Help and advice please! When to start ML?

[claresp]

Hi everyone. I'm really struggling to decide when to start ML and need to let my employer know after half term. I'm due in March and was originally planning to go for Feb half term (36 weeks) but the other option is Christmas (28 weeks). I'm a secondary school teacher and mid term isn't really an option. I've scoured discussion boards and can see that most people go as late as possible to gain more time with the baby after, but I'm nervous about how my pregnancy is going to go. I'm 41, exhausted and dealing with back pain already (where's the second trimester burst of energy?!). The job can be pretty stressful and draining. I'm also a bit anxious about COVID, and very anxious about my horrible commute (40 minute drive each way in winter dark and bad weather). Help! Please can anyone advise?

If I was teaching in a secondary school and with the high rates of covid at the moment I'd probably come out at 28 weeks. Im 36 weeks pregnant and from 31 weeks I've reduced seeing people a lot, this was triggered by me having anemia and really struggling with breathlessness, it made me incredibly anxious about catching covid in the last weeks.

I’ve just spoken to the local rep again via email and she has again confirmed there is no official guidance to work from home. I think it’s bonkers that the unions in different areas can be supporting their members in different ways.

Tbh I think your employers needs to chill out a bit with giving you these arbitrary deadlines. I’m sure their priority is to ensure they can get suitable maternity cover in place but you don’t have to make a decision if you’re not ready to - you don’t even have to tell them that you’re Pregnant until 25 weeks. And you’re allowed to change your mind as long as you give 4 weeks notice. Mid term might not be ideal for them but if it’s what you want then they can’t say no. It’s about the well-being of you and your baby not about the ease of getting cover.

It might be worth considering changing unions. NEU have a maternity Facebook group for members, anyone who has met any resistance about WFH after 28 weeks has been told to request an occupational health appointment to review your individual risk assessment and most who have done this have had the recommendation to WFH from occy health.
It’s not only union guidance, as far as I’m aware it is also guidance from RCOG.
It is definitely unfair that different LAs are handling this differently.

I agree - it's really unfair that this is not being treated in a consistent way across LAs. I am NEU too so have just emailed my local rep for advice. It's hard because as teachers we never want to put others out but you are all right - baby has to come first!

@claresp if you’re on the NEU Facebook group, search for the maternity group and join. I think you have to be a member of the general NEU group to be accepted.
There’s lots of good advice on there from other pregnant teachers.

I'll do that, thank you