Tips for Pregnant Teachers (From a Teacher) in 2024

If you’re a teacher and pregnant, then you’re probably wondering how to navigate your job while pregnant, when to tell your students and admin that you’re pregnant, how to survive teaching while pregnant, and several other things.

First of all – congratulations! Being a pregnant teacher is different from other professions, because your primary audience is kids. You want to make sure you care for yourself adequately, but also want to do the best you can by your class and school.

I was already a parent when I became a teacher, but I got pregnant with my second child at the beginning of a school year, a few years into my career as a teacher.

As a former teacher and now a writer, I’m going to share with you tips on how to navigate teaching while pregnant, and little tips to help do your job as a teacher during pregnancy.

So, let’s jump in – tips for pregnant teachers!

Tips for Pregnant Teachers

While I cannot provide medical advice, I can give you advice pertaining to teaching while pregnant and navigating your job as a teacher while being pregnant

1. Consult with your doctor or medical professional

The most important thing above all is for you to consult with your doctor, nurse practitioner or any other medical professional who’s care you’re under.

You’d likely be doing this regardless of whether you’re a teacher or not. But, there might be some specific things to discuss with your healthcare providers pertaining to teaching while pregnant.

Some of things to discuss with your doctor may be:

• Any concerns you have about doing your job while pregnant
  
• If there are school duties you should be exempt from as a pregnant teacher (such as coaching basketball, or working with a student who has violent outbursts)
  
• Strategies for how to deal with pregnancy symptoms while teaching
  
• When to tell your supervisor that you’re pregnant (this advice may differ for everyone’s situation.)
  
• How close to your delivery date you should teach for.

All of these things depend on your situation, which your health care provider is the expert on. So, be sure to go over these things pertaining to pregnant teachers with your doctor in order to get the best guidance.

2. Educate yourself on your leave options

Your maternity leave options will differ widely based on where you live. Regardless of where you are, you want to make sure you figure out:

• How long you’re entitled to be off on maternity leave for
• What healthcare benefits you’ll have access to while you’re off
• If you are entitled to any sick leave in case you need to go on leave before your due date

3. Have some emergency teaching plans ready to go at all times

Have emergency day plans ready for a substitute teacher, in case you need to be away for any unexpected reason.

Having three days of plans ready in advance is standard, and a requirement for teachers (at least where I live.) But when you’re pregnant, it’s a good idea to stay on top of this especially well.

You never know if one day you won’t feel well enough to come in, or if your baby comes a few days or weeks earlier than expected.

It’s good to have those plans in place, so that you don’t have to scramble last minute should something come up.

4. Have a self-care kit at work

I recommend having some self-care items at work for any teacher, but would be especially important if you’re pregnant.

Any of the ideas in my teacher survival kit would be of benefit to pregnant teachers. Some ideas are:

• healthy snacks in your desk
• a large water bottle
• ginger chews to help with nausea if you have it during this pregnancy, or anything else that your doctor recommends

5. Get a cover for your classroom for bathroom breaks

You’re generally not allowed to leave your students alone in the classroom. Teaching while pregnant can sometimes conflict with this rule because there may be times you need to rush to the bathroom quickly.

This is why I recommend asking the teachers in the classroom next door or across the hall to keep an eye on your class in case you need a quick bathroom break.

I asked them in advance, and then if I needed to go, I knocked to let them know. They then kept an eye on my class as well as theirs while I ran to the washroom. (This is something handy even if you’re not pregnant- but is particularly useful for pregnant teachers.)

6. Wear comfy shoes and clothes

Being pregnant is uncomfortable enough as it is, and as a teacher, you’re going to be on your feet and moving around a lot.

I recommend wearing comfy shoes, and loose-fitting, stretchy clothes.

Pro Tip: If you live in a hot climate and you’ll be teaching in the warmer months, I recommend having forgiving (but still supportive) shoes to accommodate swelling feet.

7. Strive towards a good work-life balance (if you don’t already)

If this is your first pregnancy, then you’re about to become a teacher-parent for the first time.

Work-life balance for any teacher is sometimes a struggle, but it’s especially challenging for teachers who have their own kids at home.

