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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

McShakey · 15/07/2019 15:35

I think it’s fine. It’s better than parking at the end of the car park, I’m 29 weeks and I’d be knackered by the time I got to the supermarket.

jonesyyy · 15/07/2019 15:36

Absolutely! I struggled in the last few weeks so had to use p&c spaces

vodkaredbullgirl · 15/07/2019 15:37

Yes as you still have a child on board lol

EmeraldShamrock · 15/07/2019 15:39

No not a problem. You're not doing anything wrong, your baby is on board.

RedSheep73 · 15/07/2019 15:40

Yes, you have a baby, don't you, and it's impacting your ability to get in and out of the car. It's the people with school-age children who are taking the mickey.

QuilliamCakespeare · 15/07/2019 15:42

It really annoys me when people park in P&C without a child in tow but I definitely wouldn't begrudge a heavily pregnant women using them. You are literally 'with child' and it can be really difficult hauling yourself in and out of the car in the latter stages. Go for it.

WhenOneFacePalmDoesntCutIt · 15/07/2019 15:42

Of course use them.

So many spaces are too small, maybe they are smaller, maybe cars are getting bigger - probably both. You can't squeeze a pregnant belly, so why wouldn't you.

PandaMum88 · 15/07/2019 15:44

Absolutely. I was HUGE the last couple months of my pregnancy and often got stuck unable to get back in my car if someone parked next to me - no matter how far/out of the way I parked.

I'm still annoyed at one time very late in my pregnancy that I went to park in a P&C spot (the first time I ever thought "F* it just do it") and as I was parking a woman drove behind me and started yelling at me for taking the spot. I was too hormonal and exhausted to argue, so I just left the spot and let her take it. Only to then watch her ~7year old climb out of the car on her own, no buggy, etc.

I 100% think I needed that spot more than she did. Oh! And I went to park in a spot in a packed car park and stuck unable to get back into my car until someone else came back to their car. (Can you tell I'm still bitter??)

Rockbird · 15/07/2019 15:45

Absolutely do it. I'm obese and there is a certain amount of squish in my humongous tummy that wasn't there when I was rock solid pregnant so the comparison is nonsensical. Anyone objecting is a twat.

Northernsoulgirl45 · 15/07/2019 15:47

Totally fine.

Mammalian · 15/07/2019 15:47

Yeah, why not.. wish I'd thought of it. At 40 weeks I had to ask a stranger to move my car for me as I couldn't physically get into it!

TappyTin · 15/07/2019 15:47

If a space is empty then use it. If someone really spends their time getting annoyed at you for that then it's their problem not yours. Just let them be awkward and annoying and carry on with what you're doing.

avalanching · 15/07/2019 15:48

No from me, I find it's more about the position of them to safely get children to the shop as they usually have pathways next to them rather than just the space (not always) but obviously space is then important for car seats etc. I never needed to but then I wasn't overly big or had SPD etc, only time I struggled was if I was using my mum's car as she's 5ft 1 and would leave the seat all the way forward and there was no way I could get in to move it back ha. That's the only car issue I remember!

notfromstepford · 15/07/2019 15:48

I couldn't get in my car once when heavily pregnant on either driver or passenger side because people had parked so close. I waited for a little while to see if one was coming back. But had an appointment to get to and ended up asking a passer-by if they could move my car out for me as I literally couldn't get in.
They were so kind and I was grateful, I burst in to tears!
After that I parked in P&C spaces.

JustHereWithPopcorn · 15/07/2019 15:49

Do it!

Sirzy · 15/07/2019 15:49

As long as it’s not a disabled space then park wherever makes life easier!

MyOpinionIsValid · 15/07/2019 15:51

They are courtesy spaces, anyone can use them, they are not legally enforcable like disability spaces.

MumdayMania · 15/07/2019 15:52

I think it's ok.

Maybe install the car seat if you haven't already to avoid getting left any angry notes.

SuzieQ10 · 15/07/2019 15:53

Yes park there, it's fine.
Heavily pregnant (last few weeks of pregnancy) can struggle to get out of a car and it's not easy to walk far once baby has dropped. I don't think I could even drive at that stage.
If someone's with you obviously it's different, they could drop you off / bring the car around.

WinterRose92 · 15/07/2019 15:53

I’m 32 weeks and have had the same problem - not being able to get in!
I have a 2 year old so use the spaces anyway but on occasion when he’s not with me I’ve used a P&C space. Like others have said, you have one on board!
I also have SPD in this pregnancy so cannot be trying to climb over anything to get back in the car - you shouldn’t have to either!

Heyha · 15/07/2019 15:53

I would have done if I'd needed to but luckily the few places I drove to in the last few weeks always had plenty spaces where there was a path or similar on the driver's side-but that was just luck. I think a heavily pregnant person is much less agile than someone with upper primary-aged children and they are (rightly) entitled to use them, so why not? Disabled spaces are sacrosanct, for me, but p&c are more fluid.

TappyTin · 15/07/2019 15:54

I'd have no issue with obese people using a p&c space. If it makes life easier for them to get in and out of their car then why shouldn't they use it? It's just not something worth moaning about really. Although I can actually imagine some very sad and bored people who hope they can spot someone to shout at on their weekly trip to Asda.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 15/07/2019 15:59

@Karigan195 - could you find two ordinary spaces and park in the middle of them? When you have had the baby, you might find a different perspective on this, when you can’t find a P&C parking space, and struggle to get the baby and the car seat out of the car.

WhenOneFacePalmDoesntCutIt · 15/07/2019 16:00

If it makes life easier for them to get in and out of their car then why shouldn't they use it?

that's the argument for people who don't want their car to be damaged!

If you have a normal size car, it's usually rare to be unable to squeeze in and out. You can't squeeze a baby and you surely cannot squeeze a car seat! No, they are not designed for obese people.

SoupDragon · 15/07/2019 16:00

If it makes life easier for them to get in and out of their car then why shouldn't they use it?

Because it's not a case of "making life easier"for a heavily pregnant woman - it can be impossible for them to get out in a normal space due to the rigidity of a bump.

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