Pregnancy teacher 3rd trimester

[Edisnori]

Hello everyone ,

I'm 24+5 and am a primary school teacher. I met with my midwife today to collect my matb form and she asked me if I was working from home in my third trimester. I was non plussed as I have had my risk assessment meeting with my head and they asked me when I want to go onto maternity leave. I said three weeks before due date. My midwife said I should be working from in 3rd trimester. I've checked out government recommendations/advice and it's very open ended. Women are recommended to work from home if their workplace can't keep them safe. I am so confused! Help !

I’m not a teacher but I’m in my third trimester and my MW strongly advised wfh. I majorly wfh anyway (very much hybrid until numbers significantly drop) with only 1 day a week in the office.
I would ring your union and push for a covid focused risk assessment. With the way things are, you need to e sure you and your baby are as protected as possible. The government have been useless with pregnant women....your MW is experiencing the effect on pregnant women in real life and real time.
Speak with your union and make it clear what your MW has said, your thoughts on it and you needing their assistance. Then approach your head. It is not good enough that your head has not done a proper, covid covered, risk assessment.

@tierneytarny

I’m not a teacher but I’m in my third trimester and my MW strongly advised wfh. I majorly wfh anyway (very much hybrid until numbers significantly drop) with only 1 day a week in the office. I would ring your union and push for a covid focused risk assessment. With the way things are, you need to e sure you and your baby are as protected as possible. The government have been useless with pregnant women....your MW is experiencing the effect on pregnant women in real life and real time. Speak with your union and make it clear what your MW has said, your thoughts on it and you needing their assistance. Then approach your head. It is not good enough that your head has not done a proper, covid covered, risk assessment.

Thank you TierneyTarny! I needed that! I am calling them tomorrow.

Good luck lovely. It’s not easy being pregnant at the best of times, in the middle of an ever changing pandemic just adds to our stress. Xx

I’m a secondary school teacher, currently 20 weeks and will be WFH from 28 weeks as a risk assessment has said my workplace cannot guarantee to keep me safe from Covid. School are supporting this and realise the risks of catching Covid are too severe for third tri. I will be teaching some lessons via teams and doing other admin work I think. Not 100% clear yet but some virtual learning will happen. I think it’s more of a grey area if you’re double jabbed because I don’t know if you count as clinically extremely vulnerable or just clinically vulnerable. Either way you can still catch and pass it on so I would be pushing for Union support to WFH. The headteacher needs to know the risks involve are quite serious and the safety of his staff is much more than just staff abscence. Good luck 💖

@tierneytarny

Good luck lovely. It’s not easy being pregnant at the best of times, in the middle of an ever changing pandemic just adds to our stress. Xx

Thank you for the kind words! Has made me feel much more confident to broach the subject. I know my boss is going to be unhappy but he's not putting my safety first.

@CMcA21

I’m a secondary school teacher, currently 20 weeks and will be WFH from 28 weeks as a risk assessment has said my workplace cannot guarantee to keep me safe from Covid. School are supporting this and realise the risks of catching Covid are too severe for third tri. I will be teaching some lessons via teams and doing other admin work I think. Not 100% clear yet but some virtual learning will happen. I think it’s more of a grey area if you’re double jabbed because I don’t know if you count as clinically extremely vulnerable or just clinically vulnerable. Either way you can still catch and pass it on so I would be pushing for Union support to WFH. The headteacher needs to know the risks involve are quite serious and the safety of his staff is much more than just staff abscence. Good luck 💖

Thanks for luck and brilliant your school are being supportive! So ironic that by having both jabs I've potentially made it more risky for myself lol Well hopefully my union will offer me some clarity today. The idea of working from home isn't appealing right now and I love my class so much but if the risks are that severe I know I have to try to see if it's possible.

I'm a teacher and my workplace refused to let me work from home. I had to go the doctors certificate route and be signed off at 28 weeks in order to be safe.

I'm now 34 weeks and could have been teaching remotely this whole time

@sasbiscuit

I'm a teacher and my workplace refused to let me work from home. I had to go the doctors certificate route and be signed off at 28 weeks in order to be safe.

I'm now 34 weeks and could have been teaching remotely this whole time

On full pay sasbiscuit ?

I'm 26+3 and primary teacher. My earlier risk assessment/OH review deemed I was safe to work in the classroom. I have my 28week assessment next week and I'll be asking to wfh especially given new variant. That said, im not hopeful.

@Edisnori yes luckily I've worked there that long.

@toadstool32

I'm 26+3 and primary teacher. My earlier risk assessment/OH review deemed I was safe to work in the classroom. I have my 28week assessment next week and I'll be asking to wfh especially given new variant. That said, im not hopeful.

