Coworker told me something surprising

Jelliebean1982 · January 2011

My coworker came into my room on Monday to congratulate me on my pregnancy. She asked me what my plans were regarding teaching and I told her that I was going to take off September and then come back in October after parent-teacher conferences. She told me that since she's been working at the school that not ONE mom has come back to work after having a baby. I will be the first in the fourteen years she has been there.

Isn't that nuts? I'm already a working mom of one and so being a working mom of two won't be a new experience and I'm actually looking forward to coming back to work, especially since DD will be enrolled in the pre-K at my school in the fall.

Oh, and since I have the summers off, I know I absolutely suck at being a SAHM. There's no way I would want to do it even if it worked financially.

Fuzzy21 · January 2011

I don't have the choice to be a SAHM. My job is the bill payer and my insurance is better than DH's insurance. I'm hoping to get 4 months off instead of just 3 but that's about all I'll get and then it's back to M-F 8-5 for me.

I think I would go crazy not working, it's in my blood that I need to, but I do envy the SAHM a little bit.

ces25c · January 2011

That is really surprising. At least 5 of my teachers growing up had kids while teaching (before, during or after when I had them for a teacher) and they all came back.

MerSut86 · January 2011

I enjoy my work(I'm a nurse) and understand the desire to continue your career. I think it is a common misconception for people to assume that all mothers want to stay home. I hope you don't take it personally!

Enjoy your pregnancy and your mat. leave, and going back to a job you love afterward!

JennyAnne022776 · January 2011

That is surprising! In my school in the past few years, I can think of six teachers who had babies, and all of them have come back. The two I know of that didn't come back had babies the first year I taught at this building, which was 7 years ago.

skirby · January 2011

Wow!

We just had two teachers have babies - they are now back to work and pumping. They have more flexible situations for pumping since they are special ed teachers with aides. I'm going back to work also, but the pumping thing is going to be tricky. "Kids, I'm going to be late to pick you up from recess because I have to pump the milk out of my boobs." Haha. Are you planning on pumping at school? That's my only worry.

Jelliebean1982 · January 2011

skirby:
Wow!
We just had two teachers have babies - they are now back to work and pumping. They have more flexible situations for pumping since they are special ed teachers with aides. I'm going back to work also, but the pumping thing is going to be tricky. "Kids, I'm going to be late to pick you up from recess because I have to pump the milk out of my boobs." Haha. Are you planning on pumping at school? That's my only worry.

Um, yes. I'm still wondering how I'm going to ask my principal about where to pump in the fall. And I'm going to need to ask for my elective to be around the same time each day for that reason too. I would hate to leak in class because of a long stretch without a pumping break!

JennyAnne022776 · January 2011

Jelliebean1982:
skirby:
Wow!
We just had two teachers have babies - they are now back to work and pumping. They have more flexible situations for pumping since they are special ed teachers with aides. I'm going back to work also, but the pumping thing is going to be tricky. "Kids, I'm going to be late to pick you up from recess because I have to pump the milk out of my boobs." Haha. Are you planning on pumping at school? That's my only worry.
Um, yes. I'm still wondering how I'm going to ask my principal about where to pump in the fall. And I'm going to need to ask for my elective to be around the same time each day for that reason too. I would hate to leak in class because of a long stretch without a pumping break!

When one of my friends came back from maternity last year, another mutual friend who is also a teacher requested that a comfortable chair be put in the women's restroom. The friend tried to help out and discreetly asked the custodian several times. He dragged his feet and complained, and finally said that he didn't know why the women teachers felt they needed a chair in the restroom. The BFing teacher finally said (in front of a large group of teachers) "because I need somewhere to sit when I'm pumping my breast milk." I have never seen our custodian move so quickly. It was hilarious and she completely embarrassed him.

JenJar · January 2011

When I was pregnant with DS, I was one of 7 teachers due that year. We all went back to work. I always knew I wanted to teach and never ever thought I'd SAH. That being said, I worked a year before we moved out of state and it didn't make sense for me to start teaching since it was a short-term position. Now, I can't imagine ever going back to teaching. I love being a SAHM more than I ever thought I would.

NithyaV · January 2011

I'm not a teacher but in regards to pumping - I'm glad other people have thought of it. We have what are called "quiet rooms" b/c even if you have an office (which I don't b/c only more senior people get one) it has a fair amount of glass people can look into. I've heard women use the "quiet rooms" for pumping.

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