You’re pregnant, congratulations! Pregnancy is an exciting time that is full of many changes. Changes to your daily life, to your body, to your relationships, and more. Some of these changes are exciting like announcing you’re pregnant, feeling your baby’s first movements, seeing the baby on the ultrasound, and so much more. There are also some changes that aren’t as much fun. Making working all day as a teacher while pregnant uncomfortable. My hope is that I can share what worked for me to help make your pregnancy while working as a teacher better.
Teaching while pregnant can be bearable and even enjoyable
I’ve taught while pregnant twice, first with our daughter Anne and then with our son Alex. My second pregnancy lasted the entire school year. I had my son the first week after school got out (my due date was the last day of school :-P, but our little guy decided to come late). So, I’ve experienced all three trimesters while teaching. Hopefully, the tricks and tips I learned can help you.
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Tips and Tricks for Teaching While Pregnant
Hydrate
Water, water, and more water. I know you have limited time for bathroom breaks, but you need to make sure you’re drinking enough water. There are many benefits for you and your baby. I found that if I had enough water I felt much better. If I got busy and forgot to stay on top of my water intake my nausea got worse. I also developed headaches, and in general, felt worse.
It’s recommended that while pregnant you get at least 8-12 glasses of water a day. You need more water than the average person. Some people recommend drinking half your body weight in water. I gave myself a goal of 80 ounces of water each day. If this isn’t what you are used to it can be overwhelming, but you’ll get used to it. OK, this might be a little gross, but one way to know if you’re on the right track is to check that your urine is light in color.
To help yourself get enough water get a large water bottle that keeps your water nice and cold. Sipping ice-cold water can help ease nausea. If your school doesn’t have a drinkable water source you may want to bring multiple water bottles. I used a water bottle like this. It kept my water cold throughout the day. I would still have ice at lunchtime.
Along with drinking more water. Your hormones and eventually pressure from your baby growing will make you need to take frequent bathroom breaks. We all know this can be a challenge as a teacher. You’ll want to have a plan with coworkers so they can cover your class while you take a bathroom break. I found I didn’t need to rely on others too often if I took a bathroom break at the end of all of my breaks.
Snack
Along with needing to drink more water, you will also be hungry frequently. Eating small snacks along with meals throughout the day can help you manage your nausea. It may take some experimenting to find snacks that can provide enough nutrients, but that you can also handle due to nausea or food aversions. The below snacks also work great if you end up with gestational diabetes.
Snack Ideas:
- Greek Yogurt
- Trail Mix
- Cheese and Crackers
- Apples and Peanut Butter
- Celery Sticks and Peanut Butter
- Misc. Fruit or Veggies with a Cheese Stick
- Vegetables and Hummus
- Hard-boiled Eggs
- Cottage Cheese
- Popcorn
- Nature Valley Protein Bars
- Power Crunch Protein Bars
- Core Power High Protein Milk Shakes
- Premier Protein Shakes
Rest
You are going to be tired. It is going to be a whole new kind of tired. You will need to prioritize getting enough sleep. During my first and third trimester, I often went to bed by 9:30 pm. I am by nature a night owl and often stay up to 11:30 pm or later, but I had to make a change. After a long day working at school you may need a nap as well.
It can feel like you’re being lazy and not doing enough. But you are doing enough you are growing another human being. This takes a lot of energy. Your body and your baby need you to rest, so your body can get down to the important work to growing your baby.
You’ll need to find ways to make more time for rest. Ask for help and take help when people offer it. Take somethings off your plate. This will not only give you more time now, but it will help once your baby arrives.
Combat Morning Sickness or Nausea
Morning sickness is often the worse part of being pregnant. It’s especially difficult while teaching. It’s never fun to throw up in front of your students. Nausea often comes early in your pregnancy when you’re not ready to tell people. Morning sickness can also happen throughout the day. It’s best to be prepared throughout the school day.
Snacks and water can help nausea. There are also morning sickness products that can offer some relief. Some products that can help:
- Pink Stork Morning Sickness Sweets– These definitely helped in a pinch, but I wish they had lasted longer.
- QueasEase– I was given samples of this at the hospital during labor with my first. It smells great and is easy to stow in a purse.
- Sea-Band Wristband– I have heard from people that this worked great for them. I didn’t like the feel of them on my wrists.
Morning sickness and nausea affect everyone differently. So remedies also work differently for different people. You’ll need to experiment to see what works for you. If it is severely affecting you, speak with your doctor about options to help. I’m not a doctor, so I don’t want to recommend any medication or supplements for you. But there are options out there and they do work. I needed some extra help with nausea during my second pregnancy and I wish I had asked for help sooner.
Maternity Clothes
As your baby bump starts to grow you will need to start finding some maternity clothes. This doesn’t have to break your budget. Some of the clothes you already have will still work, especially early in your pregnancy. If there are other teachers in your building that were pregnant recently you may be able to get some hand-me-downs as well.
Check with some local consignment stores and see if they have a maternity section. Since maternity clothes are only worn for a short period of time they’re often in great condition. I found multiple pairs of maternity dress pants, tops, and dress all for under $ 10 apiece.
