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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Tips for being a teacher and coping with pregnancy

35 replies

BellaBear · 30/10/2007 15:27

Hello any teachers out there! I am a secondary teacher and 26 weeks pregnant.

I was so so so tired just before half term, although I usually am, and have ended up going home early today because I overdid it yesterday and then couldn't sleep and then was no use to anyone.

I am finding it very difficult coping with 11 hours + days at school - I think if I could have a nap at midday I would be able to cope!. But I also very aware that not being in school means other people covering lessons, and I really want to avoid taking time off. I am terrified of the eight week run up to Christmas. It's mostly the tiredness and the being on my feet all the time and the relentless being-asked-questions all day - I reckon I'd be able to do the hours if I was sat down for the same amount of time!

So any tips for staying in school? And generally coping?

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susiemj · 30/10/2007 15:40

Sorry BellaBear,

I've got no real tips as I got ill early on and have been off since. What about taking the earliest maternity leave?

Or can you get away with some kind of long-running early Christmas project? I'm an English teacher and I was going to do script-writing / storyboarding and performance etc. Takes up time, the kids love it and it even fulfills the National Curriculum!

At the beginning I found it helpful to stay in my room - or cupboard! - at break and lunchtimes - fewer questions / gossip / looking at pigeonhole etc.

Have you had a formal risk assessment at school? It's a legal obligation to make your life safe and I think some of the things they have to do do make life easier too.
They have to do things like give you a properly supportive chair and allow you extra breaks if you need them. They also put my duties at 'easier' times - so I wasn't teaching two lessons, doing a duty at break and then teaching another two without a sit down. They also put me on duty in my own corridor, so really i just stayed near the door of my room. You are allowed to eat or drink in class whenever necessary too. At least this all applies in Wales where I work.

All the best. It's a hard road!

Original poster

BellaBear · 30/10/2007 15:44

Thanks susiemj,

Project work out - am maths teacher so SoW to follow!

But I didn't realise all aspects of risk assessment, will have to ask as I think even a comfy hair in the classroom would make a difference. I'll work out who to ask tomorrow (probably be six weeks till anyone gets round to it!).

Problem with breaks is that I am three floors from the loo so I need to go to the staffroom at every opportunity.

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Original poster

BellaBear · 30/10/2007 15:45

Also really want to avoid early maternity leave (will have two weeks at Christmas then one week at school then three weeks till EDD so seems reasonable) because that means coming back earlier!

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ScaryScienceT · 30/10/2007 15:47

I would say don't take on any extra work, and just focus on doing good lessons.

Sit down as much as you can.

Don't be afraid to take off the right amount of time for appointments.

susiemj · 30/10/2007 15:51

I've just looked out my full risk assessment as you thought it was useful. It covers:

Backache - help with carrying loads

a suitable supportive chair
allowing teacher to sit during lessons (I put my chair in the middle at the front)

Toliets - A break allowed at any time.

Not teaching too far froma toilet (sounds like your school falls foul of this. A teacher I know at another school was signed off in part because they couldn't guarantee her safety going up and down stairs all the time)

Fainting/Nausea - cover to be arranged if necessary - even for one lesson.
Headaches - cover arranged when necessary even for rest period or walk.
Digestion problems - Allow snacking in lessons if necessary.
Doorways and corridors - allowed to arrive early or late to lessons to avoid jostling.
Doctor/clinic vists - not to be counted as sick leave.

They have to cover saftey and well being in all these 7 areas. HTH

Original poster

BellaBear · 30/10/2007 15:59

ScaryScienceT: thanks a lot for replying! I have oodles of responsibility and my HoD is waaay overworked, but I take your point - I am learning to say no to those 'it will only take 15 mins' requests. Sitting down a lot is also great advice, that I tend to forget at busy times. And I am taking the right time for appointments, worth mentioning for anyone else, cheers!

Susiemj: That's really useful. Did you see HT about this or H&S union rep first?

