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June 2015 Moms
sandreah
member
Handicap parking??
sandreah
member
I was wondering if any of you ladies have ever had your doctor authorize a handicap parking card during your pregnancy?
I know that pregnancy is not considered a disability, but I attend a fashion design program at my college which requires me to lug 2 sewing machines, drafting supplies, a dress form, and a crap ton of other large items to and from class twice a week. The parking is outrageous and even taking 3 trips to my car each way is starting to take it's toll.
I go back to the doctor next week but was just wondering if anyone has ever had a card issued just during their pregnancy. Thanks!!
I know that pregnancy is not considered a disability, but I attend a fashion design program at my college which requires me to lug 2 sewing machines, drafting supplies, a dress form, and a crap ton of other large items to and from class twice a week. The parking is outrageous and even taking 3 trips to my car each way is starting to take it's toll.
I go back to the doctor next week but was just wondering if anyone has ever had a card issued just during their pregnancy. Thanks!!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Handicap parking??
2nd round exp 8/20/18.
To reiterate, I know that simply being pregnant is not a disability. During my first two pregnancies I worked full time 50+ hours a week, performed all of my job duties, and asked for no concessions. I was also placed on strict bed rest at 28 and 30 weeks for preterm labor and am high risk this time around as a result. This isn't a case of a pregnant woman being lazy about walking from the back of the parking lot at the mall. I have a cart that I use and yet I still arrived in class today with my feet so swollen they wouldn't fit in my flip flops (I'm in California and it was 80 today), back spasms that made it nearly impossible to sit (which I have to do to sew and draft), and pain in my belly.
I know some of you will say that I should quit school if the commute is so difficult. And if I did that I would be interrupting my normal life due to a physical limitation, how is that not being disabled even if it is only temporary?
As for mommy and expect and mommy spaces - I actually am a fan. Last pregnancy my son was pressing on a nerve for about the last 2 months - I tried physical therapy and other things to move him, but only delivery worked. When I had to walk far distances it was excruciating. And once the baby is born, it was helpful at the grocery store of doctors office to have a closer place to park - when I was allowed to drive but still recovering from a c-section.
I would suggest asking about a "loading and unloading" spot, or a pass for a closer lot.
Proud Mama to cleft cutie
EDITED: In California you are considered handicapped for your second and third trimesters If you have a medical need and a doctor's signed approval and can get a temporary pass. I try not to use it unless I am at my office where I cannot get out of the parking spots when a car is parked next to mine because the spaces are sooo small.
@allrightmeow I agree with you. This is how my company told me to handle the parking situation at work though. I only use mine there.
Like PPs, I also have a paralyzed family member and other family members with legitimate passes/need for those spots... Would be curious though to hear from someone with a disability (or who is differently abled, however you prefer to term it), as I wonder if those of us who are pregnant and feeling good are perhaps pretty protective of our friends and family who need those spaces way more than we do (and more than most of the jack a$$es who often steal those spots!). I am often livid on behalf of my wheelchair-bound uncle, and he often just tells me to calm down. But that's only my personal experience, so just wondering aloud, not judging.
Good luck to OP. Hope your pain eases, you find a solution, and you have a healthy pregnancy and babe.
Franco Paul born 6/4/15 at 39 weeks. Mila Francesca born 10/19/13 at 37 weeks. Both born via C-Section after 6 years of fertility treatments, disappointments and losses. Love them!!
All I'm saying is this isn't an inquiry as if pregnancy itself is a disability. And while I share the instinct to get defensive about handicap spaces, and love that the thoughtful folks on this board share my opinion on that, I do think OP is unfairly criticized here for her pretty sensitive, thoughtful question in what sounds like a horrible situation for her.
Internet posts are hard to read for tone. Not trying to argue or do anything here but engage in thoughtful consideration of the entire circumstance. I like making myself think through all angles of moral issues like this and have found myself more willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, or at least to consider alternative perspectives, since becoming pregnant.
To OP, I would speak to your school first. If they are unable to accommodate you, then go to your doctor. Looks like you did mention some medical issues that may afford you the ability to aquire a temporary pass if your doctor orders it. I have a inguinial hernia, which is not visible. I have to literally pick up my left leg using my hands to get into the car. The pain causes me to have a vasovagal response which causes me to nearly faint at times. I am 26 wks and my bump is relatively small and low, so I always get the side eye. I could care less about what others are thinking when I get out of my vehicle. I would be miserable without my plates. There is no harm in asking. It will either be a yes or no.
My mother has been paralyzed since I was a year and a half old. I can say for her, that she needs the handicap spot because they are larger, not closer to the entrance. This allows her to open her door all the way and put her wheelchair together or take it apart and get in and out of the car.
You really should talk to your school before you take the route of getting a handicap pass. They could be accomodating. Or, ask someone in your class for help. Maybe you could trade picking them up for class for them to carry everything in? There are other options to consider before you try to get a pass.