck with whatever you decide x

I think you should leave things as they are and see how you feel about things when a police role does come up. If you are already on maternity leave, then it’ll give you longer to think about what suits you and your family best of all.

Hey everyone!

Thanks for the responses:) I totally agree with you all though. I know it would be selfish of me to join up with a newborn ( haven't done the job already ) and obviously if I'd been in for a few years I'd probably adjusted to the shift work a bit and passed probation exams etc.

I'll definitely put my application on hold and see how I feel in the next couple of years. I could join up a little later in life but maybe it's just not my time right now!

So excited to meet the wee one though. I'm not on maternity leave yet but I'm really looking forward to it. Definitely want to join up one day but I'll have to stick this job for now or maybe find a slightly different role which might be more enjoyable after maternity leave.

Thanks again everyone! Xx

Mummrs85, that is so lovely to hear. Your daughter must be so proud of you and I can imagine you being a brilliant role model for her.

It's good to know too that your department are really supportive of mums and mums to be! I think I'll try and find out a bit more about the departments near me, I've a few friends who had babies when they just finished their probation period.

I'm definitely passionate about helping people and have a lot of empathy for a lot of the lost souls out there. I've found surf instructing really great for people to get a bit of purpose back into their life! I really would love a job where I'm contributing a bit more to society and making a bit of a difference. We will see what time will bring but it's definitely something I can see myself doing in the future!! Xx

I'm also a police officer with young toddlers and whilst I will say my managers were really accommodating with flexible working etc when I went back after maternity leave, I had been in the job a while when I got pregnant so was used to the job, obviously out of probation etc and didn't have all the worries and stresses of remembering all the new things you'd need to learn being a new starter.

It's perfectly do able being a parent and working in the police, even front line policing. Just not as a new probationer I wouldn't have said. If they will let you defer your application even for a year or 2 depending on when you're due then it could work though.