Third trimester current Covid guidance

[coopekid]

Anyone know what the current Covid guidance around 3rd trimester and whether it is changing on 1st April with other shielders? I am a teacher trying to figure this out with my school at the moment and no one seems to know, we currently have third trimester pregnant staff working from home at the moment but I have been told this is likely to change. I am currently 22 weeks so will be 28 weeks shortly after the Easter hols. I’ve been in touch with my Midwife team and they said they are unable to offer specific workplace guidance or advice...

I am NHS. We are continuing to advise pregnant women to work from home from 28 weeks.

You need a risk assessment with your work, and if they don't advise this then they need to demonstrate it's safe for you to continue. You should push for this and make them justify their reasoning

@MumBick7 I have been back working in the classroom since half term and it is scary when you look at the guidance! I am a Special Needs Teacher where social distancing is not possible - my class have very limited understanding of personal space or personal hygiene and due communication needs of students it is also difficult for staff to wear face coverings in the classroom. Really hoping my school will let me wfh at 28 weeks...we will see!

@MumBick7 I bet! If you’re wfh then you’re very safe! I just wouldn’t organise big group meet ups when restrictions lift etc :) @THATbasicSNOWFLAKE are you a teacher too?

@coopekid fingers crossed for you.

Like I said above I'm fortunate that I can work from home although this means a slight change of role for me next week.

It's more everything else I'm worried about after being told this information today. For example my partner works away, currently in Venice I'm worried the risk of him bring something home. My son is in high-school returning from 12th April... my partner has twin girls (5) they cone to us every other week.... I just feel in panic mode that I want to protect my baby. Equally I known my mental health will suffer as I was really ready for some normality Ie going pram shopping...

I can’t find the link to the whole study - but I found this reassuring when reading about the risk in final trimester

www.google.ie/amp/s/www.imperial.ac.uk/news/215533/covid-19-infection-pregnancy-linked-with-still/amp/

Ie. The risk isn’t spontaneous premature labor, but that medics would chose to induce pregnancy, to enable them to treat the mother differently if very unwell.

I still won’t be going to any big group concerts etc. but, I’m 32 weeks and bringing my little one to playgrounds, and working in the NHS (but seeing a reduced caseload face to face, in a safer environment - Ie. Off wards).

I would be surprised if the lifting of shielding guidance, lifted the recommendations to wfh from 28 weeks. As people have said, the access to vaccination is different. Hope those who want workplace support can access it x

I think and hope it’s unlikely to change given we cannot be vaccinated.

I’m 30+3 and my work have been great, working entirely from home.

I’m also staying home as much as possible and have been for a while now, my husband works for the NHS and has had both vaccines so he does all our shopping, post office if needed etc.

I’m due the 30th May just as the roadmap changes on the 21st to allow meeting indoors - I’ve told family I won’t be meeting anyone in doors until he has arrived. I just leave the house for a walk and medical appointments. Might be paranoid and anxious but wouldn’t want to risk getting it and treatment not being great for me.

Think if it’s enough to suggest we work from home we have some responsibility, if able, (I realise I’m privileged in having people to shop for me and this being my first child) to protect ourselves and stay home as much as possible too. Xx

@MissingCoffeeandWine thank you for linking this. I’ve looked at various papers and it’s all said the same. Pregnant women aren’t more at risk of death or preterm labour (the increased preterm labour is more likely due to doctors intervention). While I’m not going out to parties, I will still be sensible but I’m not worried about the risk past 28weeks.

The data that’s on the nhs website was precautionary as scientist didn’t know enough with a brand new virus there was no data.

I will be interested to see if they update the nhs website or keep it the same and air on the side of caution.

Hello!

I'm a teacher and am currently 24 weeks, will be 28 weeks two weeks after Easter. I will be shielding as soon as I hit 28 weeks - and am spending the last two weeks doing a handover with my replacement in preparation. My school have been very adamant that I shouldn't be in school once I enter my third trimester - this is despite me already catching Covid in February from my bubble!! I think it's still maintained as guidance because we cannot be vaccinated and therefore remain high risk once entering the third trimester. Take care

Watching with interest!! I’m only 12 weeks so a long way to go. Thanks for the links. This gov doc may help me in a meeting I have tomorrow about ppl not opening the bloody window!!!! Aaaaargh
Thanks v m for posting!

I’m 28 weeks this week work 3 days a week as a dental receptionist.
After reading the gov advice a few weeks ago I discussed my concerns with my manager and we did my risk assessment to say I didn’t have to be patient facing and can work from the back office so I can safely socially distance. I feel so guilty not being able to do my full role but know that mine and my baby’s safety is more important. I also spoke to my doctor who provided me with a sick note to say I couldn’t be patient facing.

Definitely speak to your managers etc. If you are worried As mine has luckily helped me feel safe.

I would imagine the guidance shouldn’t change as like others have said we can’t have the vaccine.

At the moment I will be working from home from mid-May (28 weeks) but this won't be confirmed until nearer the time incase anything changes. I don't think it will though! I work in a primary school with some of the youngest children so social distancing isn't possible.

@Peaplant20 i work in eyfs

Anyone know if any advice or guidance has changed today? I can’t seem to see anything on the RCM website... I tried to broach this with my school this week and was told they can’t let me know until after the holidays so today was my last day of term and I still know nothing (and I also had to go into school for a staff inset today which was all on Teams anyway)- feeling v frustrated atm.

I work in retail/wholesale @coopekid & I know that an email came down yesterday saying they were still keeping 28w+ colleagues on medical suspension. I guess they’d done another risk assessment and came to same conclusion as before

The guidance was updated on the website w few days ago and still says the exact same thing! I’m 28 weeks in Easter and school have said i won’t be back in now but they do like to keep reminding me it could change. However HR were quite sympathetic and said if it did change they would speak to the head for me as not having the option to vaccinate they didn’t really think I should be in x

I am a Beauty Therapist I'm currently 31 weeks we aren't due to go back to work till 12th April is it advised that I shouldn't go back as obviously I will be working very close to clients

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/ places of work seem to have asked pregnant women to stay in the workplace recently) however the official guidance is not changing any time soon so those workplaces/ schools have chosen not to follow the official guidance. If your workplace 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