Parking Spots for Expectant Mothers

cjl5072 · September 2012

Hi everyone! I'm a FTM and not sure what protocol is for the parking spots reserved for Expectant Mothers... So what rule of thumb do you use? How early in your pregnancy will you start parking in those spots?

Also, have you ever said anything to anyone who is either obviously not pregnant (like a woman in her 50's) or a man who parked in one of those spots? I saw a man park in one this week and my pregnancy hormones started raging... It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut lol.

mommysangels · September 2012

No but somebody took the mother with infant parking and I was so upset when I seen an old man get out. I know it was selfish but I am pregnant and have an infant and toddler. At babiesrus people are pretty good about leaving the parking for pregnant woman. I usually take advantage of those spaces when it takes longer to get to the car.

guilletskichuk · September 2012

This isn't related to the questions you posed but I think it's a funny story so I have to share it.

When I was 19, I parked in a parking spot for expectant mothers. It was outside of a bank that was in a strip mall that was closed for the night. My friends and I were running into the bank to get cash from the ATM in order to go out to the bar. There were NO other vehicles in sight as it was around 10pm and nothing else was open. I hadn't even noticed the sign where I parked because it was so dark. As I was standing at the ATM, taking out $40, my friends noticed that a tow truck was hitching itself up to the rear-end of my car! We had only been in the bank for a total of 2 minutes! It turns out the tow truck had been lurking nearby and looking for unobservant people like me to make money off of. I was pretty annoyed at the time because I felt set up. There were literally NO other vehicles in the parking lot so if there was an expectant mother needing to use the ATM, there would have been countless other parking stalls to use. I know I would have seen the sign had it been daylight.

Anyways, in order to have my vehicle released, I had to pay the tow truck driver $34 and change. All I had was the $40 I just took out of the ATM (and the tow truck driver didn't have any change to give back to me. I was a little ticked by that). So I had to go back inside to get another $40 for my evening. I found it ironic that the tow truck driver let me go back into the bank while my car stayed parked in the expectant mothers' stall (after he unhooked me). If it was such a concern for me to be parked in the stall in the first place, wouldn't he have asked me to move? It was a total DB move on his part. I didn't intentionally park there to inconvenience anyone. He was sitting there trying to make money off of unsuspecting people. My friends said that I should have said I was expecting so that I wouldn't have to pay but, really, I'm sure it didn't look like I was expecting as 5 giggly teenage girls, dressed for the bar, went running from my car into the bank.

12 years later I am pregnant and doubt that I will use those parking stalls. There aren't any in the town in which I live and only a few in the city nearby. I can handle walking the extra distance by myself and/or with my DH and my 7 and 11 year old stepkids. Now, if I had a LO or more and was pregnant with another, I would consider using a stall like that because it WOULD be easier.

I've never seen anyone that shouldn't be parking in an expectant mothers parking stall...but, if I did, I would probably say something. I would most definitely say something if I saw someone park in a handicapped parking spot.

shibby00 · September 2012

I saw a lady who appeared to be around 70 years old park in one at the grocery store last week. I loudly proclaimed to DD that it was a miracle!!!

SarahRae85 · September 2012

I hate when people take those spots. I refuse to take them until I'm in my 3rd trimester and am waddling, though. I figure that's what those spots are for: for the women so large that walking is a chore.

I also hated the stroller/family parking at a nearby mall. I had two very young kids and I watched one woman park there and let her 7 year old out of the car and they walked in. Meanwhile, it was the last of the family parking so I had to park in the back and lug my kids (I had a single stroller only, so my 2-year-old had to walk) all the way across the parking lot.

Those spots are for the people who are going to be moderately inconvenienced by the condition described. I gave my friend the stink eye for taking one of the expectant mother spots because she was 9 weeks pregnant. Especially when we later saw an obviously pregnant woman walking from several spots further down as we got back into our car (I felt like the biggest loser and couldn't look her in the eye as she passed us).

