One more Teacher Check In!

Waiting4Fred

Hey ladies!

The school year is almost over, and so are our pregnancies!  I keep having this internal debate about whether this is the best timing for a due date or the worst.  The best because we have all summer off without taking leave, and the worst because we have been pregnant ALL school year and have to deal with end of pregnancy at the same time as end of the year craziness!

How is everyone hanging in there?  How much longer are you working and how many more school days?

ashleyl31

There is really no tired like being pregnant and trying to survive the end of the year!

My first was born in March, and I stayed home with him until the beginning of the next school year. I liked that a lot better than this. I also didn't have to worry about my class. This time, I will take off the first 9 weeks of the year. It will be much harder going back after someone else "started them off". Also, I was 12 weeks last time when school started, which was much easier than being pregnant all school year.

I plan to work until the end of the year, which is June 2. We have 16 more days with students, then 2 work days. It's been really rough with behavior the last few weeks, so I'm just trying to survive right now and keep them busy. 

kahlan82

Everyone is saying I "planned" it so well but end of the year with tbe end of pregnancy is not fun. I think once the next 5 weeks are over and it is summer, i will be happy. I am still taking time at the beginning of bext year, so in the end I get a lot of time with baby. 

I did end up leaving school early today though. I felt exhausted, uncomfortable, and so hormonal I couldn't stop crying, so I am home now and about to take a nap. 
 

swanbrooner

The kids are getting more wild by the day...and I'm just more exhausted and irritable. We only have 9 days left though! 

huzzahuzza

Yeah my first was born...well, today actually, 4 years ago and I much preferred that.  I, too, will be taking some time at the beginning of the school year but will be part time for the first quarter.  It was actually causing me anxiety thinking about not starting the school year with my students, not starting their routines the way I like them, not assessing them the way I want to assess them...so I decided part time would be best for everyone involved (I hope?). 
This time of the year is such chaos, I really just wish baby girl was due now and not 7 weeks from now! Only 5 more weeks of school though! 

Waiting4Fred

For those of you who are taking some time at the beginning of the year, are you able to use any of your FMLA?  Our district won't let us use any. :-/ 

kahlan82

@waiting4fred.   Hmmm, you might want to check that.  I am using FMLA at the beginning of the year. Isn't that a national law? How can they not let you split it? I thought you could use 12 weeks anytime in the first year, although it may be unpaid.

hopeful808

I have 31 school days left. I think I planned poorly, I think that a late April early May due date would be perfect l, then you get maternity leave and summer break. 

Waiting4Fred

@kahlan82,  We do have up to a year to use a year of parenting leave, but it's unpaid.  Sorry-- I just meant that we won't get any paid leave.  

kahlan82

@waiting4fred. Gotcha. I am using my annual and personal leave at the beginning of next year. I can't use sick leave though. I also signed up for short term disability which covers 5 weeks. In the end, i will only have a week or two unpaid.  Are you allowed to use personal leave or holiday (annual) leave?

huzzahuzza

hopeful808 said:

I have 31 school days left. I think I planned poorly, I think that a late April early May due date would be perfect l, then you get maternity leave and summer break. 

Well yes... but as my DH and I learned after 18 months of trying, things don't always go "as planned." We really wanted #2 to be born in late April early May but it doesn't always work out that way... I was really scared of a Oct-Jan due date because, while the school has a 3 month allowance for maternity leave, I only have 26 days built up for leave which means that the other two would be unpaid and we would be screwed.  
@Waiting4Fred I am using leave days to cover my part time maternity leave.  

teacher mom-2

I agree. We were hoping for a spring baby when we started trying. I much rather be leaving a class at the end of the year rather than coming back to a class in October and trying to get them used to the way I like things done. As others have also said, I am just happy to be having a second so at least I do get longer with summer added in. I had to leave DD so early because she was an October baby. 

ashleyl31

Waiting4Fred said:

For those of you who are taking some time at the beginning of the year, are you able to use any of your FMLA?  Our district won't let us use any. :-/ 

My district lets us take up to a year off when we have a baby. We can use any sick/personal leave, and then the rest unpaid. They will stretch out unpaid days over paychecks though. I have 7 weeks paid, then the other two weeks will be stretched out over the whole year.