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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Teachers- how long were you at school before you had baby????

24 replies

crunchynutter · 06/04/2008 13:18

Hi, i know this may sound obsessive but my husband and i have recently decided to try for a baby- problem is i'm an NQT and i don't want to 'damage' my career. that said, we have no chance of conceiving til at least august (long story) so i would be pg in my second yr still...

Also feel i should add that my department have had staffing problems in previous years and i have yr8 form (am 3rd teacher!) and have had many parents comment on how nice it is to have somebody permanent. I feel guilty about the thought of taking maternity leave (although it would be ages away!)

just wondered how long other teachers have left it?

sorry for long post! would love some replys though!! xx

OP posts:

hercules1 · 06/04/2008 13:19

I became pregnant in my second year and left at the start of the third year. I had the same guilt feelings but it really is just life. Just be sure of your maternity leave and lenght of service.

ScienceTeacher · 06/04/2008 13:21

I got pregnant towards the end of my first year of teaching, and left at Christmas in my second year.

I decided to give up at then end of my maternity leave, as it was my third child, I would not have been able to cover childcare out of my salary, and I didn't really enjoy the job that much.

I returned to teaching after 8 years, and don't feel that I have lost out.

KerryMum · 06/04/2008 13:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

crunchynutter · 06/04/2008 13:24

aww thanks for quick reply! I love the fact that we get a year off-i really want to 'be there' with my babies but then i feel awful about leaving my school kids!

were your school pleased for you? supportive? I have a good relationship with my HoD (I was an ex student-she taught me!) but i would feel like id let her down a bit.

Then like you say, i work to live not live to work but teaching is such a difficult job to detatch yourself from!

did/are you planning to go back full time at end of maternity?

OP posts:

llareggub · 06/04/2008 13:26

You are assuming that you will get pregnant straight away, which doesn't always happen. Relax about it, try not to plan too much and just let it happen. The school will not fall apart without you and it won't damage your career. Good luck.

Original poster

crunchynutter · 06/04/2008 13:27

Wow! i only want two children! hoping for twins so it won't be too disruptive haha.

Scienceteacher- thats great to know! I was kind of panicking about 'gettint back into it'- this years been tough enough haha. i was thinking though about a reduced/part time role afterwards but getting ahead of myself as usual! Typical teacher- i like to be well planned (that said i should be planning for tomorrow now... (blush)

OP posts:

Original poster

crunchynutter · 06/04/2008 13:30

Thanks for your support- yes i am a worrier and i know my plans probably won't be quite as perfect as i hope but its nice to know others have been There! my department is quite young but all very career minded and single/party lifestyles- i am the youngest but have been married a year and would love to start family!

OP posts:

ScienceTeacher · 06/04/2008 13:31

If you are just taking maternity leave, then you won't have any trouble getting back into teaching as you will have a job to go back to.

Elkat · 06/04/2008 20:48

Are you planning to return afterwards? With my first DD, I got pregant after being at the school for just 5 months, with DD2, I was there for about a year and 5 months when I got pregnant again. But I did tell them I wanted another at the interview.

I kind of think they expect young married women to want to get pregnant to be honest. I have also found at both places, as I was always honest that I would be going back (although part time), I have never encountered any problems.

if you are lucky and able to plan, then do think about mat leaves etc. Call me sad, but I wanted to time it so that my mat leave did not cover the summer hols (because I did not get that added on when I worked in a school). This then meant that I only had to go back to work for a few weeks, before I had the summer holidays (on full pay!). This may not work for you... but I'm lucky that it did for me, so it is worth considering - don't want to waste those extra 6 weeks!

Hulababy · 06/04/2008 20:50

I didn't get pregnant until my 5th year of teaching.

However I had just moved into a new job at a new school. I got the job in the Easterto start that September. I went back to school, for my first day, about 10 weeks pregnant with really bad morning sickness, so no hiding it - not even for a day!

MaloryTowersTraditionalist · 06/04/2008 20:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

crunchynutter · 07/04/2008 19:25

i quite like the idea of going back part time- doyou find that a good work/home balance then Elkat?

I do want to time it too! i like to be organised (grin) however i am on depo provera injection (waiting for last one to be out of my system!) have been told it could take up to 18months-sometimes even longer- to conceive, which would be ok but some people conceive much quicker so i need to be prepared for that too!

OP posts:

Hulababy · 07/04/2008 19:26

I went back part time, 3 days a week (Tues to Thurs) and this worked well.

Original poster

crunchynutter · 07/04/2008 19:54

That sounds great- i am quite excited not, panick slowly leaving! lol

I suppose Elkat was right " I kind of think they expect young married women to want to get pregnant to be honest."

it's just so much easier for men!

OP posts:

Original poster

crunchynutter · 07/04/2008 20:00

sorry!! That should read

I am quite excited now (blush)

OP posts:

popsycal · 07/04/2008 20:01

Had ds1 at the end of my 5th year...

fizzbuzz · 08/04/2008 21:37

I felt guilty about leaving my form, but after 2 weeks on mat leave I completly forgot about them They had had another form teacher before me as well.

In fact I forgot about everything to do with school whilst on mat leave, it sort of shrank to non-existance. It was FANTASTIC

sunnydelight · 09/04/2008 05:18

DS1s primary class were known as the "fertility class". They had a change of teacher due to maternity leave in Reception, Y1, Y2 and Y3! I swear the Y3 teacher (older woman who had been married without children for years) asked for them

juanitad · 14/04/2008 19:38

Just thought I would add to this thread, a bit belatedly. I am in my second year at a new school (although my sixth year in teaching), and have been thinking for quite a while now about starting a family. I went through lots of the same emotions as you - what will school say, will they think it's too soon, what will the kids think? My form were year 9 when I started, and like you hadn't had any consistency - they had had 3 form teachers and were a bit unruly! I had similar comments from parents/head of year etc. about the situation being better with someone permanent. My form are now year 10, and part of me was thinking I should see them through to the end of year 11....I had all these different things going through my mind, but I had to weigh that up against other things, like the fact that I really really want a baby! Anyway, we started TTC, and I am now 9 weeks pg! I've got to admit that since becoming pg, my feelings about school have changed quite a bit - I feel much less attached to the place now, and I am starting to see that the school and the kids will carry on without me and will probably do just fine!! I think you should TTC when it feels right for you and DH/DP. If you're not trying until at least August, then by the time you went on mat leave, you would be well into your 3rd year at least, and I think that would have allowed you to establish your career well, and if you go back after baby, you'll be able to pick up where you left off.

Anyway, sorry to ramble on and on! Good luck whatever you decided to do!

Febes · 14/04/2008 19:48

I've just gone back after my maternity leave DD is 5 months. I'm just doing 3 days per week. Believe me you will not care that much about school once you have a lovely baby to look after. I'm TTC again now and won't go back after the next one. Can't wait to be home full time again. I went back early because we are immigrating at the end of the year and I didn't want to have to pay back my work mat pay.

Original poster

crunchynutter · 17/04/2008 19:10

thanks Juanitad! third year does sound much better than NQT! i hadn't really thought of it that way. Congratulations, i hope everything goes well with your pregnancy, you must be really excited!

OP posts:

twinsetandpearls · 19/04/2008 01:50

I am about to move to another county, can I get pregnant in my first years work with this new LEA and get maternity leave?

bonniefromboot · 19/04/2008 01:54

ring union and ask. Think you are ok as long as you have worked continously for any lea with no breaks.... remember asking the question myself but can't remember exact answer. They can tell you though!

twinsetandpearls · 19/04/2008 02:12

THanks

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