Pregnant teachers - 28 weeks+

[Willowfalls]

Hi ladies,

Sorry if I have missed a thread here.

With the return of schools over the next few weeks, I just wondered if there was any updated guidance/advice for pregnant teachers past 28 weeks?

Thank you :)

@KHR1 my local authority announced the 28 week WFH policy in January. So 3 months ahead of the 28 week for me.

19 weeks for me, they were uncertain before that. I get the feeling there will be no new announcements now until after 12th June, so if you are 28 weeks before that they should be making it clear now.

I still haven't been told and am now 25 weeks, hoping the lack of reference to any change to social distancing guidelines in today's briefing will mean my headteacher realises that it won't be practical for me to continue in the classroom after 28 weeks

Thanks for the replies! I'll be 28 weeks after May half term but hoping to find out what the plan is soon.
@EdithGrantham it's bad they've left it so late to clarify things with you. I thought schools would want to be well prepared with staffing

@KHR1 I would have thought so too, the head has a backup plan but I think is so convinced that the advice will change hasn't put anything solid in place. I was suffering mild anxiety pre-Christmas and sought help for it, so glad that I did because the techniques I learnt have been very helpful with not worrying about the heads seeming lack of urgency!

@EdithGrantham hope you hear something soon. I suffer from anxiety too and wondering if it's time to speak to someone about it (my midwife passed a number on at my booking appointment but uve not done anything with it yet), it's great that you've been given techniques that you've found useful.

@KHR1 you can self-refer to IAPT and will be a priority as you're pregnant. The lady I ended up speaking to was so lovely and helpful, lots of techniques and strategies to use which had to be practised in-between sessions but having weekly sessions helped me have motivation to practise.

@EdithGrantham Thank you, I think that's what I've been given the number for but I kept putting off ringing as I wasn't sure what to expect (anxiety about ringing up to help my anxiety...) It sounds like they offer good support from what you've said though so will give them a ring this week

You can also refer online if you don't want to ring, that's what I did.

I then had an initial telephone appointment (they rang me to arrange this prior to it taking place) with someone where I went through exactly what was causing my anxiety. She agreed I'd benefit from some CBT and asked if I'd be happy to have these sessions with her, I felt she'd got a bit preoccupied with one thing I mentioned that wasn't a major contributor to my anxiety and she could only offer appointments during my work hours so I was able to ask for someone else who worked later to both avoid her and taking time off work.

I then had to wait around a month for my first proper appointment, I'd been offered telephone or video chat and chose telephone, I think the lady I had the sessions with rang me to arrange the first one but I can't remember. You then get sent an online questionnaire to fill in a day or so before your first session which measures your levels of stress, anxiety and depression so they have a rough idea of what the main problem is. Again I have forgotten but may have done this questionnaire when I first referred myself. The appointments are around an hour and mine followed a structure of talking through what exactly was causing my anxiety, then I was given new strategies to work on each time throughout the week before my next session. She also sent me links to things like websites with guided relaxation clips.

I had 6 weekly sessions before dropping down to fortnightly ones, I think I had 2 of those with the last one being a sum up of what I'd learnt, how I was going to manage without them etc. She said at any time up to a year after my baby is born, if I felt I needed more I could just contact her directly to arrange another appointment rather than refer myself again.

Sorry for the long post but hope that eases your anxiety about what it may involve!

Thanks so much @EdithGrantham it's good to know what to expect, makes me feel much better about the idea of ringing

Hello, thank you for all of the posts; it’s good to know I am not alone in this time.

I am a teacher in a secondary school and 24 weeks pregnant with my first child. I also have a documented heart condition, but am not deemed CEV.

Despite letting my employer know I was pregnant at 10 weeks I have been really distressed by the lack of any support for my employer this far; quite the opposite in fact.

I have received no reasonable adjustments, the school refuses to acknowledge any increase risk catching Covid at work and their poor handling has left me feeling concerned about my health and the babies.

As a last resort I requested an occupational health referral but that was very biased by the schools prior input and the conclusion was that the school was not obliged to provided any amendments as they declare themselves “Covid-secure”. I’d tried repeatedly to get in touch with a midwife (all of my appointments have been over the phone so far) but cannot get through to speak to anyone. My union has not been able to alter the schools position.

Any advice as to where I can turn next would be most appreciated? I’ve gone from having a healthy, happy pregnancy to feeling the worst I’ve felt in my professional career. I never take time off and have always given my job 100% but feel at breaking point, with limited options. As I am rapidly approaching 28 weeks my concern is increasing.

What have other people’s experiences been and can anyone offer advice about next steps? Is my only option now to just carry on with teaching hundreds of students a day in I’ll ventilated, cramped rooms and keep my fingers crossed I can dodge Covid till the baby is born??