Hi toadstool32,

I keep forgetting to congratulate people ! Congratulations :D You're not hopeful so if they say no then what will you do? My midwife said that if they say no, I should get a doctors note and get signed off on full pay but even that seemed unlikely, especially if you're double vaccinated. On the govt website it looks like if your double vaccinated that you basically have to stay in. I'm sure my headmaster will just say for me to ask the children to stay one meter away from me.

[quote sasbiscuit]@Edisnori yes luckily I've worked there that long.[/quote]
I've worked at my school for seven years which you think would be enough! Congratulations also sasbiscuit!

My sons teacher went at 28 weeks and taught from home. A ta supervised in the classroom (but taught them one day a week anyway, she was great). I had no issues with it as a parent.

The school are not allowed to simply "say no", they need to evidence that they cam put measures in place to keep you safe at school. If they can't then they need to let you teach from home towards the end of your pregnancy.
When will you be due your booster vaccine?

They are also not ‘allowed’ to say no to you being signed off - they have to do what is in your contract. Mine is old burgundy book terms even though I’m an academy - so 6 months full pay. Just don’t get signed off for anything to do with pregnancy, as then Mat leave would kick in early.

My union basically said this to my school - she could work from home from 28 weeks or she could be signed off if the stress of being worried about covid gets too much, meaning she wouldn’t be working at all. Which would you prefer?

That being said, if you don’t feel worried about it then don’t pretend to a doctor, as I’m not advocating lying to receive sick pay. I have been signed off from a previous job with stress and anxiety and it is not a nice place to be.

@SouthwestSis

The school are not allowed to simply "say no", they need to evidence that they cam put measures in place to keep you safe at school. If they can't then they need to let you teach from home towards the end of your pregnancy. When will you be due your booster vaccine?

Thanks for advice SouthwestSis

Out of interest, what are the actual measures that need to be put in place? I wasn't sitting in a whole school Assembly on Monday thinking, surely this is something I shouldn't be doing?!

I had my latest dose of vaccine in April so roundabout now I think I'm due... But I haven't been contacted yet? Has anyone had the vaccine while pregnant?

@superram

My sons teacher went at 28 weeks and taught from home. A ta supervised in the classroom (but taught them one day a week anyway, she was great). I had no issues with it as a parent.

Hi superram :D

Do you know how she was managing this? Using Microsoft Teams?

@Cartref30

They are also not ‘allowed’ to say no to you being signed off - they have to do what is in your contract. Mine is old burgundy book terms even though I’m an academy - so 6 months full pay. Just don’t get signed off for anything to do with pregnancy, as then Mat leave would kick in early.

My union basically said this to my school - she could work from home from 28 weeks or she could be signed off if the stress of being worried about covid gets too much, meaning she wouldn’t be working at all. Which would you prefer?

That being said, if you don’t feel worried about it then don’t pretend to a doctor, as I’m not advocating lying to receive sick pay. I have been signed off from a previous job with stress and anxiety and it is not a nice place to be.

Hi Cartred30,

Yes that is the last thing I need is for my mat leave to start early, need the money. I emailed my union today and will see what they say. Seems so extreme to have to be signed off for stress. I would prefer this obviously though. But the school would surely not want to reach that point and find a way to help me work from home.

The thing that upsets me the most is that Covid isn't even mentioned on my risk assessment! It's like it never happened!

I'm not worried about it but I don't want to put the little bean inside me at risk.

Just a heads up - if you get signed off apparently they can enforce you taking your mat leave early at 36 weeks. Not sure how it all works but it does apparently

I'm a nurse and pregnant andI'll be working right through until my due date (unless I physically can't cope)
As long as you're vaccinated and not otherwise a high risk?

You're no more likely to pick anything up at a school (if you're taking the right cross infection precautions for yourself) than you are shopping in Waitrose.

@beansprout55

I'm a nurse and pregnant andI'll be working right through until my due date (unless I physically can't cope) As long as you're vaccinated and not otherwise a high risk?

You're no more likely to pick anything up at a school (if you're taking the right cross infection precautions for yourself) than you are shopping in Waitrose.

Ok this is also really good to know. I am not a high risk and am double vaccinated.

beansprout, will you have your booster if you don't mind me asking?
How do you feel about working until due date?

Ideally I don't want to leave my class and working from home would be awful but my midwife really scared me when she said what a risk it was.

@CMcA21

Just a heads up - if you get signed off apparently they can enforce you taking your mat leave early at 36 weeks. Not sure how it all works but it does apparently

Good to know! This thread has been so helpful!

Does anyone else feel like their baby is going to drop out sometimes and a bit of pressure down below :D ??

@Edisnori that sounds like SPD, I get pressure after a wee sometimes if I’ve held it in a long time. Done loads of water samples and no infection, so weird!

Whats SDP??