Never said anything, though. I don't think it's necessary a "legal" thing so much as a consideration, and generally assume people that use it without looking like they need it (sorry, I don't care if you're 12 weeks pregnant, if I don't see you waddling, you get lumped into this group) are inconsiderate jerks.

Licia&Wayne · September 2012

Honestly? These spots are total entitlement. Yes, it's for your convenience, but c'mon. There's no legal right to those spots nor a legal definition as to whom is worthy of using them.

Being pregnant and/or having small children is not a physical disability. It's not like parking for those with physical handicaps. Take advantage of the expectant mother parking when you can if you want to and stop acting like it's something society owes you, or anyone else, for procreating.

RandomLurker · September 2012

I didn't use them at all in my last pregnancy as I felt there wasn't a need. I parked in one the other day because my back was killing me (yes, already) and I had my DD with me. All I wanted was to get in the store, get what I needed, and get out as fast as possible. As far as who parks there, I don't pay attention.

VPGIRL06 · September 2012

I would imagine those sports are either for a)women with complications in their pregnancy and are supposed to be limiting their physical activity, b)for women in their last weeks/month of pregnancy, in a hot environment where they shouldn't be walking around or c)for women who are pregnant and also have a young toddler/baby to contend with. Anyone else (including other pregnant women!) doesn't really need to use those and if it's about leaving it for the neediest I would avoid it unless it's really in yours and the baby's best interest.

jahjbmr · September 2012

I've parked there 2x. I was so nauseous I was about to throw up in the car so I wanted to be close

Carrie2375 · September 2012

"I saw a lady who appeared to be around 70 years old park in one at the grocery store last week. I loudly proclaimed to DD that it was a miracle!!!"

LOL too funny

lynn3yb00 · September 2012

VPGIRL06:
I would imagine those sports are either for a)women with complications in their pregnancy and are supposed to be limiting their physical activity, b)for women in their last weeks/month of pregnancy, in a hot environment where they shouldn't be walking around or c)for women who are pregnant and also have a young toddler/baby to contend with. Anyone else (including other pregnant women!) doesn't really need to use those and if it's about leaving it for the neediest I would avoid it unless it's really in yours and the baby's best interest.

This.

Also, IMO the "family" parking spots* were created for a)one adult with 2 children who are young enough that they need help getting in the car&carseat or b) expectant mom who is alone with a child who needs help getting in the car&carseat. I think if your child is old enough that they can get in and out of the car and carseat without help, they are old enough to walk.

Anne Mommy · September 2012

With DS I didn't show until really late (like the end of Feb) and it was really cold in Nebraska. I was heading to the store and had to pee really bad. To be fair, I was nearly 8 months pregnant running into the store like I was going to pee any second. Some lady made a comment about how I wasn't pregnant enough to use the spot. Pregnant is pregnant lady! As a general rule, I try to walk anyway. If you want to use it, use it.

sucrets4 · September 2012

Licia&Wayne:
Honestly? These spots are total entitlement. Yes, it's for your convenience, but c'mon. There's no legal right to those spots nor a legal definition as to whom is worthy of using them. Being pregnant and/or having small children is not a physical disability. It's not like parking for those with physical handicaps. Take advantage of the expectant mother parking when you can if you want to and stop acting like it's something society owes you, or anyone else, for procreating.

This.

And it's a ploy. They want you to feel special so that you go there because you get to park in the spot. I eyeroll them, although I've used the pregnant ones before with DD.

Lorie+Elizabeth · September 2012

When I first found out I was pregnant I thought about using one, I decided against it, even though I was only in the grocery literally two minutes, I didn't want to take it if someone else needed it. Now where I live they all say "expectant mothers at least six months" I am barely showing at 4, I am super tiny so I probably won't look six months until closer to the end. But I also people all the time use the handicapped spots when they don't really need it anyway.

