PTA chair, and I'm pregnant.

[Times10]

I've been the chair just under a year, and (I think) it's going ok. But I've recently found out I'm pregnant. Too soon to let anyone know just yet, but I'm due in January, so basically bang in the middle of the school year.
Should I resign (knowing that not many people want to take on the role, so the whole pta could fold - that's how I became chair) or see if anyone wants to be a co-chair? Or just keep going and hope the labour goes smoothly and I just bring baby with me at meetings/events? I'll be 12 weeks in a month's time, but was hoping to keep it under wraps for a while longer.
WWYD?

When is the AGM due?
I'd step down then, but say available for consultation / ad hoc.

If really no one else willing, then after putting out in newsletter again for volunteers, reluctantly continue but with cut down program of events and no Christmas fair or February disco.

AGM is in September. I guess I’d have to announce pregnancy in July/before school breaks up.

You don't have to.
But maybe put out feelers to people who you think could take over. At primary parents' circumstances keep changing, new babies, going back to work etc. You can start saying you're going back to work if you don't want to announce pregnancy until the autumn.

Thanks. I will see after the first scan, as I guess the news will spread anyway as soon as we tell the DCs. So far I don’t really know if anyone would be up for taking on the role, but I’m sure something will work itself out.

Put yourself and baby first: step down in September. If someone else doesn’t come forward, that’s not your fault at all.

I think that being pregnant is not a precursor to having to resign from the position as Chair of the PTA. If you want to continue to be Chair then as long as you are not putting any undue pressure on yourself or baby then I do not think there is anything to say to anybody. At an appropriate PTA meeting make a statement that you are pregnant and move onto the next agenda item.

Thanks, at the moment, I don’t see the need to set down urgently, but I can’t tell how smoothly the pregnancy will be long term... I haven’t even had my first scan so it’s difficult to imagine myself in 6/7 months time!
I guess once I’ve announced my pregnancy people might have suggestions about how they think it could work too.

I honestly don't see an issue unless you are single handedly running the PTA.

No, we’ve got a really good team of volunteers, thankfully! And most events are ones that have run for years so everyone knows what to expect.

Will you need to step down? Can't you just see how it goes and skip the occasional meeting if you can't make it on the day. Yes, it will depend on others stepping up and covering for you on those occasions but I am sure they will manage.
I had a similar voluntary role (although not actually chair) when pregnant with DC2. I made it to all of the fortnightly meetings - including when I was 8 days or so overdue & again when DC2 was about 10 days old & just came in the sling. At subsequent meetings, he was either in a sling (often feeding) or in the pram until he was about 4 or 5mths. I would normally have been part of any interviewing panel and I did step aside from that as it might have been a bit distracting for the candidate. For the meetings though, everyone knew he would be there.

Could you not just say you will be reducing your workload as chair, and delegate others with jobs you would normally do; that way the PTA doesn't loose a chair, and perhaps more people would get involved if they think it is just a short term commitment?

How much work is involved?? Our chair has a full time job and still manages.

It’s definitely manageable with a smooth pregnancy/labour I think, but obviously I can’t tell yet how my pregnancy is going to progress.

Well I'd start co-chairing with someone if you're that worried. You're possibly overthinking it a bit thought.

Have you not worked through any pregnancies (you mention other DC in plural)?

You seem a little dramatic.

Haha, DH would agree with you about overthinking and dramatic. I just don’t want to let people down.

Just think about it like work.

You inform your boss (the school). You continue through the pregnancy with some adjustments (like you not being the one to carry the lighting rig for the disco). You take a break after having the baby (a term maybe) during which time somebody is found to cover you, then you resume your duties as before.

Chill out, it's just the PTA.

Thanks, will do that. Seems so simple when you put it that way!

January isn’t too bad though, if it’s a relatively easy pregnancy you can do Christmas fair in early December and then your next big events aren’t usually until easter so you get a bit of a break.

Put the feelers out about a co-chairing arrangement where one leads one event and then the other takes the lead on the next event to spread the responsibility and involve more people? It worked really well just generally when ours did that kind of arrangement - stopped PTA burnout.