When did you start wearing your baby on board badge?

[sophied1983]

Sx

[TheCatsMeow]

I didn't.

[VashtaNerada]

Once I'd told work because I was paranoid I'd bump into someone on the way! Could have done with it from the start really though, when the morning sickness was at its worst.

[Inwaiting]

From around 16 weeks

[elQuintoConyo]

There's a badge? Does it look like a Blue Peter badge? Or more like a school prefect badge? Is it in a smug colour? Smeige or smink or smurple??

[Nottodaythankyouorever]

I didn't and I commuted every day.

[tilder]

I didn't know there was a pregnancy badge. Am not sure what the purchase of such a badge would be. Personally I found the size of my tummy to be sufficient.

[tilder]

OK, is this the 'baby on board' stickers people have in the back of their car? Hmm, well to be polite I had probably better back away most.

Congratulations on your pregnancy

[StrawberryQuik]

From around 6 weeks ish. (I used to put it in my pocket before getting to work until my 12 week scan)

I really needed it tbh I was commuting into Waterloo in August and fainted regularly if I had to stand ( proper blacked out to find myself having been lifted up and lain down over a couple of seats type fainting.)

[BasinHaircut]

I did get one, and kept it in my bag, but TBH I never felt I needed to wear it. Couldn't work out what the point of it was.

I had a good pregnancy and always felt able to stand, and sometimes needed to after a day at work. Had a small bump so never realy got offered seats as you couldn't really tell I was pregnant till quite late on, and never could tell from behind.

I don't really think they achieve anything that just asking for a seat couldn't. I think that people get unnecessarily huffy about people not offering them a seat when they are pregnant, but personally I feel the onus to ensure you get a seat if you need one is you, not someone who is sitting down reading a book and not paying attention to whether every woman is wearing a baby on board badge when they get on the train or not.

But saying that, if you feel you need to wear the badge to justify asking for a seat, if that gives you confidence to do so, then wear it from whatever point you want to.

[Zebrasinpyjamas]

I started around 20 weeks as I felt I needed a seat then (my first trimester was fine) and wanted people to be more aware of my bump when pushing past me. I do think most commuters are more considerate when you wear one. It doesn't guarantee it though!

[StrawberryQuik]

I looked my badge. Most of my pregnancy work clothes are black floaty dresses and I still got the 'I wasn't sure if you were pregnant' remarks till about 7 months,

[StrawberryQuik]

*loved my badge not looked.

[Hamsolo]

I wear mine now, largely in the hope that I'll get barged a bit less in rush hour on the tube, and so that people won't crush up against me (as much). It mainly works, or at least people are politer if you ask them to back off. I'm 20 weeks so not needing a seat yet. To be honest I needed a seat more at the height of morning sickness!

[stumblymonkey]

I'm going to wear mine from the minute I get a positive test.

I'm a bit fat around the middle and it will allow me to be like 'This isn't fat y'know....it's a BABY'.

Even though the baby will be sesame seed sized

[Inwaiting]

to be honest, pre pregnancy those badges were a god send for me. i'm in the in-between stage of is she/isn't she and spotting those badges saved lots of embarrassment for me and the pregnant (or not pregnant mother)

I'm 21 weeks now and fainting pretty regular.

i've been witness to a mother to be who got elbowed in her stomach so hard (because of the train jolting not on purpose) that they had to call an ambulance. So if you want to wear your badge, wear your badge. I do and find it very useful.

I agree with zebrainpyjamas. Most (not all) commuters are much more considerate when you are wearing one.

Congratulations on your pregnancy :)

[goodnightdarthvader1]

Not in London, so never did, but I'd wear it when I started feeling ill. Its function is to allow you to get a seat, not because you are pregnant and therefore a special flower, but because you might puke / faint / fall over due to its impact on your health.

[SleepyRoo]

I wore the BOB badge from 20 weeks until my last day of commuting FT at 37 weeks - it only "worked" on its own 50 per cent of the time though!! Mostly I had to push my way to the priority seat and literally tap on the arm the zonked-out person sitting there, smile like an idiot, point at badge/bump (even when I was massive), 4 times a day!! People just don't notice during rush hour. And, twice somebody in the priority seat refused to get up, not giving any reason just ignoring meI came to the conclusion that the badge is all very well, but needs to be accompanied by a full matching set of BOB illuminated hat, glowing t-shirt, sirens, dry ice...

[SleepyRoo]

I wore the BOB badge from 20 weeks until my last day of commuting FT at 37 weeks - it only "worked" on its own 50 per cent of the time though!! Mostly I had to push my way to the priority seat and literally tap on the arm the zonked-out person sitting there, smile like an idiot, point at badge/bump (even when I was massive), 4 times a day!! People just don't notice during rush hour. And, twice somebody in the priority seat refused to get up, not giving any reason just ignoring meI came to the conclusion that the badge is all very well, but needs to be accompanied by a full matching set of BOB illuminated hat, glowing t-shirt, sirens, dry ice...

[KnitsBakesAndReads]

I think I started wearing mine from about 14 weeks. It wasn't so much that I needed a seat then (though definitely do now as I have entirely lost my ability to balance on a moving train!) but more that I just wanted people to be a teeny bit less likely to push or squash me as I had to travel in rush hour and was finding it quite scary.

Before I started wearing it I was on a rush hour tube one morning and a woman who wanted to get on an already packed train pushed me so hard that I had to say very loudly to her to stop as I'm pregnant. I wouldn't normally have said anything but I was scared and she was hurting me. She was really horrible to me and stood right up close to me shouting in my face that I was being selfish and trying to stop her getting to work on time. Luckily other people around me intervened and told her to back off.

Not long after that I decided to order one of the badges in the hope that people would be a bit understanding if I asked to move to a less crowded bit of the train so I'd be less likely to get squashed by people getting off and on the train.

It's a shame the badges are needed at all but I do think they're a good idea.

[Fairenuff]

I've never heard of the them. Do you have a photo OP? Or indeed any contribution to make to your thread?

[TheTravellingLemon]

I wore mine from about 12 weeks and I appreciated other people wearing them too, to save embarrassment.

Before that I was worried that I would bump into someone from work.

[Inwaiting]

they're free to order and you can get them from here tfl.gov.uk/advertorial/baby-on-board

[KnitsBakesAndReads]

Like the illuminate hat idea Roo! One of my friends got so tired of people pretending they hadn't seen her badge (the classic look up then immediately bury their face in a newspaper as though they hadn't noticed the enormous bump and badge tactic) that she ended up wearing three badges - one on her coat, another on her bag and one lower on her coat so it was at eye level of people sitting down. She said she felt a bit silly but it was worth it as she often felt faint on the tube and really did need a seat.

[goodnightdarthvader1]

I've never heard of the them. Do you have a photo OP? Or indeed any contribution to make to your thread?

Fucking hell, faire, you want to ease off the coffee, mate? No need to be so arsey. OP only started the thread an hour ago, it's Sunday morning. She's not fucked off for a week, has she?

As for a photo, you never hear of Google? First hit: tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/images/promos/baby-on-board-badge_rdax_400x200.jpg

The internet's amazing (sometimes), innit?

[Fairenuff]

Calm down darth