3rd Trimester

It'll be fine... right?

DH and I have been planning on TTC starting this February. I just found out that there is a pretty good chance that I might get a full-time teaching position for the fall (I currently work part-time as a parapro in an elementary school). That would mean possibly starting a brand-new full-time teaching job at 7ish months....

It'll be fine right? Or should I really consider holding off TTC for a couple months? How would you ladies feel about starting a new, full-time, very busy job at this point in your pregnancy? 

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Re: It'll be fine... right?

  • I think the biggest concern would be maternity leave. You have to have so many hours accrued/work so long before they'll give it to you (not sure if your time would transfer with the job). Might be a major deciding factor.
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  • what does "pretty good chance" mean? I mean, it's up to you.... it may take you 1 month to get pregnant, it may take 8 months....however, if i was to start a job now at 28 weeks, it would be pointless because I would only work there for another 2 months, and they may not even want to hire a pregnant woman. as far as how i feel.. i feel fine and would have no issues... but standing all day would be hard and dealing with kids... ahh i dunno.. lol
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  • imageSarahRae85:
    I think the biggest concern would be maternity leave. You have to have so many hours accrued/work so long before they'll give it to you (not sure if your time would transfer with the job). Might be a major deciding factor.

    I agree. I would definitely look into this so you know what you're dealing with.  As PP said you don't really know how long it's going to take you to get pregnant, but you'll probably want info on the mat leave situation before you make the decision on when to start TTC.  It wouldn't be fun to miss out on paid mat leave if you can avoid it!

    I mean, otherwise, you're probably going to be working somewhere at that point regardless so I'm not really sure why it matters how you would feel this far along.  It probably won't be the easiest thing, but you'll get through it.  What is your other option?  Stay in your current part-time position? 

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  • As a teacher I think it would be hard both for you and the other staff and kids. We had two first year teachers that got pregnant and went on maternity leave last year. They had to take a majority of it unpaid, plus pay their insurance while they were gone 250 a day. The kids did not get the same education from the subs as they would have from the teacher either.
    That said, it's totally your choice. Just be upfront with your potential employer.
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  • imageSarahRae85:
    I think the biggest concern would be maternity leave. You have to have so many hours accrued/work so long before they'll give it to you (not sure if your time would transfer with the job). Might be a major deciding factor.

    This.

    If I were you, I'd put off TTC just until you hear a yes or no from the position. If you and your H can afford to continue on your PT income, you can still look for other positions while pregnant but you'll still need to look into the information listed above.

    Just because you start TTC this month (or whenever) doesn't mean it'll happen on the first cycle. The average couple can take a year to get pregnant and that's without either of them having any medical obstacles. 

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  • We found out about my pregnancy last spring and I was offered a teaching position closer to home but in a new district in the fall. I took the job. I only get 6 weeks maternity leave and have to use my vacay days if I want pay. I only have 11 days since none of my other days in my previous position transferred over. I can use some bank days but only a certain amount since I'm new in the district. I will be unpaid for two out of the six weeks. 

    I wouldn't worry about leaving the classroom in the hands of a guest teacher. I have found someone very capable and highly recommended in our district. Teachers get pregnant and go on leave all the time and that is what guest teachers are there for. I will also be back before the end of the year to tie up any loose ends. The only thing I fret about is my lack of knowledge with the curriculum we use and not being there those six weeks to use and apply it. I plan on attending as many planning meetings as I am able to with my colleagues even during my leave in order to stay updated. I have also been working 12 hour days in order to get everything together before my leave.  

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  • While I agree with the other posters about all the different factors that go into making a decision like this, the one thing I wouldn't worry about starting the school year at 28 weeks.  I'm 39 weeks 1 day, and I just finished my last day of work today and I still feel great.  I have been prepping since the beginning of December though to get everything prepared for my sub, so that has been a lot of work.  That aspect may be difficult due to the fact that you won't really know the curriculum, because it'll be your first year.  Like OP said though, it may take you months or even years to get pregnant, so you need to do what is right for you.
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  • I would think about whether or not you will be able to financially handle having to take unpaid sick days and (if you take insurance through your school system) having to pay the insurance.  I know for our system we get 10 sick days plus 2 personal days a year that roll over the next year.  I have been teaching 9 years and right now I have 44.5 days that I can take and still get paid.  I will most likely have to go back the last week of school so that I don't end up having to pay more on my insurance.  I know that my family could not afford for me to take unpaid maternity leave, so that would not be an option for me. 