You will want to invest in some maternity clothes. There are so many great options now that fit a variety of styles. With a few key pieces, you can get through your pregnancy. I had good luck finding good pieces on Amazon.com, at Kohls, and at H&M. To limit the number of new clothes you need to buy look for tops that work for pregnancy and for breastfeeding. (If you choose to breastfeed). Need ideas on breastfeeding-friendly clothes? Read this post about pumping friendly work clothes.
Suggested Pieces:
- Dress or Work Maternity Pants
- Maternity Jeans
- Maternity Capris
- Maternity Dresses
- Maternity Tops
- Maternity/Nursing Tank Tops
- Maternity Tights/Nylons (These offer support and are actually comfy!)
- Maternity Shapewear
- Comfy Shoes
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Sharing the News
One of the fun parts of being pregnant is sharing the news with the people closest to you. You may decide to share the news with others right away or wait until you’re further in your pregnancy.
I chose to wait and tell my coworkers and administrator until I was at least 12 weeks along. I spoke with my principal first and then shared it with the rest of the staff. Each time I did end up telling a close teaching friend pretty early on because I was so excited. It also made me feel better that someone knew just in case something happened.
If you’re going to be taking maternity leave you need to start the FMLA process. Check with your teachers’ union or human resources department to make sure you understand the process. You don’t typically have to inform them until you are in your third trimester.
In my case, I needed to email my principal, superintendent, and human resources to tell them the dates I planned to take maternity leave. Then I had to have my doctor fill out some paperwork and send it back to human resources. I also helped my principal find a long-term substitute teacher to cover my leave.
You also get to share the fun news with your students. There are a lot of fun ways to do this. You can play hang-man, give them a word scramble, or a lot of other fun ideas. I told my students about my second pregnancy right before Winter Break. I wore a shirt that said “Eating Christmas Cookies for Two!” It was so much fun hearing my third graders try to figure out what the shirt meant. They were a little disappointed that it didn’t mean that they got two cookies.
On the day you tell your students, you should also plan to send a letter home to your students’ families. Keep the note positive. Reassure families that students will be well cared for by your long-term substitute teacher. I worried with both my pregnancies that families might be upset that I would be gone for my maternity leave. If they were upset no one said anything. Instead, they were very positive and supportive. Remember they all have kids and know how exciting this time is.
Prepare for Baby’s Arrival
When it comes time for your baby to arrive you will want to make sure you’re prepared in case you go into labor while you’re at school. You’ll want to have a plan for who will cover your class and how you will get to the hospital. This way if you do go into labor you’re not trying to scramble to make things happen. I thankfully never had to use my plan, but I felt calmer knowing I had one in place. When creating a plan you’ll want to think about:
- Will you drive yourself or have someone else drive you to the hospital? (Even if you think you’ll be able to drive yourself to the hospital it’s a good idea to have a backup plan).
- What you will do with cars? In case you are leaving your car at school.
- How will you get your hospital bags?
- If you already have kids…Who will pick them up from daycare if needed?
- Who will cover your class and what will the students do while you are gone?
Going into labor at school worried me if this is also a worry for you I want to reassure you. The more I heard from experienced teacher moms I found that this isn’t often the case. Most women shared that they either went into labor at night or were already on maternity leave. The woman that did go into labor at school had enough time to get things around and get to the hospital. Pre-labor typically lasts along time. It’s not as dramatic as it is in the movies.
Have a “go bag” in your car just in case once you enter your third trimester. This will help ease your worries and ensure your prepared. You don’t need to have your full hospital bag, but you’ll be more comfortable knowing you have a few essentials.
Hospital Go Bag
- Change of comfy clothes (in case your water breaks).
- A few pads or liners (see above) 😉
- A towel to put on the car seat.
- Paperwork (Birthplan, insurance, etc.)
- Phone Charger
- High Protein Snacks (Eat before you get to the hospital)
Teaching while pregnant during Covid-19
Currently being pregnant has added challenges due to Covid-19. It doesn’t matter if you’re teaching virtually, hybrid, or in-person, there is a lot more added stress. Doctors and scientists are still studying how Covid-19 affects pregnant women. Check with your doctor and check the CDC website for updates. Education Week or edweek.org has an article called Teachers with Covid-19 Health Risks: Who Gets to Stay Home? that also discusses how schools are handling this issue.
My third trimester happened at the beginning of the pandemic. Our school went fully virtual. I had to attend doctor appointments on my own and only my husband was able to be at the hospital as my support person. It was hard, but I know others had it even harder. I also know that some of you are teaching in-person while pregnant. You are in my thoughts and prayers. I’m sorry that this pandemic is impacting your pregnancy.
This Facebook video about moms who give birth during the pandemic helped me, so I hope it can help you as well. I’m here if you need support comment below or feel free to contact me.
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Teaching is an already stressful and often overwhelming career. Adding in a pregnancy can add more stress, but it can also be a time full of joy. When you are teaching while pregnant you need to make sure that you are putting yourself and your baby first. You will not be pregnant forever, so enjoy this time. Take any extra offered help, rest more, and get ready to meet your new baby!
