to think the expectant mothers parking spaces in asda will cause a few thread bun fights

[ledkrsbellyislikesantas]

didnt know they existed tbh but surely they are more open to abuse than the disabled and mum and baby ones? Should be interesting.

I just park as far away as possible to avoid being parked so close to I can't get in, and waddle.

Pretty sure it's a ploy to get preggos to spend more money with them. I don't shop at Asda (I do Sainsbo's darling) these days but if I did I wouldn't bother parking in these spaces. I hate parking too close to the shop anyway. Too much competitive and scary driving/parking from others, preggo or not.

RockinRobin, the hours I work mean that I am unable to really specify times for delivery, also I prefer to buy as we need it rather than a whole load of shopping at once.

herbie, if its an ongoing thing, and you have been okay'ed by docs, then fair enough, but I am referring more to people who are temporarily ill..

I was perfectly able to drive up until 37 weeks when I couldn't comfortably fir behind the wheel and therefore stopped driving. What I wasn't fit to do was climb through the boot to the car after I had been blocked in by someone who did not leave me enough room to open my door properly. That is why I tended to park further away.

I have been known to drive past the supermarket, nip home and change out of suit and heels, and go back to supermarket in something rather more comfortable!

EM parking a bit much IMHO, although having been on crutches from 16 weeks with DS2 due to genuinely limited mobility thanks to severe SPD and a twist at the base of my spine which occurred during delivery of DS1, it would have been nice to venture to the supermarket knowing I could park near enough to the store to have enough energy left to get to the milk aisle! There's a difference though between that and having a temporary disabled badge because of a bg bump!

fit not fir

The only problem I had was fitting out of the car by the end...I ended up parking half a mile away.

Here in New Jersey USA my obn told my DH and I that if I can't fit behind the wheel, am on bedrest or signed off from work she will issue a temporary disbaled badge for us to use. She also said that if in doubt do not drive.

I am at early stages and have been parking as far away from the front doors of the supermarket as a way to force myself to get more exercise. I don't know if I will still be doing this at 38wks but for now it works for me. Also, our local supermarket has the most lovely bag packers. If you are pregnant they will load your car for you if you bring your car to the front of the store. I do this and have DH lift the bags and cases out when I get home.

Well, I would say that a pregnant woman who is struggling enough to need a special parking space shouldn't be out shopping. That's what online shopping is for. More helpful, I would think, is a waiver of the delivery charge for pregnant women!!

Utter madness.

In car parks covered in snow & ice, as has been the case in belgium - pregant mums, those with little children & the disabled had less to walk to the safety of the shop.

and I've never seen the special parkings taken up by those not allowed. Dispite the driving madness here - this is one thing that is respected.

Annie Having been almost housebound for 24 weeks, and at points bedboud, I have struggled to the supermarket for something as basic as milk, if only to feel like an actual human being and part of wider society.

It's all very well to say thay women who are struggling shouldn't be out shopping, and perhaps you may even have the best intentions, but I don't think one can dictate who may and may not attempt to go out into the big world for a little while!

WHAT???? I had no problem driving, walking etc just couldn't get out of the bloody car door when in a regular space. The problem was too small spaces, not me. Exercise is good for you, sitting at a screen shopping is not, especially if you have swollen ankles.

Supermarkets have disabled spaces, and mother and baby spaces, because they want to enter into the spirit of helping out those who are able to shop, but just need a bit of help in the car park.

Herbietea, I am not suggesting for one moment that being pregnant is the same as being disabled. Only that the requirement for wider spaces is the same, just for different reasons. And I just meant having some sort of pass that let you park in these spaces.

Recommendation from midwife for not exacerbating SPD is to keep knees and ankles together and swing legs round when getting in and out of car - try doing that in a normal bay! Am fine to do shopping if wander slowly round store (33 wks) but can't get in and out of the car unless I park in a P&C space or expectant mothers space! Think they are a great idea. Also love the suggestion of crap parkers spaces - shame the posh/big car drivers who park in parent and child spaces so they don't damage their car!

Surely if you only need milk and bread it's a better idea to pop to the local shop or petrol station where there is less distance to walk?

My point Annie is that 6 months of going no further than the corner shop can become slightly tedious.

Apologies if I misunderstand you, but this reminds me (mildly) of comments I heard in the shops in the pre-Christmas period about people with young children/the edlerly/disabled getting in the way, and could they not shop at a time more convenient to wider society? I'm not massive fan of EM spaces because I wonder where it all ends, but what kind of society do we become when we decide that anyone who can't keep up with the rat race should be banished to somewhere much more convenient for the rest of us?

dessen has mad a very fucking good point. SO I'll repeat it, walking across a parking lot in the snow is NOT generally a good idea whilst pregnant especially if you are quite big and (liek me) no longer have any balance. After the past couple weeks can't think why I didn't mention it myself as it has kept me mostly house bound.. I'll blame pregnancy brain

Yes I know they are a legal requirement, and i also realise that what i wrote originally wasn't exactly what i meant. Therefore please take out one word and consider it a typo

"wouldn't it just be easier to give a pregnant woman who was huge (as I was) or in considerable pain etc a temporary pass to use some of the empty disabled spaces nearest the door? Because that is what i was, temporarily disabled"

I hope that clarifies.

How far gone would you need to be to use these spaces and how would you prove it if challenged? Most people are hardly showing at 6-8 weeks for example.

You get a matenrity exemtion card for prescriptions etc.

it's a good question and i'm sure if there was a simple answer someone would have resolved it by now.
I'd say once you found it too difficult to get out of your car is the honest answer I for one wouldn't abuse it as i know most of my friends/family wouldn't either but i see the difficulty. I think common sense should prevail.

Anyway, according to my mate who did challenge someone in a P&C space in tescos who clearly didn't have a child, they have no way of enforcing it, and refused to help, so when having baby 2, and IF I need the space, i shall just pop a child seat on the back seat and park in there. I doubt any sensible person would mind.

Go ahead, throw buns