RibbitGrl930 · September 2012

I'm with PP. I will probably only use them once I get so big that walking is either exhausting or extremely uncomfortable. I can walk around just fine now, so I don't see the need to use them before that point.

toriwc · September 2012

The only time I used them was the last three weeks with DD when I went to the hospital for NSTs every other day. There's never any close parking there, and I was on bed rest anyway, so I figured I should probably limit my walking. And they have three of these spaces there (that were never all filled), so I didn't feel like I was taking it from the woman racing in to deliver.

MizMess · September 2012

I definitely think those spots are a little silly - as some PPs have noted, they're there to make us feel special and entitled (and thus win our business) more than anything else. That said, I do think that it's obnoxious when people park in those spots when they're obviously not of the age or sex to be pregnant. There are enough pregnant women on bed rest or in 3rd-tri-full-waddle-mode that I definitely side-eye non-pregnant people who park there.

kac831 · September 2012

I won't use it until I am noticeably pregnant and feel like i need it.

Right now you can barely tell and I am perfectly capable of walking a little extra. I wouldn't want to take that from someone close to their due date who is waddling!

jkoulton · September 2012

::lurking::

I think these spots are great for winter. Less chance you have to slip and fall.

LiteraryFoodie · September 2012

Licia&Wayne:
Honestly? These spots are total entitlement. Yes, it's for your convenience, but c'mon. There's no legal right to those spots nor a legal definition as to whom is worthy of using them. Being pregnant and/or having small children is not a physical disability. It's not like parking for those with physical handicaps. Take advantage of the expectant mother parking when you can if you want to and stop acting like it's something society owes you, or anyone else, for procreating.

I totally agree. When it is 115 degrees outside and humid, would I like a closer parking spot, sure, but I'm not incapable of walking to the store. Seriously, it's not like we're walking a 1/2 marathon to get to the entrance. It's a couple hundred feet and exercise is good.

I get really upset when I see people without handicap stickers or plates park in handicap spots--and I will say something to the driver if I see them. It's not only inconsiderate, it is just plain lazy and selfish. Get over yourself, you are not so important that you MUST have a close parking spot.

lindseybell3 · September 2012

Licia&Wayne:
Honestly? These spots are total entitlement. Yes, it's for your convenience, but c'mon. There's no legal right to those spots nor a legal definition as to whom is worthy of using them. Being pregnant and/or having small children is not a physical disability. It's not like parking for those with physical handicaps. Take advantage of the expectant mother parking when you can if you want to and stop acting like it's something society owes you, or anyone else, for procreating.

When you are 9 months pregnant, it can become quite difficult to walk... even painful. Personally I think it's still good to stay as active as possible throughout pregnancy but if it is an icy day and you are largely pregnant I can see why they come in handy. You can't see your feet! I used to fall all the time when I was pregnant with my son and out walking through the snow. As for having a small child, trying to walk across a busy parking lot with a toddler who does NOT want to hold your hand can be harrowing. You might appreciate them in the future.

Licia&Wayne · September 2012

Lindsey, you're not going to change my mind. If people want to take advantage of the spots, go right ahead. I don't think they're owed to anyone, even if they're having a physically difficult time.

Eta: having difficulty walking is not exclusive to pregnancy. You can be elderly, obese, have arthritis, etc. and not qualify for a handicap parking placard. Are there parking spots for those portions of the population as well?

