Second trimester and full timetable

[MissL85]

I'm just wanting a bit of advice here. I'm nearly 15 weeks pregnant and a teacher in a secondary school. After two days with the pupils back, I'm absolutely knackered. I'm just about managing to keep up with the pace at the moment with workload (that is quite basic right now). When it gets to about 1pm, I'm flagging in energy. Obviously I'm only two days in and I'm concerned about how I'm going to manage all the work that I s expected of me as the term progresses and my pregnancy furthers on. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Have you had a workplace risk assessment done? It's ok to ask for adjusted hours if pregnancy related fatigue is impacting your ability to work.
You might be lucky and get a boost in energy levels as you get further into your 2nd trimester but 3rd trimester will be a challenge for sure!

No advice really, just fingers crossed your energy comes back soon as you're just out of first trimester. People do all sorts of jobs full time whilst pregnant and it's just an adjustment. As a full time nurse doing up to 14.5 hour days I would just make sure I tried to relax when possible. It's good practice for when you have a child and a job haha!!

You need to get a risk assessment. I am 19 weeks and I feel the same. Teaching days are easily 10 - 14 hours every day and Sundays included, so it's important to take it easy.

You need to remember that even when you weren’t pregnant the first week back so always knackering!

Are you expected to do duties as well? That might be something they could take from you? Adapt your teaching so you don’t have to walk around lots? Fingers crossed it gets better for you!

As above, your risk assessment is the place to raise anything specific to your pregnancy but for general stuff you just kind of have to get on with it and plan your lessons/workload as best you can around energy levels etc. It'd be worth speaking to your HoD just to let them know but realistically there isn't much they can do if you're fit enough to be at work and there isn't anything specific in your risk assessment.

That said hopefully you will get the second trimester boost just in time for this difficult term and you'll feel fairly normal compared with how the first trimester knocks you about, I found it worse than the third in terms of work tbh. By the third trimester I just did as much as I could!

I had a risk assessment done last week and explained my tiredness. I have been advised to take the lift as much as possible and given a duty spot where I can sit down (that is also away from large groups of pupils). I have said that I feel light-headed and dizzy, especially when I need food and have been told I can discreetly eat in lessons, if I need to. My classes are difficult and challenging. Tomorrow is my duty day and a full day teaching. I know I'm going to be shattered before lunch time. I want to teach from sitting down but because my classes are new and wanting to push the boundaries, I feel like I can't. Fingers crossed I will get my energy back soon.

I’d ask them to shift your duty day to one where you don’t teach 5 periods

Yeah I agree with that, it will fit in with the usual horse-trading of duties that goes on at start of term won't it? One with a break or Papa one side and somewhere outside with a bench was my preference (didn't want to be in the winter dining room crush etc).

I’m 23 weeks and a primary teacher so I feel your pain! I get a lot of headaches and seem to be really breathless when I’m delivering lessons or staff meetings which is making life harder - although the heat isn’t helping either.

I’ve no advice really but often energy levels pick up a bit later on - Id say I’m tired but not exhausted now.

I’m ex SLT in school and I’d say it’s fairly usual to not have duties as a pregnant teacher. Playgrounds can be rough and it’s easy to get knocked into by accident, as well as the fatigue and swollen feet etc you mentioned. You also mentioned the lift and I’m wondering if you’re moving rooms. It’s also been usual in my experience for pregnant colleagues to be given one room as far as possible to minimise carrying 60 exercise books and resources around.
I’d revisit the risk assessment in light of what your real experience has been and make it known that at this rate you’ll end up taking time off sick. Much easier for them to manage adjustments than sick.
Good luck, it’s hard work.

@AutumnVibes

I’m ex SLT in school and I’d say it’s fairly usual to not have duties as a pregnant teacher. Playgrounds can be rough and it’s easy to get knocked into by accident, as well as the fatigue and swollen feet etc you mentioned. You also mentioned the lift and I’m wondering if you’re moving rooms. It’s also been usual in my experience for pregnant colleagues to be given one room as far as possible to minimise carrying 60 exercise books and resources around. I’d revisit the risk assessment in light of what your real experience has been and make it known that at this rate you’ll end up taking time off sick. Much easier for them to manage adjustments than sick. Good luck, it’s hard work.

Thanks @AutumnVibes for the advice from the SLT side. I only have one room but yet to see if I have to search for a workspace when it is used by someone else. My room is on the top floor and the staff room, with the only available fridge containing my lunch box, is on the floor below. This is the only reason I'm using the lift.

@Exmoorkatie86

I’d ask them to shift your duty day to one where you don’t teach 5 periods

@Exmoorkatie86 I was thinking of already asking them about this. I think both my Wednesdays are full days.

Following. I'm 11 weeks and utterly wrecked by the end of a full day teaching!

My duty hasn't been moved away from a big crowds of pupils like I first thought. Any suggestions what I can do?

The first week is always knackering- I’m shattered too!! Is there somewhere you can sit with your feet up for a bit at lunch? I have no duties on my risk assessment as I’m past 28 weeks and at greater risk of covid now. I’ve also been let off teaching PE (I’m primary) so it’s ok to keep your risk assessment under review & add other adjustments to make life easier as you go along.

If I were you, I would just insist. I am having problems with my workplace as well, really. Nobody else cares about you except you, so you need to push for what you need.

I totally agree. I think you need to be clearer about what you expect from them. It’s about advocating for your baby’s health and framing it like that can give you the confidence to be assertive and also give them the perspective that putting a pregnant woman under undue physical or mental pressure can have consequences for the unborn baby and that isn’t okay.

I'm going to email about it tomorrow. I am finding behaviour is getting to me at the moment.