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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is it ok to use parent and child parking when heavily pregnant

163 replies

Karigan195 · 15/07/2019 14:47

Exactly that really. At 34 weeks. Had several instances of people parking next to me and then not being able to open my car door enough to get in. So far my tricks have been to just park well away from everyone but still had to clamber over passenger seats and on one memorable occasion over the back seats when I could only get in through the sliding door. Obviously all the above is getting harder so would it be unreasonable to just say sod it and park in parent and child?

OP posts:
AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 15/07/2019 15:11

Do it! I did it every time I found a free one when I did the weekly shop, and mid weekly shop for extra snacks, and my mid-mid weekly shop for ice cream... My DH refused to park in them for me as we "didn't need it" HmmConfused Luckily it was quite rare that we went anywhere together that had P&C spaces so this wasn't a common occurrence but still bloody annoying.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 15/07/2019 15:12

Teddybear45 oh do go away!!!

Yes OP its fine, I prob needed parent and child spaces more at 8 months pregnant than i did with a new born.

Parker231 · 15/07/2019 15:15

It’s slightly off topic but strongly suggest you use online shopping. It will be a godsend when you home on maternity leave.

needanappp · 15/07/2019 15:16

Personally I think it's absolutely fine but I do recall seeing a story not long ago about a lady who parked in one at 8 months pregnant and was made to move. It was a Tesco somewhere down south. Miserable gets.

megletthesecond · 15/07/2019 15:16

Yes. You need to know you'll be able to get your door open.

Pushpull · 15/07/2019 15:17

I did it. And actually the ncp attendant told me to when he saw me struggling to get out of my car. I cant see anyone but the most tragic calling you out on it

SoupDragon · 15/07/2019 15:19

Or do you think it’s also okay for obese people to use P&C spaces for the same reason?

😂😂 yeah, because squidgy fat is just the same as having a small human in your abdomen.

OP it's fine.

SilverySurfer · 15/07/2019 15:20

YANBU, I wouldn't give it a second thought. When I had a car and blue badge I would park in a p&c space if disabled space wasn't available. On a couple of occasions I've parked in one because it was nearer to the entrance than the empty disabled spaces.

JustTheCrowsAndTheBeef · 15/07/2019 15:21

It’s absolutely fine, and the comparison to obesity is a very stupid false equivalence.

MaybeitsMaybelline · 15/07/2019 15:23

Would you feel the same if a very overweight man with a big beer belly did the same?

If so, of course it's fine to park there.

How do very round people manage these things on a day to day basis?

timeforawine · 15/07/2019 15:24

If i drove i would have when heavily pregnant, as i don't, we used to park in a normal space but i'd have to get out of the car before we pulled into the space or else i'd never have gotten out, and if like at our local Aldi the car park does get full so parking further away wasn't even an option.
Go for it OP

Thekingintheeast · 15/07/2019 15:24

Completely ignore people saying it’s not ok. Being pregnant is not the same as being obese PP. Squeezing in and out of your car when overweight is not dangerous. Potentially damaging your bump is.

WhenZogateSuperworm · 15/07/2019 15:25

I used them all the time. I was on crutches with SPD and so couldn’t walk from the spaces further away.

Mummyoflittledragon · 15/07/2019 15:26

Maybeits
Beer guts serve no purpose and can be squashed. What a ridiculous analogy.

TheFatberg · 15/07/2019 15:26

I seriously considered a note on my car saying "8 months pregnant - please give me space" after I struggled to get back into my car in a multi storey car park. I had to do some great gymnastics there.

BossAssBitch · 15/07/2019 15:26

IMO P&C spaces are for anyone who has mobility issues, be it heavily pregnant, someone with a broken leg or the elderly. Fit and healthy women with children who are able to walk across a car park should not use them.

Socksontheradiator · 15/07/2019 15:26

I'm grandparent age and I say go for it!
Bit mean of the pps who suggest OP parks at far end of car park. A lot of very pregnant women get very tired and breathless, as well as struggling to get into their cars with little room.
No brainer to me!

probstimeforanewname · 15/07/2019 15:26

I would have said just park away from everyone but I know that given an empty car park, people choose a space next to someone else, rather than park in an empty bit. That said, if you are in the furthest corners of the car park, they are usually too lazy to park next to you and walk.

You may get people objecting but ignore. They are only courtesy spaces and very different from blue badge spaces. I think some providers make clear they are for heavily pregnant women anyway.

Toooldtobearsed2 · 15/07/2019 15:27

Absolutely use them!
Our Tesco P and C spaces largely comprise of van drivers and office workers 'nipping in' for a sarnie at lunch time.
I am in my 50s, no need for p&c spacek but it seriously raises my blood pressure every time i see a car with child in it circling the car park in vain.

And dont get me started on the bastrds pqrked on double yellow lines just to use the atms. Lazy sodding buggers.
I swear I will die in Tesco carpark. 😁

SoupDragon · 15/07/2019 15:27

Fit and healthy women with children who are able to walk across a car park should not use them.

Even if they can't get a car seat in and out?

SoupDragon · 15/07/2019 15:28

How do very round people manage these things on a day to day basis?

Probably by being squashable rather than having a solid baby sized lump 🙄

TinyMystery · 15/07/2019 15:30

I did, felt no shame. If I popped to Asda after work I had to park in P&C from about 32 weeks of it was busy as I would have wet myself running to the toilet from the far end of the car park (I did then shop but the wee was a priority!).

Pregnant lady in a parent and child space seems more reasonable than mother with a 10 year old in a parent and child space tbh.

MissDollyMix · 15/07/2019 15:31

Definitely. Do it. Any woman who's been in that situation will sympathise. I wouldn't object if I saw heavily pregnant woman using a p&c space. I remember how difficult it was trying to squeeze in and out of parked cars!

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 15/07/2019 15:33

FWIW I'm overweight and wouldn't dream of parking in a P&C space without my children. I can easily squish myself in and out of the car because my fat is squishy. My pregnancy bump was rock hard and there was no way I was squishing that through anything!

aweedropofsancerre · 15/07/2019 15:34

I used to get very frustrated having had a C section, took me a while to recover and then trying to get the car seat out and finding no parent and child spaces as they were being used by people who didn’t have a blue badge, people with big cars, people with no kids. So whilst I agree being heavily pregnant you need more space all you other folks without kids should recognise that parents with kids especially small babies actually need the spaces!