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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not to give up the bariatric chair for the obese lady?

166 replies

AKMD · 21/01/2010 11:28

I?m 33 weeks pregnant and had an obstetric consultant appointment yesterday afternoon. The antenatal clinic waiting room was packed and there were quite a few women standing up as there weren?t enough chairs. I had been waiting for over an hour as the consultant was running behind schedule and was sitting in the specially wide, reinforced bariatric chair as that was the only one available. A lady came in who was clearly very obese, looked around and saw me sitting in the bariatric chair and came over to stand beside me. Was AIBU not to spring up and offer her the chair? I would have done if there had been any other seats free for me to move to. I did feel a bit bad about it afterwards but TBH I'd been waiting to sit down for ages and felt that she could wait like everyone else.

OP posts:
LouIsOnAHighwayToHell · 21/01/2010 13:05

We used to have to tranport the morbidly obese patients to the university vet hospital for MRIs, Xrays etc as the ones in the hospital were not strong enough for them.
There are bariatric ambulances too.
I do remember a tale a few years ago (from my mum) that they had to take the complete side of the house off and then transport the woman (Mrs Chicken was her name) to hospital on the back of a truck she was so big.

LucyEllensmadmummy · 21/01/2010 13:07

oooh, see, disabled loos, theres a can of worms. I used to have no qualms about using the disabled loo if there was a big queue, even when not preggers, but i have no shame and will use the mens if im desperate! However, someone did point out to me that some disabilities make people less able to wait, i was that had never occured to me now i just cross my legs with everyont else

LucyEllensmadmummy · 21/01/2010 13:08

not sure that is relevant really louis, morbid obesity is not eally a laughing matter

so there

Morloth · 21/01/2010 13:18

Could be CommonNortherner I know as I am getting bigger and more off balance it is usually easier to stay up then it is to sit down and then have to lever myself up again. As other people were standing the women may have just headed for a clear bit of space which happened to be next to the OP.

Vallhala · 21/01/2010 13:23

My local hospital is near to the Uni Vet's hospital and has links with it LouIs Next time I go to the hospital I'll be asking nosy questions as to whether sending patients to the vet school.

If this is the case, I bloody well hope that these patients don't take priority over the vet school's normal ones too.

Vallhala · 21/01/2010 13:25

Gah! That should read "as to whether THEY ARE STILL sending patients to the vet school" of course.

Morloth · 21/01/2010 13:28

Actually if they were going to send anyone to the vets instead of a human hospital you would think birthing women would make the most sense. Surely one mammal is pretty much the same as another for delivery?

Rockbird · 21/01/2010 13:28

The vet hospital's normal patients being animals, I'd imagine...

TheDevilWearsPrimark · 21/01/2010 13:28

Sodding crazy thread.

I once, at 9 months pregnant pretended to faint so I could get a seat on the tube.

heheee

Vallhala · 21/01/2010 13:35

Yes, Rockbird, the vet's normal patients being animals, I wasn't setting up a normality competition between "abnormal" overweight people and "normal", average weight people! Fat, thin, whatever, if the horse or the snake were booked in first or in greater need, they should be seen first!

SerenityNowAKABleh · 21/01/2010 13:36

Does this count as an obesity ring? Or is it a cock ring being used

JustAnotherManicMummy · 21/01/2010 13:41

Well I don't have a comment about the hovering and bariatric chair because I wasn't there to see if it was a hover or a linger.

But, I have learnt the following things:

What a bariatric chair is and that the name comes from the Greek
That some people have to use vetinary equipment due to their size [well-I-never emoticon]
Cock rings can be frightening and cold
There are obese cicles

So I don't feel I've wasted my time reading the whole thread as I have been educated

Verin · 21/01/2010 13:43

I would have asked loudly if any of the fathers would like to give up their chair for a pregnalnt woman - and shamed them into it! They get away with it by pretending not to notice the standing pregnant ladies, thats why they are texting.

posieparker · 21/01/2010 13:45

If there was a normal chair for you then I think YABU, but as there was only one then you should have it over an obese person.

LouIsOnAHighwayToHell · 21/01/2010 13:48

LucyEllen
There was no smiley face anywhere in my post. Was just stating some facts that only now are the emergency services getting the equipment to deal with morbidly obese patients.

FerretInYourTrews · 21/01/2010 14:00

Am not sure how you know that she wanted your seat? Maybe she came and stood near you becuase she diidn't want to stand in the middle of the room. (I hate doing that I always go to an edge)

bellissima · 21/01/2010 14:05

YANBU - when you are pregnant you get to sit down. Let's face it as soon as the child arrives you will be standing/carrying/bending enough. Up to her to approach hospital dept reception if she needs to sit. No idea what a barometric chair is - does it do a weather forecast?

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 21/01/2010 14:09

can we have a new section for posts about the obese? (so I can hide it)

LucyEllensmadmummy · 21/01/2010 14:17

i stand corrected - and confused, Vets hospital, Mrs Chicken, its all too much!!

GetOrfMoiLand · 21/01/2010 14:28

PSML at this whole entire thread of insanity.

LEM you made me roar re being scared of cold cocks.

acebaby · 21/01/2010 14:29

challenge for the day - use the word bariatric in twice in normal speech (thanks AKMD )

Seriously though - the woman should have just asked a nurse if she needed a seat so YANBU.

When I was in the day assessment unit at 40+1, in full labour (5cm dilated with strong contractions) waiting to be admitted DH had to ask someone's partner to give me his seat. I was standing (until DH got back from parking the car), as was a very poorly woman waiting to be assessed because of high blood pressure and a severe headache. The man was really huffy about it as well. Oh how I ached to post an AIBU...

Morloth · 21/01/2010 14:31

Did they not have wifi acebaby?

Sonilaa · 21/01/2010 14:33

What is wrong with asking for a seat if you need one?

With my broken foot (not clearly visible once out of the moonboot) I ALWAYS got a seat.

Also when pregnant on the tube/bus. The trick is not to say into the room "can anyone perhaps please..:" but to ask a specific person (preferably the 20ish bloke watching MTV on the IPOD) to stand up.

acebaby · 21/01/2010 14:54

Morloth

great thread - I'm off to buy some nice fat polos

LucyEllensmadmummy · 21/01/2010 15:04

its not funny Getoff!! Honestly, i was so pleased with my present and then i looked it up on the internet and there were grave warnings about not wearing for more than twenty minutes (no danger of that!!) and being wary of coldness!! i kept trying to loosen it off but i just kept pinching!! but on the whole, it gets a big thumbs up from me lets just say it makes things feel more substantial and solid

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