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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Original poster

Pregnant teachers

17 replies

Lfjrjcjsjaja · 28/10/2021 13:19

Hi all!
I am 17 weeks pregnant and unvaccinated currently. No plans to have vaccine yet because I couldnt live with myself if anything happened now.
Does anyone know if we are still able to work from home from 28 weeks? I am at an academy, 1 member if staff (leadership) was in after the summer for 2 weeks but not teaching and she was heavily pregnant at that point so I am guessing it isnt supported at our school but just wondered what other schools are doing?

OP posts:
HTPri · 28/10/2021 13:24

Hi, the advice changed and the only expectation (I believe) is a risk assessment completed which includes the expectation to social distance where possible etc.

In terms of being unvaccinated the only difference will be you need to isolate when in contact with a + case

EllieNBeeb · 28/10/2021 14:25

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Original poster
Lfjrjcjsjaja · 28/10/2021 14:48

Because I was worried about the affects on fertility!
I am aware the risks are increased and im not totally opposed but waiting until baby has a chance if I were to go into early labour! Appreciate we all have different views on it though

OP posts:
Takeachance18 · 28/10/2021 18:24

Needs a risk assessment, however unless you are not ever going out of the house, except for work (which was obviously more of the case in previous months with lock down), it is hard to assess working from home and it is another 11 weeks away, with 1 prediction of cases to plummet, obviously may go the other way.

MrsHamlet · 28/10/2021 20:45

My head wouldn't let you work from home.

coconutmonkey · 28/10/2021 21:17

There's always one...(EllieNBeeb). I believe that as the shielding guidance no longer applies, pregnant teachers are expected to teach face to face until they go on maternity leave. I'm 13 weeks pregnant so will be confirming this for myself too. I imagine we will just have a specific risk assessment, as we should have had during pregnancy prior to this anyway.
I'm aiming to start my maternity leave at the latest possible point so hopefully it will not affect this.

Workingmum34 · 29/10/2021 20:20

The guidance is face to face teaching for everyone - pregnant staff were classed as clinically vulnerable but even extremely clinically vulnerable staff are in now face to face. Your choice not to vaccinate will only mean that you have to isolate if you are contacted by track and trace - you won’t get told about positive students or staff in school by the school. Dependent on who you work for they also may not pay you if you have to isolate.

JanglyBeads · 30/10/2021 00:03

Premature labour is more likely if you catch Covid than if you get vaccinated. And you’re quite likely to catch Covid as a teacher.

Appuskidu · 30/10/2021 10:23

Our pregnant teachers are/were all in class as normal until their mat leave started. I don’t think shielding is even a thing any more.

FartnissEverbeans · 30/10/2021 17:21

As a pregnant woman, the risk of Covid is equivalent to you being aged 60+. Covid units across the world are disproportionately filled with pregnant women. Covid puts you at significantly increased risk of stillbirth and premature delivery. It’s unlikely a foetus would survive ventilation.

I’m a teacher who was vaccinated during pregnancy (2nd trimester). I come into contact with too many people in this job - unvaccinated at that - to take the risk. I want my baby to be safe.

The jab was fine btw and my pregnancy is normal so far, at 38 weeks.

Hercisback · 30/10/2021 18:19

It will be up to your school. It is very unlikely they will agree. Our place had 28+ week teachers in from March working just the same as everyone else. They were allowed to do this as pregnant women weren't told to shield then. Not saying the school were right to do this, but there is no legal right to WFH when pregnant teaching.

EllieNBeeb · 30/10/2021 18:37

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Plotato · 30/10/2021 22:01

Even at the height of the pandemic there was no requirement to be allowed to work from home and in reality most primaries couldn't accommodate it. For what it's worth, a year ago (when I was in fact pregnant) I'd have felt the same as you about the vaccine but there is now a lot of data from countries that have vaccinated pregnant women, particularly Israel and the US, and that is why the advice has changed. Previously it wasn't that it was considered dangerous, there was just no research data (source: Radio 4).

toadstool32 · 31/10/2021 11:00

I teach reception, I'm 22w and wfh at any stage is not an option. Private school.

Youreatragedystartingtohappen · 31/10/2021 14:53

I work for a large academy chain in a secondary school. I've been categorically told I'm not allowed to work in school from 28 weeks because of the risk from covid. I've also been told as it's not my choice there's no expectation to do any work and I can choose to sit on full pay until baby arrives. Not my choice but I can see the sense- we have a lot of covid cases in my school and the locality.

Original poster
Lfjrjcjsjaja · 31/10/2021 15:37

@Youreatragedystartingtohappen

I work for a large academy chain in a secondary school. I've been categorically told I'm not allowed to work in school from 28 weeks because of the risk from covid. I've also been told as it's not my choice there's no expectation to do any work and I can choose to sit on full pay until baby arrives. Not my choice but I can see the sense- we have a lot of covid cases in my school and the locality.
Thanks for your reply! I dont particularly have a preference at the mo, just trying to plan ahead! I felt like a monster for asking after some of the replies I had! I guess I will wait and see. The main reason I asked was because union advice hasnt changed regarding pregnant women. Hope all goes well for you! With any luck things will get more normal and it wont be a problem anyway!
OP posts:
Plotato · 31/10/2021 21:30

I don't think anyone was meaning for you to feel that way OP, probably more like the voice of bitter experience for most of us.

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