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scorpio1 · 30/10/2007 16:00

Hi bella, hope you are well!

susiemj · 30/10/2007 16:04

The deputy head in charge of health and safety came to see me about it. He's very good! sounds like yours needs a nudge. Actually, ours had only recently found out he had to do it, so yours might be in the same state of blissful ignorance.

There should be a template he / she can get knocking around at your LEA somewhere.

Original poster

BellaBear · 30/10/2007 16:10

Thnaks susiemj, will ask tomorrow.

Scorpio - been better! Just very very tired. Hope your pregnancy is going well.

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Original poster

BellaBear · 30/10/2007 17:02

bump for other teachers

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MooOOOoooooooooooomin · 30/10/2007 17:13

HI there BellaBear.
When I was pg with dd1 I had horrible morning sickness, SPD, I was acting Head of Dept and we had an Ofsted (old styley) coming up! How I managed to get through it is anybody's guess but the SPD got so bad that I eventually had to take my mat leave from 32 weeks and have total rest.

However, when I got pg with dd2, it was somewhat easier as I knew what to expect to a certain extent. I was fully expecting to get SPD again so I arranged for all my lessons to be taught on one floor (I was p/t by then and would usually have been in several different classrooms), and I also asked for a high stool for my room so I wouldn't have to stand too much. We borrowed one from the science labs and it really made a difference.

I carried no boxes or heavy bags - got the kids to do this for me and they soon got used to helping me out. School were actually very accommodating as they tend to want to comply with all the health and safety stuff and union recommendations. You can ask your union rep to arrange a risk assessment and this will cover seating, computer-use and movement about the building, etc.

The tiredness is a killer, there's no getting away from it, but the sitting does help. Don't do any clubs or pupil-meetings at lunch or after school if you can help it and just take it easy at break and lunchtimes - feet up and no running round. You shouldn't be doing any photocopying or display work anyway, but if you do tend to do some of your own, cut that out and get the admin people to do it. Is your HoD supportive?

Original poster

BellaBear · 30/10/2007 17:20

Thanks Moomin, good advice. I think the main reason I had such trouble sleeping was because I spent three hours doing coursework with year 11s after school yesterday (due in today) and it just wound me up! So good advice there.

HoD is very supportive, but also v v busy (who isn't?) and I don't want to unload onto anyone if I can avoid it. Perennial problem with teaching isn't it, the guilt of not being there and someone else doing your job?

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noooomoooorescarynames · 30/10/2007 17:25

Hi Bella, sorry to see you're not feeling too good. Hope your school can get you that risk assessment done so it'll be a bit easier for you
All the best, nomore xx

piggyp · 30/10/2007 17:27

BellaBear -a really useful thread! I'm 22 weeks pg and was fine till half term but now the tiredness has really hit me. Are you able to do 'sitting down lessons'? I normally wander round alot but have been trying to make the children come up to the desk to see me instead. Also getting the children to carry books, hand things out, collect things in. Also doing rather boring lessons!! Its the after school work that's a real problem for me - by the time i get home I just want a bath and bed, not to plan lessons and do marking!
You've only really got this half term to go though - I don't think you'll care much about how good your teaching is in Jan! Perhaps you could plan now that they'll be doing something that isn't 'teacher led' for then?

Original poster

BellaBear · 30/10/2007 17:28

oooh didn't recognise you nomore! I'm fine really, it's just not a job suited to pregnancy I think. I wonder what jobs are?!

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MooOOOoooooooooooomin · 30/10/2007 18:03

It might not be suited to pregnancy but there's nothing like it for when you have kids! It's the best-paid term-time only job I know...

Another piece if advice that I'd give you is to try to leave the guilt behind (save it for when you become a parent - you'll need plenty!). I ended up having lots of time off with both pregnancies, and in the end I just had to accept it and also 'let go' of my job and let the cover staff and my HoD deal with it. It's really not the end of the world; no-one died and after the initial moaning that might go on when staff see the cover board, life really does go on without you at school. Even the kids cope fine and, yes, it's potentially disruptive to then to have a succession of different teachers instead of you, if your dept is supportive and your lessons are well-planned, everyone survives.

