HELP!!!- Advice needed please!!

Now, girls, I need your advice please...


I am finding that I am seriously overestimating what I can get done at the moment without falling in a heap! I'm also finding it really hard to sleep as I can't get comfy. My fall back position of on my back is painful now and I can't sleep on my side without a pillow. The trouble is that I've never been very good at sleeping while snuggled up to anything. DH and I sleep on opposite sides of the bed. So I can get to sleep with a pillow supporting my tummy but wake after about an hour because I'm uncomfortable and have to move.

Poor DH had me in tears last night about half 10 because I was so tired but couldn't sleep.

Now- here's my dilemma... I am a teacher and I had planned to finish the school year (Dec 10- makes me just oer 37 weeks) I'm starting to doubt my ability to make it. Especially since I teach in a demountable classroom (One of those metal boxes) which is roasting in summer! I am a contract teacher which means if I go off before Dec 10 I can take maternity leave up until the date of the end of my contract (Dec 10). But if I work up until I can't take mat leave after.

I'm starting to toss up taking some mat leave as I don't think I'll make it to Dec 10. My teaching partner and my DH think I should go off at the end of this term and take all of term 4 on mat leave (would be finishing at 27 weeks). I feel conflicted as I really want to be with these kids as long as possible but I know I have to put myself first. I've sent an email asking for a meeting with my principal to see what he thinks. I'm just finding it hard after so many years of teaching to think of myself before my class.

What do you all think, use your many hats- friends, parents, pregnant women, professionals. Also, any tips for my conversation with my boss as when I told him I was preggers I told him I planned to finish the year, after that conversation, he renewed my contract for the 2nd half of the year.

Hope I haven't confused you- I am crazy tired and not even seeing straight. Am at work today but tired and grumpy.

Hi glenny! I too am a teacher so I guess I have some idea where you are coming from however, I am suprised that being a contract teacher you can't for example start your maternity leave mid way through term 4 and then get your full entitlement (i.e. not have it stop at 10th Dec). I am in SA and, although I am now permanent, I have read it that regardless of the fact as to whether you are contract or permanent you are entitled to the full length of maternity leave if you have worked the previous 12 months before you start. In SA the maternity leave is also extended by school holidays. So are you sure you have your info right?

If you do then I guess it's a hard one. I for one don't know if I'd want to work to 37 weeks as that would be very difficult so I guess ending either end of term 3 or mid term 4 might be your best options. As for telling your boss, I'm sure he will understand, I mean you can never tell what things will be like for you being pregnant and the best intentions don't always work out.

Good luck with it all!

Mmmm I was thinking the same thing chody47. I'm a teacher in NSW and we can take mat leave at any time before our due date and be entitled to the full 14 weeks (as long as we have been working with the dpt for 12months or more.

I worked until 38 weeks with my first, and intended to work until the same with my second - but things got out of hand and I ended up getting sick (wound up in hossie) and took the last 2 weeks before my mat leave off as sick leave. I'm sure people weren't impressed but thats all I could do. Is sick leave an option?

Only you can really know what you are/are not capable of, and teaching really does sap the life out of you. I suppose it depends whether you are in early childhood, primary or high, and your workload.

GL

Glenny, I was re-reading the SA maternity leave info today and wasn't sure if one point may have confused you. I'm not sure if you get paid over school holidays for your contract or not, but it says that if you don't then the maternity leave goes 'on hold' whilst the holidays are happening (i.e. no pay) and then it resumes after the holidays. If you do get paid in holidays the maternity leave still goes 'on hold' during the holidays but you get paid your normal holiday pay (or pro rata - i.e. if you are taking maternity leave at 1/2 pay you get 1/2 your pay in hols) and then the maternity leave starts again once holidays stop.

Good luck with working it all out! I must admit it is kinda confusing to understand!

Thanks girls. Qld must be a bit different as I am not entitled to anything once my contract is up. My plan now is to try and make it to week 5 next term, that will make me 32 weeks and allow me to finish all the assessment and I can write reports at home. But I will still only get mat leave until Dec 10. I will get 4 weeks over summer though as I worked all year. I am having some trouble with muscle pain in my pelvis though so I might have to finish up at the end of this term.