Being a teacher and a parent can be a lot to juggle, and often, a different ball game from not having kids of your own at home in addition to those in the classroom. You want to give 100% of yourself to both, but you may always feel like one is falling short.

If you haven’t already been establishing routines that ensure you’re doing your job while also taking care of yourself and family, then now is the time to start thinking about that.

Be sure to:

• ✅ Get the rest, food, exercise and hydration that you need
• ✅ Keep up with your appointments; both pregnancy-related and others
• ✅ Don’t feel bad for saying no and drawing boundaries
• ✅ Take the time to destress and engage with some of your hobbies and interests

When to Tell Your Students that You’re Pregnant

When you deliver the news to your students that you’re pregnant is going to depend on many things – a big one being which grade you teach and how old your students are.

Here is a guideline on the best time to tell your students, based on their age group.

Under 10 years old

If you teach younger students, then I recommend them when you’re 3 months away from delivering (if they don’t pick up on it before that.)

By 3 months out from your due date, things are more set in stone and you will have answers to more of the questions they will likely ask you (such as, when will you be leaving? How long will you be away? etc.)

10-18 years old

If your students are older, then I recommend waiting for them to start noticing your pregnancy on their own, because they will pick up on it faster than younger kids will.

Once you suspect that some of them may be starting to catch on that you’re pregnant, then you can deliver the news to the class when you feel ready.

This is what I did when I taught these grades: I wanted until I felt that my 11-12 year old students were noticing my ‘bump’ around the 5-month mark. That was when I decided to address it with the class.

If your students are younger, they may have a lot of questions about your pregnancy and what is going to happen. You probably won’t receive as many questions if you teach older kids.

Pro Tip: In most cases, I believe it’s best to just get the student’s attention and tell them that you have some news to share. One teacher I knew told them with a hangman message (a fun way to do it if they’re maybe between

When to Tell Admin That You’re Pregnant

When you choose to disclose your pregnancy to your admin is up to you. It depends on your unique situation, and comfort level with your admin. Hopefully, you have a good admin who will be nothing but supportive.

If you work under a union, then I recommend reaching out to your union representative right away to find out the best course of action in terms of when to officially disclose your pregnancy at work.

Our union representative told us that we weren’t obligated to share the news with our admin at any time. (Other than right before we go on maternity leave -however, most people would likely be able to tell before that.)

Generally, most teachers follow the 3-month rule before sharing their news with coworkers and admin. But, you can wait a bit longer than this if you prefer.

When to Stop Teaching While Pregnant

How long to teach during your pregnancy depends on a lot of things:

• The nature of your job; how physically or mentally taxing you find it
• How long you want to stay for
• Most importantly, your doctor’s advice

Some teachers teach until the day before their due date, and some of them go off early at the advice of their doctor or because of their own preference.

I was under the care of midwives when I was a pregnant teacher, and they were very supportive of whatever the mother felt most comfortable with. So this is definitely a conversation to have with your care providers.

You need to decide what is best for you. Although being a teacher is an important job, I recommend putting yourself and your family first.

Pregnant Teacher FAQ

Here are the most commonly asked questions about teaching while pregnant

What is it like to be pregnant as a teacher?

Being a pregnant teacher feels like carrying an extra weight around, as you walk around the room. I avoided some situations that I thought might be hazardous to my growing bump, and I tried to maintain a good work-life balance so that I had the time for rest that I needed.

Can I teach during pregnancy?

In most cases, you can still teach during pregnancy. But you’ll need to discuss your situation and pregnancy with a healthcare professional, as well as any concerns you have about the nature of your job as a teacher in order to decide on how far into your pregnancy to continue teaching.

Final Thoughts on Teaching While Pregnant

Again – congratulations. Your job as a teacher is rewarding, and you are about to start another job that is very rewarding.

Remember that while your students are likely very important to you, you can’t help them if you’re not feeling up to it, for any reason.

When I was pregnant, I fell asleep on the couch every day after a day of teaching. I recommend trying to cut down on planning or ‘extras’ while you’re a pregnant teacher, so that you have the time to get the rest you need. Your body – and baby – will thank you!