To think it wasn’t wrong of me to use a parent & child parking space?

[AngeloMysterioso]

At a supermarket today- I didn’t have my DC with me, however I am 6 1/2 months pregnant with DC3 and suffering with what I have come to refer to as “arse daggers” - very painful shooting pains in my glutes that leave me hobbling in a most inelegant manner by the end of the day.
The parking spaces in the car park are very narrow, to the point where I struggle to fit myself and my bump out of the door and it was all getting a bit ridiculous, so today I decided to park in one of the P&C spaces (of which there are many, and I didn’t take the last empty one) so that I wouldn’t have to squeeze out of the door and would have less distance to painfully shuffle into the shop.
Afterwards I was putting my shopping in my car when I was accosted by some absolute cowbag who berated me for taking a P&C space even though I didn’t have a child with me. I pointed out the obvious, bump, mobility problems, plenty of spaces to go round, and she said I still had no right to park there and potentially deprive someone with a child of a space. At this point I decided not to bother engaging and just got in my car and left.

Was I BU?

I don't think you were wrong to park there. I once had to get a stranger to pull my car forward for me to be able to get in while pregnant because someone next to me had parked on the line and I couldn't get it and was too pregnant to clamber across from the other side. And technically you are "with child" 😉.

Funny ole windbag - in my country, they give pregnant women handicap plaquards. Falls are real. Being hit by a car… dealing with ninnies like you.

Awh yes. Add pain for pain’s sake because we can’t be decent human beings to other women on this planet.

what is wrong with all of you?!?

YANBU at all! It seems some people have nothing better to do than to police other people's actions. You're carrying a child and in physical pain - anyone telling you not to use the space in person and on this thread is completely lacking in empathy, and/or a don't really understand what those spaces are for. Take no notice!

Also, I once parked in a disabled spot to drop off my disabled friend to her job (in her car, using her blue badge). It was outside her workplace and for her transport use, not mine. I popped back to the car to get my bag and you wouldn't believe the number of people who seemed to be waiting to have a go at me, because they'd assumed the situation was entirely different. Busy bodies aren't actually busy - that's the problem, not you.

And technically I did have a child with me, just not one that’s ready to take up its own seat in the car yet!

Reminds me of someone jokingly threatening to disqualify me from a single-handed sailing race because I was pregnant!

As far as your question is concerned at the moment I find walking difficult because of a surfeit of digging in the garden but I wouldn't use a Blue Badge space, it's a similar thing, they're for people with babies to get in and out of the car.

I’m on your side, I had horrific pelvic girdle pain in my final trimester and would be on the brink of tears rolling in bed or getting in/out the car. I didn’t use a P&C space but I thought about it many times and it I was to have the same pains again in late pregnancy I would 100% use the spaces even without my child with me. Those pains are unbelievable and you have my most sympathy.

Did you have to keep your other hand on the bump?

I'm not much of a sailor. I have fallen from a windsurfer a few times though (I was doing it one handed... )

Of course you're not being unreasonable.

Of course you have the right to park there. Ignore the hateful person who told you otherwise.

Round my way anyone that's pregnant, or got a child, no matter how big, use these spaces,and I've never heard of anyone moaning.
Don't worry about it op, so.e people look for things to oan about, it's really not a big deal

No, bump-caressing wasn't the thing then, one hand on the tiller the other on the sheet (rope). I was racing dinghies until I was six months or so, I then reluctantly stopped and became the permanent OOD, running a major regatta three days before she was born!

I have a 3 year old and would even have happily moved out of a space to make way for you. She was being an arse.

I can envisage what you were saying now! My reply was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, supposed to be funny, but probably highly irritating.

I'd forgotten about the tiller. You don't want to know!

Our local Asda is "parent & child or pregnant" for the spaces which I think is perfect. I had to get a stranger to move my car out of a space when heavily pregnant once as I couldn't get back into it in a normal sized space!

I always park in p&c when I'm with my 81 yr old DD. He's not disabled but walks bent over and slowly, so more in need than a lot of p&c.

And so you should. My mum is 72 but getting out of the car in a normal bay is actually painful for her as she has to contort her limbs more.