Teaching while pregnant can often be difficult because your time belongs to the students. It is important to find ways to slow down stay comfortable.
Working as a teacher while pregnant can be a huge burden on your body, especially during the last trimester. Here are some tips that you might consider that will lessen the stress and make life a little easier until your new baby arrives.
- Talk to other teachers or assistants close to your room so that you can have quick coverage to go to the bathroom. Wear protective pads or liners and practice your kegals every day too!
- Buy really comfortable shoes that are easy to slip on and off.
- Negotiate with other teachers so that you can stay inside during recess time with the study group while other teachers take your class outside.
- Bring in a desk chair that has wheels to move from one table/desk cluster to another without having to be on your feet the whole time. Likewise, find as much time to sit and rest as you can.
- Find a small box to put your feet up on whenever you have the chance to help minimize/bring down swelling.
- Slow down whenever possible! Teachers are often running in a hundred directions at once. Now is a great time to prioritize and learn how to work smarter instead of harder.
- Keep lots of snacks in your room so that you won’t ever get hungry. Low blood sugar can bring on nausea and can make you cranky, not to mention the drain on your energy.
- See if you can bribe the cafeteria staff into lining your students up and sending them out in the hall for you to lessen the amount of walking you need to do. Simple things like this may not seem like a big deal but the extra steps can really add up by the end of the day.
- Talk to your principal – It is important to be on the same page as your principal, making sure she knows you are taking your job seriously but that you might need some extra help as you near your due date. You might get permission to relax some about the dress code, too, which can make a huge difference in comfort, especially during the third trimester.
- If you want to work all the way up until you give birth, consider investing in Depends during those last few days in case your water breaks.
- Enlist student helpers to do as much as possible for you, including collecting and passing out papers.
Finally, try to find as many opportunities to reduce stress and relax!
Copyright Jennifer Wagaman. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Jennifer Wagaman - Jennifer is a mother of 2 and has both public, private and administrative experience in the education field.
Join the Conversation