Slapped cheek

[ch319]

Aaaah yet another thing for me to panic over we have slapped cheek At the school I work at! Luckily I have midwife appointment tomorrow - do you think I will be allowed a blood test?

[emmab178]

Is that Cockney rhyming slang?

[ch319 in reply to emmab178]

This made me laugh. It so sounds made up!

[emmab178]

Ok googled it (never heard of that!) says it's bad if you are pregnant and showing symptoms. See the nhs website.

Do your work know you are pregnant? I'd have thought a risk assessment would say you stay out of the school till it's all gone to be safe.

I do site visits to chemical sites and told my company as soon as I'd had the heartbeat scan. Occupational health banned all travel for me for the first trimester at least (till they figured out the risk) and waiting to hear on the plan for the next stages.

Your employer has a legal obligation to keep you and your bean safe which you can't be fired or discriminated against. Ie if staying away is the only option they should send you home on full pay.

[ch319 in reply to emmab178]

Oh wow I didn't know this it has made me worried. There is another woman at the school further on than me who is 18weeks pregnant she had a blood test that came back inconclusive

[Lizzielizzielizzie in reply to ch319]

You both need a risk assessment in my opinion.

[Lizzielizzielizzie]

My friend was allowed a blood test in similar circumstances. Only thing is, I think it takes a little while to get results back.

[ch319 in reply to Lizzielizzielizzie]

Ok thanks for this. I think it's worth an ask tomorrow and I will also ask about what my employer can / should do to help

[Lizzielizzielizzie in reply to ch319]

You could go to your head armed with the relevant documentation if you think you need to... Here's a dfe document to help them understand it is a serious issue. see page 11 gov.uk/government/uploads/s...

[Lizzielizzielizzie in reply to Lizzielizzielizzie]

There's also NUT guidance here: teachers.org.uk/sites/defau...

But I think your midwife will be able to give you advice and reassurance about this xx

[ch319 in reply to Lizzielizzielizzie]

Thanks for this

[Lizzielizzielizzie in reply to ch319]

Let us know what the midwife says x

[emu2016]

Slap face in kids is parvo virus in adults isn't it? I've had parvo virus... it wasn't pleasant. Do spk to your doctor xx

[emmab178]

Wouldn't it be the same kind of thing if it were a German measles outbreak? You'd be told to stay well clear in that case aswell.

Your work have a liability to keep you safe. Presume there is some occupational health/health and safety or at least hr to ask.

I was hoping to be kept home on full pay as I really can't do my job pregnant or breastfeeding however they found some stuff in the office for me to do. Boooo.

Maybe they could at least isolate You from the germ monkeys

[ch319 in reply to emmab178]

Thanks for all this advice it is so helpful. Initially I totally downplayed it like it was some ridiculous thing someone had made up but reading about slapped cheek on the NHS has really freaked me out

[emmab178 in reply to ch319]

Yeah I was the same with chemicals, shrugging off the risk but then I went to a site and they wanted to show me the lab and I was like 'nope, I'm pregnant, no'

I'm quite glad occupational health stepped in as my boss was trying to push it on to "what I feel comfortable doing" so I pushed it back onto Occupational health asking for a questionnaire for the sites I visit and a list of what chemicals to avoid. Poor woman has no clue lol.

If they try to downplay it and push it into you ask for it in writing. My company were very quick to stop me travelling so guess they are in big doo doos if they say something is fine and it's not.

Definitely ask your midwife though as German measles and is it chicken pox (?) are also bad for pregnancy. Bet they have a list but you'd think with schools it's a pretty common question

[Lizzielizzielizzie in reply to ch319]

There's a high chance you are already immune... most people come across the virus in childhood without even knowing apparently.