To ask for seats on public transport at 26 weeks pregnantt

[Babysealion]

Or am I not far enough along yet?
I commute to and from work on the train everyday. Fair enough it's only a 25 minute journey but the majority of the time the train is packed and there's hardly any seats. Last week I asked one guy to move his bag so I could sit down and said I'm pregnant and he said 'where am I supposed to put it?' And I didn't want to make a scene so I just left it but no one else offered me their seat either despite the entire carriage over hearing our exchange.
So this week I've been too worried to ask for seats but this morning a very nice man offered me his. I have a fairly big bump so it's obvious I am pregnant and have been referred to physio as I have quite a bit of pelvic and hip pain and discomfort going on.
My question is AIBU to ask/want a seat on public transport or is this only for heavily pregnant ladies?

[LisasCat]

My London Underground experience when clearly pregnant involved a carriage full of people who ignored me until an American woman, mid-twenties, walked half the length of the carriage to offer me her seat (while glaring at everyone else). Bless her. At least a couple had the decency to look embarrassed.

[howrudeforme]

Oh I get this.

On tube I found that people were so far into their earphones and music (this was pre kindle which is worse) so they didn't notice.

But I've found fathers to be the bloody worst. I had an huge pregnacy and one day on the tube I got on with a mum, dad, and three kids who were determined to get a seat. They all got one and I got one too except the father decided that his laptop case would go down my side of the seat and it was a real squeeze. I made faces and noise that the entire carriage could get but not him.It got to point it was more comfortable to stand up. I did so - he then asked me if I was OK - my response was yeah fine but his bag was clearly more tired and entitled than I was and needed it's own seat - he actually acknowledged this as the truth - the carriage burst out laughing.

When I'm on the tube I listen and read to stuff but at each stop I do look to see if there's a person who needs the seat more than me.

Some of it sheer crappiness and some of it is that people are very engrossed in their techology and not aware.

[magicberry]

definitely ask - I usually focus on the seats labelled for the purpose (disabled/elderly/pg/with young children). Obviously not if someone with greater need is sitting in it though!

[ColderThanAWitchsTitty]

I really hate the phrase "pregnancy isn't an illness". Only people who haven't had children or are massive knobs use it.

NO it isn't an illness but it does completely fuck up your balance and if a woman was standing there holding a baby in her arms and possibly at risk of falling over on it... I'd damn well move. Same goes to a woman with a bump surely? f she falls on it it is dangerous for her and the baby.

Some women haven't eaten properly for ages due to nausea. And likely to be dizzy.

Haven't slept properly for weeks

Have SPD

Have fainting spells.

Have super sensitive bumps and find it very painful when bashed in to repeatedly.

Oh and some actually die from it.. so yes, it frequently causes complications that very much make you feel ill

I know some women claim to feel like Superwoman while pregnant but the truth is the vast fucking majority feel like shit. So just be nice and help out.

[coldwater1]

YANBU I am 34 weeks pregnant, very anemic and suffering badly from dizzy/fainting spells, not to mention the fact my bump is now quite heavy.

I have to travel two hours across London to get to uni and if the bus or tram are packed i have to stand, i've had ONE person offer me a seat in this whole pregnancy! People just have no manners. I've had to get off the tram a couple of times because i get hot and dizzy and feel sick, sit at the tram stop to recover and catch the next one. Its not ideal but i don't feel confident enough to ask for a seat.

[Luna13]

I'm 24wp (look quite big), and yesterday was offered a seat for the first time on overground. Actually twice, both by very young women. Pleasantly surprised :-) Just not sure if it happened because I am pg or because I was with 2yo in the pram and seats were next to parked pram But I commute every day to work, an hour each way, LU, and people put LOADS of effort not to see me... Not brave enough to ask.

[Turquoisehat]

That bag man is an ass. Ask for a seat if you feel you need it. as a pp said, there js no magic date in pregnancy when it is uncomfortable.

I had to do a 45 minute train journey with four day old dd. she was in a sling and I asked a woman to move her bags so we could sit. She refused and in my post birth fog, I asked her how many tickets she bought and couldn't she see I had a tiny baby with me? A man jumped up and gave me his seat (lovely man) so I let it go. But if had seen that exchange I would have moved the woman's bags myself. Selfish bitch.

[SomethingLovely]

YANBU... Bag man is an idiot. I was never brave enough to ask for a seat, got a mixed bag on London Underground - sometimes I'd see people right in front of me hurriedly look at their feet, their newspaper, pretend to be asleep etc - anything to avoid seeing my huge bump right in front if their faces (and the "baby on board" badge too), even had a middle aged man practically elbow me out of the way to get to the one remaining seat. Other times someone would leap up to offer their seat straight away. No rhyme nor reason to it... And you can feel shit at 4 weeks or 34 weeks, you don't need to be massive to need to sit down!

[OrangeMochaFrappucino]

I'm 14 weeks and just had a month signed off work due to illness - because of pregnancy. For many women pregnancy actually IS an illness. The phrase 'playing the pregnancy card' makes me want to pound the ignoramus saying it into the ground. Yes, there are many other illnesses as well but that doesn't diminish the fact that pregnancy can be very debilitating as well.

Hope you get a seat this morning, OP.

[ImpOfDarkness]

I made faces and noise that the entire carriage could get but not him

See I don't get the point of PA huffing and puffing or standing there with a martyred look. Why not just ask the guy to move his bag?

Fwiw I always ask for a seat as soon as I get on the bus (due this week!) only once has someone said no, and about three other young guys sprang out of their seats while he got a right earful from the West Indian granny sitting opposite him