What's important is that you and your baby are well and healthy.

Original poster

BellaBear · 30/10/2007 18:06

Yes you are very right. I have got to let go the image of one of my colleagues saying that I'm not ill, I chose to be pregnant and that he might just have a few days off himself. Even as a "joke".

And I suppose I have done my share of cover in the past.

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mummylittle · 30/10/2007 18:33

Hey all pregnant teachers,
i was so pleased to see this thread, as reassurance im not the only one!! Im also 26 weeks and am thinking about going to bed in about 10mins as im so tired. I am on my feet all day too as im a secondary PE/Dance teacher. I run an activity club every lunch and have fixtures after school.

The thought of this term is horrible just wishing the time away!! I can totally agree with feeling guilty - my school are struggling to cover my maternity leave and i feel myself having to apologise!!

I love teaching but sometimes just wish i was in a job where once u get home u can just forget about work!!

Sorry about the long rant!! xx

Original poster

BellaBear · 30/10/2007 18:44

Oh god that's worse than maths!

When are you going on mat leave? I am due 5th Feb and doing the first week after Christmas. So 43 days left (40 teaching days)!

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debinaustria · 30/10/2007 19:03

Oh I sympathise with you, I was teaching Nursery aged children when I was pregnant and they are physically very demanding but not so stressful as secondary I don't think. My only advice would be to sit down as much as possible, definitely get your feet up at break and lunchtime.
I was at a similar stage in my pregnancy and i remember when pregnant with#2 just collapsing by Christmas, I even had to miss the Christmas party I was so shattered!!
Try to do the bare minimum that you need to do - I know it's easier said than done and there are always so many things to do - the list is endless but put yourself and your baby first.

Take care

mummylittle · 30/10/2007 20:05

Oh wow im due 6th Feb, maternity leave starts on the 18th of jan, going to try and get through 2 weeks althou not sure it will happen.

Thanks for the advice debinaustria!!

ScaryScienceT · 30/10/2007 20:10

Mummylittle, that sounds so hard. I know as a PE teacher, you have fixtures, but do you really need to run so many lunchtime clubs? Is there anyone else that can do these? Do you have prefects that you do the job with you loosely supervising?

ernest · 30/10/2007 20:42

I kept a gym mat in a cupboard in my room and had a half hour nap every lunch time.

I practically worked to rule, not in a belligerent way, just did bare minimum, which actually looking back was still too much. I don't think I had 1 day off, just a couple of hours occasionally for doc visits. Wish I had looked after myself more. I had chronic tirdeness that was unlike anything I've ever experienced before. I really felt a strong sence of loyality but ralise now that should've been to baby and me 1st. Please look after yourselves, it is so tiring.

sarahloumadam · 31/10/2007 09:03

Really sympathise - just made it to half-term before collapsing in a heap (36 weeks). You are so right about the job being guilt-inducing. My mat leave cover was sorted but they started then went on honeymoon for two weeks and my boss (lovely but snowed under and a bit useless) didn't arrange cover for them until the last possible moment so felt v.stressed trying to get it all sorted and support my mat cover/hand-over. Still ended up working from home in half-term doing reports etc cos there just wasn't enough time. Took me a couple of days to decompress and it is all starting to become a distant memory now!

Anyway, I second the poster who said not to worry too much about doing fab, exciting lessons. I made sure I got the info across in the most straightforward way possible. Students did lots of guided reading and research/presentations and actually were quite happy to get on with it.

Also your energy levels will go up and down so you may feel better/less tired this half term.

Lots of luck. Hope your colleagues are supportive, mine were and it made the world of difference.

Original poster

BellaBear · 31/10/2007 17:54

I've just got a comfy wheely chair in my room - it was amazing the difference it has made in just one lesson!

Thanks all for replies!

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