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  • If it were me, I would hold off TTC for a few months, so that if you did get pregnant your first cycle (which, most likely, you will not, but I did, so it does happen), you will at least be in the new position for the majority of your first school year. Also, you have no way of knowing how you will feel at 7 1/2 months pregnant. Some people still feel great...I envy them. I've been miserably exhausted since the week before I even knew I was pregnant, and now that I'm in the 3rd tri, I'm also horribly uncomfortable on top of exhausted.

    Also, I have a teacher friend who is due in May, and she is super excited to get to spend the entire summer with LO after her maternity leave. Would just be an added bonus if you waited a few more months and things worked out that way.


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  • I would check into the maternity leave issue as well and just make sure that you would be covered for what you would need. I would say that many women work up until their due date (at least from what I've seen on here) so I can't see that being a huge issue. You'll be uncomfortable in the third tri but you'll also be uncomfortable no matter what you're doing. 

    One more thing to add, it doesn't necessarily mean that once you start trying you will get pregnant. With my first I was a very healthy 22 year old and it still took 9 months of trying before getting pregnant. This time around was a complete "oops".

     Good luck!  

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  • I would give it a little just to see if you have the job or not.  Working in a school I think that they would look very down on that if I showed up 7mo pregnant.  They would have just went through all of the work to find a new teacher and now have to find a sub.  I don't think that is the best way to start a new job

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  • As a teacher the most stressful times of the year are the first two months of school.  The kids are testing you, but you don't always know the parents well enough yet to get a lot of help from them.   You do NOT want to deal with this stress AND be 7 months pregnant (the first 2 weeks of school I easily work over 80 hour weeks.  However, nor do you want to be in the 1st trimester.  My husband and I tried and succeeded in timing my pregnancy perfectly so my 1st trimester was mostly over before the summer was and then after I deliver in March my maternity leave will carry me up until the end of the school year.  Of course, there is no guarantee things will work out like that. 

    You also need to consider 2 things.  First, what will maternity leave look like for you.  Second, is this a position with a contract?  If not you will probably want to make as good an impression early on as possible, which will be difficult if you aren't feeling well.

    If this will be your first year teaching I would even suggest waiting until you have a full year teaching with your own classroom under your belt before trying it pregnant.  It's difficult enough to be a first year teacher!

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  • I'm a teacher. I would wait a bit. It is very challenging to teach during your first year. Most new teachers in my school work extremely long hours and come in on the weekends.I've been teaching for 11 years and it's still exausting to be in my third tri and teach.I would want to show everyone that I'm a competent teacher before leaving for a maternity leave. Parents of students will not be excited to learn that a their child has a first year teacher who will be leaving on maternity leave shortly after the school year begins. Also, after you have the baby it will be very difficult to deal with sleep deprivation and the demands of a new teaching career.

     

     

  • it would depend on where you work. FMLA I believe doesn't legally have to kick in until you've been at your job for a minimum amount of time (I know at my place it's a year). It would be terrible to land a teaching gig and then have to give it up for baby.

     

    I personally would not feel comfortable starting a new job late in my pregnancy (or even early in it, but I guess teaching could be different since you have summers off). It's a lot of stress starting a new job, on top of everything that comes with a pregnancy. There are also a lot of appointments as you reach the end. I would feel more comfortable taking the time off for the appointments and baby leave after I've already proven myself where I work.

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  • I already replied earlier but other people's posts have been right on.
    I get like 13 sick days a year and 2 vacation days. It's my eighth year teaching, but I switched schools after five years and lost the days I'd accrued there.
    We purposely started trying in July and it happened to work right away! I still may have to go back for a few days at the end of the year anyway, but at least then I have all summer with my baby boy!
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  • Thanks for all your input!

    Right now it's looking like we'll wait until June/July instead. That way I'll be due in March at the earliest, so that I'll have at least a half-year of teaching at that school under my belt (I have taught full-time before just not at this school).

    And I will definitely make sure that I have a good understanding of the school's mat leave policy before we begin TTC too :) Thanks everyone who brought that up - I appreciate it!

     

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  • I think it depends on you and on the pregnancy, but I simply can' t handle much stress while pregnant, so I definitely would not do that. I learned the hard way t hat I can' t even handle my college courses pregnant, but many women do much better than I.....
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