@kitty0801 I'm sorry your school are being so unsupportive and the union hadn't been able to do more to help you. Have the union seen a risk assessment and said that the measures in place are reasonable?
I told my work at the beginning of January I was pregnant and I still haven't seen a risk assessment despite asking quite a few times. No additional measures have been put in place for me before 28 weeks either, anything that has is stuff I've done myself e.g.wearing gloves when handing shared equipment, brought my own dettol spray as we stopped being given dettol wipes, I asked for a line around my desk to keep the children away

Hello KHR1. Thanks for your reply: sorry to hear you’ve had similar difficulties.

I was able to see a risk assessment the day before our return to face-to-face teaching in March. It simply states that the school is “Covid-secure” as students are bubbled by year group, which is practice is not the case! I’ve taken the same measures as you and just try to keep clean and distanced wherever possible, although as I’m sure you know this can be impossible when e.g on break duties or in communal areas of the building.

My understanding is that all CV or pregnant staff should be given a personalised risk assessment by the Principal upon request.... in my case it was just a one-way reading to me of the school’s generic risk assessment, with no room for adjustments to be made.

That is terrible, you should definitely have an individual risk assessment, I am making sure mine is being updated to reflect the fact I have a child in my class who sometime kicks off and has on previous occasions lashed out physically at staff. I'm only in an early years class so not as much of a physical threat as an older child but I won't be dealing with them if they behave like that or need removing from the classroom.
My midwife advised me to contact the HR department wrt being in school after 28 weeks, have you tried that route?

I was told by my head they didn't have to do an individual risk assessment if they had a general pregnancy one, I tried to look this up but there doesn't seem to be a clear answer. Either way there should definitely be part of a risk assessment somewhere who outlines extra measures in place for CEV, CV and pregnant staff both before and after 28 weeks surely?

I've just double checked mine and there actually isn't a reference to Covid on there. On the covid risk assessment it says that the individual RA will address any additional advice so will get that che led as well. Have also been told my school are requesting additional advice from PHE, not entirely sure why when there is advice on the gov.uk site but hoping to find out more early next week (when I'll be 27 weeks )

This is so rubbish :( could you speak to a GP? I’ve heard of GPs signing pregnant women off work - someone in a group I’m in had her GP sign her off for the 4 weeks between school’s opening and the Easter holidays even though she was only around 23/24 weeks I think. Her school are letting her work from home anyway for the rest. Even if the GP only signed you off for 4 weeks could you take maternity a little early to cover the rest? I know it’s really not ideal at all just a suggestion x

Looking at the dates I think it looks like you’d be 28 weeks around may half term so there’s only 6 weeks left after that - see if your gp can sign you off for some or all of that and if not can you take maternity 2 or 3 weeks early to cover the rest. I would say to the Gp that I causing you a lot of stress and anxiety (which clearly it is), rather than purely saying can you sign me off because I’m 28 weeks pregnant, as they should easily be able to sign you off then x

Thank you for all your responses. It’s comforting to know there are other mum-to-be teachers out there trying to navigate their way through this!

I have taken all the advice on board. Let’s see what this half term holds 🤞🏻

Just wondering if anyone has had any updates from their school?

My headteacher has spoken to me today and essentially found a way to keep me in school, outside all session (EYFS) and when I am inside I'll be with small groups in a separate room where I can socially distance. For whole class times it has been suggested I could live stream from the separate room (which is next door to my classroom and not completely closed off) or pre-record sessions and the children would be supported by my TA. I didn't really know what to say because she's had it OKed with HR so I don't think there's much to argue against but realistically I don't know how effective the whole class sessions will be

Hi all. I wanted to let you know I’ve just been on a zoom call run by pregnancy then screwed about covid. There was a consultant there from the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and she strongly indicated that the guidance about working from home won’t be changing any time soon. There has been quite a lot of scared mongering about the advice changing (particularly as many schools seem to have asked teachers to stay in school recently) however the official guidance is not changing any time soon so those schools have chosen not to follow the official guidance. If your school is following the official guidance then you should still be expecting to work from home or have your role changed to limit your risk (like doing admin work in an office). She did say it might change a lot further down the line when we can say a pandemic is over but didn’t say when this meant - I thought it might possibly mean around June 21 when all restrictions are lifting but that was my personal interpretation of what she said! X

Thanks @Peaplant20, sounds like the zoom call was helpful! I've heard the person who does the pregnant then screwed website is great.

@EdithGrantham it sounds tricky if HR have agreed it but it's rubbish that the guidance is open to so much individual interpretation. I imagine the live sessions will be tricky but hope they go well for you.

Has the zoom call been recorded @Peaplant20, would be interested to see that. I've emailed my union to see if they have any further advice

@EdithGrantham yes if you go on Stella Creasey’s Facebook page it’s on there as she streamed it live x

Does anyone have any advice for how to ask an employer what will be put in place after 28 weeks? It won't be my usual head teacher that I ask, it'll be the head of the Trust which seems a bit daunting!