Isolating from 28 weeks

[MamaMurray90]

Hi, does anyone know what the current guidelines are for pregnant women once they become 28 weeks pregnant?
The last I heard you had to either work from home or are suspended on full pay but I can't see any recent articles since the easing of lockdown.

Any guidance would be much appreciated!

TIA

I stopped last Tuesday at 28 weeks. As far as I know they haven't changed the guidance yet. I think they will in the near future tho

As long as you socially distance, you can work til the end of pregnancy. I’m 34 weeks and my job role has changed slightly so I’m not longer patient facing but can still go to work as normal. You should work from home if possible though. You would only be suspended on full pay if it were impossible for you to work from home or socially distance at work

I can't social distance, in my job I'm 31 weeks tomorrow, and still working! I'm in retail, no idea if I should be on suspended pay, but work have done a risk assessment admittedly not a covid one!

The guidance has not changed so far

Your workplace HAS to do a covid risk assessment

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees

This is the latest guidance updated a couple of weeks ago

I work in the NHS so have had to work from home from 28 weeks (currently 36 weeks). As far as I'm aware the RCOG guidance hasn't changed since January.

The guidance hasn’t changed. I’m a teacher and about to start working from home xx

RCOG guidelines will be changing soon to allow women of 28+ gestation back to work, my local trust has sent everyone back ahead of this with a risk assessment in place x

Hi @jupeBex just wondered if you know when they are likely to be changing? I haven’t seen anything and I’m not that far along yet but would be interested to know xx

I can't imagine my union putting up with a Trust changing policy about pregnancy in advance of a hypothetical impending change in guidance.

It should all depend on your risk assessment. If you are higher risk you should be WFH sooner than 28 weeks or suspended if that's not possible.

@jupeBex do you have any more info on this? I’m surprised you’d be told to go back ahead of the guidance actually changing

@Cafeaulait27

Hi *@jupeBex* just wondered if you know when they are likely to be changing? I haven’t seen anything and I’m not that far along yet but would be interested to know xx

My trust have just downgraded their a&e risk level so staff can work in 'Green' a&e which is what it was last August/September time when I was working and I still got many positive cases from swabs I took when sending people to the wards. Because they've downgraded us, it is technically 'safe' with a risk assessment ( although this does nothing) in place. We've not been advised when the guidance is changing they just stated that ahead of the guidance changing, they're bringing people back to work. I won't be going back as I'm on annual leave before starting Mat leave although there are plenty of worried women of 30+ weeks who returned last week x

I’m absolutely not planning to isolate whether the guidance stays the same or not. In many cases/jobs I’m not sure why it would be at all necessary.

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 for everyone's input, I work for the police and cannot socially distance in my job. I'm also high risk as I went into preterm labour at 33 weeks and had a cat 1 c section under general last time. So I am genuinely very concerned about being at risk in my final trimester. Thankfully from the conversations I've had so far work are being very accommodating and it looks like I'll be working from home from 28 weeks should guidelines change or not. I suggest to anyone that doesn't have the same kind of support and is also concerned to get something from their doctor in writing to further back their case! Xx