emisi · September 2012

guilletskichuk:
This isn't related to the questions you posed but I think it's a funny story so I have to share it.
When I was 19, I parked in a parking spot for expectant mothers. It was outside of a bank that was in a strip mall that was closed for the night. My friends and I were running into the bank to get cash from the ATM in order to go out to the bar. There were NO other vehicles in sight as it was around 10pm and nothing else was open. I hadn't even noticed the sign where I parked because it was so dark. As I was standing at the ATM, taking out $40, my friends noticed that a tow truck was hitching itself up to the rear-end of my car! We had only been in the bank for a total of 2 minutes! It turns out the tow truck had been lurking nearby and looking for unobservant people like me to make money off of. I was pretty annoyed at the time because I felt set up. There were literally NO other vehicles in the parking lot so if there was an expectant mother needing to use the ATM, there would have been countless other parking stalls to use. I know I would have seen the sign had it been daylight.
Anyways, in order to have my vehicle released, I had to pay the tow truck driver $34 and change. All I had was the $40 I just took out of the ATM (and the tow truck driver didn't have any change to give back to me. I was a little ticked by that). So I had to go back inside to get another $40 for my evening. I found it ironic that the tow truck driver let me go back into the bank while my car stayed parked in the expectant mothers' stall (after he unhooked me). If it was such a concern for me to be parked in the stall in the first place, wouldn't he have asked me to move? It was a total DB move on his part. I didn't intentionally park there to inconvenience anyone. He was sitting there trying to make money off of unsuspecting people. My friends said that I should have said I was expecting so that I wouldn't have to pay but, really, I'm sure it didn't look like I was expecting as 5 giggly teenage girls, dressed for the bar, went running from my car into the bank.
12 years later I am pregnant and doubt that I will use those parking stalls. There aren't any in the town in which I live and only a few in the city nearby. I can handle walking the extra distance by myself and/or with my DH and my 7 and 11 year old stepkids. Now, if I had a LO or more and was pregnant with another, I would consider using a stall like that because it WOULD be easier.
I've never seen anyone that shouldn't be parking in an expectant mothers parking stall...but, if I did, I would probably say something. I would most definitely say something if I saw someone park in a handicapped parking spot.

Frankly, that guy scammed you. Those spots aren't legally mandated like handicapped spots, so there was no reason he SHOULD have been able to tow you. You were a woman - for all he knew, you WERE pregnant. Bet he would have done the same to an obviously pregnant woman.

onlymeggan · September 2012

I figure when older people park there it's because they see it as an extension of handicap parking. I assume this because that's how I use it LOL When none of my handicap parking is available I park in the expectant mother parking. I have a toddler, am disabled and am pregnant, but I won't lie.. I use it when I'm not pregnant- I dare someone to make me POAS to prove I can park there. I manage the best I can when my DH is at work and if that means parking in the expectant mothers spot I'll do it. There really aren't enough handicap parking spots out in the world.

ansack · September 2012

A few weeks ago (I was 11 weeks along), I parked directly across from one of those spots. After I returned to my vehicle I aw an older man pull into it. I just rolled my eyes and started to back out. Meanwhile, he saw the sign and then backed right into me. I wish he would have just stayed parked!

KYmama9286 · September 2012

Eh, I just view them as an added convenience. If one is available I will park in it (regardless of how pregnant I am because I have 2 little kids and am always lugging a super heavy diaper bag and wrangling a toddler who likes to dart in parking lots). If one isn't available I just park wherever- If I am by myself I don't use them unless I am feeling uncomfortable at the end of pregnancy. I don't really get all that annoyed if they are all full or other people use them- its really not that big a deal.

er32585 · September 2012

I definitely would have snapped on the lazy guy who parked in the expecting mother spot. Even If I was not going to park there, another mom might have needed that spot.

I have noticed that there are very few places that have expecting mother parking spots.

SunnyCanadian · September 2012

Licia&Wayne:
Honestly? These spots are total entitlement. Yes, it's for your convenience, but c'mon. There's no legal right to those spots nor a legal definition as to whom is worthy of using them. Being pregnant and/or having small children is not a physical disability. It's not like parking for those with physical handicaps. Take advantage of the expectant mother parking when you can if you want to and stop acting like it's something society owes you, or anyone else, for procreating.

A-frickin-men. My mom thinks they're totally ridiculous. I live in a climate that gets bitterly cold, icy & snowy in the winter and it's amazing how my mother and other mothers survived parking & walking into the store while pregnant before these spots came around! They're all walking miracles I guess Confused .

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