to want to scream at these relatives!

[missesjellybean]

so I'm at the hospital now ... I've just had my 20 week scan, I had an operation a few weeks ago on my cervix so I'm not supposed to stand for prolonged periods but I've just been sent through to wait to see the doctor...and told there is a 2 hour delay...and there isn't one single seat to sit on.
the waiting room is about 30 degrees with no windows or seats and every single pregnant lady here has at least two relatives with her and they're all occupying the seats
I thought some kind relative who is just here for moral support would give up their seat for a clearly pregnant lady but they're all just pretending not to see me stood here absolutely roasting with no where to sit so they don't have to move. wibu to throw a massive diva strop at demand a chair....or at least ask the receptionist who is also pretending to ignore me to ask able visitors to stand so actual patients can sit....

[mysterymeg]

When I was at the hospital for my scan I was sitting and my husband was standing. All the seats were taken when a v heavily pregnant lady arrived. None of the partners got up so I offered her my seat which she accepted. Still none of the partners twigged - the receptionist saw and got me a seat that was spare from behind the desk. You'd thinkas they are all there supporting their pregnant partners that they'd have a bit of empathy.

[BeCool]

I'm presuming you have use of your own voice? You don't need to wait on receptionist or midwives to sort this for you.

Great you have a chair now, but next time (and there probably will be a next time) just say very clearly and politely "I am X months pregnant and I really need to sit down now please".

And then stand your ground and try not to laugh as the shamed relatives who cannot avoid the issue any longer either scramble to offer you a seat, or squirm pitifully and maintain their "nothing to do with me" position.

You will get a seat though - and you will be amused! Smile and graciously say thank you as you take what the idiots should have offered you in the first place.

[BeCool]

however this is way more succinct >>>>> "Anybody here who isn't pregnant, raise your arse"

[K8Middleton]

Just ask. Nobody ever says no. At least not without looking like an utter cunt.

[perplexedpirate]

8 months pregnant (huuuge bump) on the train home from Manchester after Christmas shopping.
Not only did not one fucker offer me a seat, but people shoved into me and one girl spent the whole journey sniggering at what she obviously thought was my fat stomach.
I am retrospectively , but chuffed you got a seat jelly!

[ImperialBlether]

God, I'd be sitting there wondering what kind of knob I was married to or related to if he didn't automatically stand to let a pregnant woman sit down - particularly in a scan waiting room ffs.

[pianodoodle]

Disgraceful! I'm nearly 20 weeks and this heat is pissing me right off without even having your additional complaint :(

Dread to think what anyone nearing their due date must be feeling like!

So annoying that you had to ask at all.

handcream er... "frightening" women in burkas?!

[HeffalumpTheFlump]

Oh and the other day I went into the barbers with DH and there were about 6 seats, all being sat in by men and boys waiting to get their hair cut. It was near 30 degrees and I am the size of a house now (27 weeks, but look like I'm about to pop). Not one of them offered their seat or asked their child to move.

Me and DH ended up leaving because there was going to be a long wait and I would have fainted. We had a conversation about whether I would be able to stand that long or not whilst standing next to the chairs. A few of the blokes looked up, but didn't move. I would normally ask but felt a bit wrong doing so as it was a barbers and really I had no place being there (we just stopped in on the way home from somewhere).

[ImperialBlether]

You have to be jealous of some women, married to those men, Heffa.

[HeffalumpTheFlump]

Hmm.. What made me sad was that because none of the dads asked their sons to get up, none of them will go on to offer the pregnant ladies of the future a seat as they haven't learnt that it's the right thing to do. Myself and my brother were taught that manners and compassion for others will get you really far in life, but these men didn't seem to be teaching their sons that lesson.

[ImperialBlether]

That's the problem, isn't it? Having said that, surely to God human decency would make someone look at a pregnant woman in a clinic and think "This seat isn't here for me!"

[Boosiehs]

What an absolute bunch of cunts!

Glad you got a seat - I would have been FUMING!!

I am 35 weeks tomorrow and I feel like a HOUSE. Also so hot i might melt at any moment. :(

[LucyGoose]

I think handcream is being slammed for her choice of the word "frightening". A group of women in burkas would also intimidate me - and I am not racist. I can't see smiles/frowns, body language at all. It makes it hard to communicate the way we do in 5 seconds, you can tell a lot by body language and dress.

[ImperialBlether]

I agree - I don't like not being able to see people's expressions.

[HeffalumpTheFlump]

I'd agree with you on that, all the normal cues to follow on whether a person is being hostile/friendly/indifferent are hidden and that can lead you to feel intimidated. It's hard to read body language without facial cues.

[DoJo]

I don't really understand why you wouldn't just ask, otherwise people might just assume you prefer to stand (I did when pregnant, I know of others too). On the tube/train I assume that people don't offer because of the fear that you are just fat rather than pregnant - once it's happened to you, you go out of your way to avoid it again! Asking shouldn't be that hard, no need for a diva strop.

[HairyWorm]

I always thought I would ask for a seat...... until I got pregnant. Even with the preg rage hormones I find it very difficult to ask for a seat. Not sure why..... I feel a lot more vulnerable with a bump.

[GwenStacy]

Hairyworm - I always thought I'd ask on the tube, as I've never had any issues asking people to stand for pregnant/elderly people in the past, but I asked someone (who was sitting in the priority seat!) a couple of weeks ago as it was crammed and I felt really hot and faint and got a lecture on how he got on trains at an early enough stop to guarantee a seat and maybe I should think about doing the same thing. I was so embarrassed I was almost in years, and since then I've not felt able to ask for a seat :-(

[K8Middleton]

How horrible Gwen. Do ask again and if you get shit like that the correct reply is "Then you have no reason to sit in the priority seat do you?" You may choose to add one of the following:

"unless you think being a revoltingly selfish human being qualifies as a physical disability?"

"unless you won't mind if, when I faint, you are delayed while we wait for the paramedics?"

"Unless your enormous ego and sense of self righteousness are so burdensome you cannot stand for prolonged periods"

"Unless of course you are just a massive arse?"

[HeffalumpTheFlump]

I just went to get a chippy tea and a man literally threw himself out of his chair for me! He even told his son to stand up so dh could sit next to me. Faith in humanity restored

[EeyoreIsh]

gwen you should have just sat on him! That would teach him for next time

[K8Middleton]

I sat on the lap of a selfish arse who expected me to climb over him to get to the inside seat while very pregnant. The sound of all the breath being squeezed out of the arse and his gasping was very satisfying

[KatamariDamacy]

I had to stand at a scan appointment when I was 37 weeks pregnant. They were scanning to see if they could do an ECV on my breech baby.

After a moment or two when no-one offered, DH said, "Is nobody going to let my wife, who is 9 months pregnant, sit down?" In a voice like thunder.

Someone got up

And DD turned herself

[Lj8893]

Not about sitting but I remember a couple of years ago I was in the queue for a toilet at m&s (only 1 cubicle) and I was in front with a queue building up behind me, behind me was a very pregnant woman who looked like her bladder was going to burst so naturally when the toilet became free I told her to go in front of me. As she thanked me and was walking to the cubicle another woman in the queue started shouting at me, saying she was also desperate and how is it fair that I let this woman go in front of everyone else!

This poor pregnant lady looked like she was either going to cry or wet herself and I just told the other lady to shush and gestured the pregnant lady to keep walking to the cubicle.

I don't know what is wrong with some people!!!

[TidyDancer]

I think a pregnancy related clinic might be an exception, but generally speaking people should never expect to be offered a seat if they are unwilling to ask for one.