Does anyone get offered a seat on public transport?!

[shoesies]

I'm approaching four months and although I'm not huge, there's a definate baby bump there! I have a daily tube journey and was wondering if anyone else gets totally ignored on public transport!!! Maybe it's just London where making eye contact is just not done....

Also, it's only ever women that have asked me if I want to sit down - do you think women are just more on the ball?!

Or am I making a fuss about nothing? I actually don't really mind in the mornings but after a days work and my backs aching it's nice to be offered a seat!

Maybe we should start a designated carriage on the Victoria line for bumps....

Mostly offered seats but not every time I travel. However I am sure I notice that I'm offered seats on the days I make an effort to be nicely dressed and made-up (usually with a bump-revealing dress/cardi combo). When dressed in grubby t-shirt/maternity jeans I become strangely invisible...anyone else experienced this?

Have found it quite annoying (but not surprising) that the general public (and I think men in particular) seem to find pg women more acceptable when doing the whole 'Princess Di in a pie-collar' look. Frustrating in this day and age.

Roomfor2 - ha ha I just read that thread! No that wasn't me..... I'm 30 weeks now and I definately look pregnant, not overweight. I'm sure people are afraid to offer still but in my experience, most are too busy reading to look up. I agree you can't expect everyone to scan at every stop to see if anyone needs a seat but those who sit in priority seats really should be more aware. I've had people tutting at me because my bump takes up precious space on the tube My daily commute is horrible horrible horrible and I'm counting down the minutes till mat leave now!

I'm actually finding it really difficult to tell who pregnant and who is just big at the moment . Dh was also asking about this the other day as he'd offered his seat to a woman who he thought was pregnant but wasn't (he'd unwisely tried to take an interest and commented that his wife was expecting too - oops).

I'm 29 weeks with my 2nd so that thought that I'd be able to get it right by now, but unless it's an obvious 'bump' shape in maternity clothes I'm not always sure. I'm not suggesting that you don't look obviously pg OP, just wondering how many other people are afraid to offer.

Don't have to commute very often but when I have I have been offered a seat mainly by younger men- first time I turned it down as the guy woke up took one look at my large stomach and jumped up to give me a seat - thought he was going to keel over so told him I was ok - as I have got bigger and have started to resemble a weeble with legs (very swollen legs) I have stopped turning the seats down and have taken them thankfully.

I've been pleasantly surprised so far. Until a few days ago (sciatica, grr) I never felt like I needed a seat, so I was always a bit embarrassed when people offered. In my experience the offerers have been across the board - young, old, men, women. I think people are more likely to offer if you look obviously pregnant - wearing maternity clothes, tight shirts, etc. and I agree that belly-rubbing probably helps!

I am now 41 weeks and last week went by bus to see my consultant about being induced. I am huge! and had my 2 year old with me. I nearly got mown down in the bus queue by old biddies racing out of the swimming pool (they get free swimming as well as a bus pass). When I finally heaved myself on the bus there was not a seat in sight. The poor chap behind me also heading to the hospital was on crutches and had only got one leg and he got no seat either and I had to help him up the steps. I even overheard one sprightly old biddy say 'at least our bus passes ENTITLE us to a seat' as she looked at me trying to hold my toddler while we whizzed round a corner at great speed. Is it my imagination or are the older generation not a courteous as they could be?

I used to play "tube tummy", i.e. get on tube, stick tummy out as far as possible, walk to spot by women or men in their late 30s who I thought might understand what I was going through and then rub my tummy/back until they offered me a seat. It generally worked. Only times it didn't was when the tube was so crowded that I could scarcely get through the door, let alone near the seats or when everyone was so engrossed in their books/iPods that they weren't looking around at all. The latter situation didn't irritate me that much as, having commuted for years, I mainly did it on auto pilot and remember a few occasions when I'd been sat down reading and it was only when I came to get off the tube that I noticed the pregnant lady/person on crutches etc and felt guilty.

When pregnant with DC1, I used to have a daily commute from Brighton to London and can say that not once was I offered a seat on the packed train home - I used to end up sitting on the floor! The 'mainly men' used to look down and must have thought 'well I do pay over £3k a year for a seat, why should I give it up'.

I do remember one hideous experience once. I was 36 weeks pregnant, all trains delayed/cancelled - I had to cart it across London on another train to find a way back to Brighton - hopped on one, 1 seat free but had an old Metro on it - I moved the paper to the floor so I could sit down. Then a guy started shouting at me for daring to touch or move his paper to which I burst into tears and he gave me a filthy look and got off! Never felt so embarrassed and humiliated - mainly at being so emotional when really I should have shouted back!

If you travel on overground once you get your MAT1B form write to the rail company and they will give you a letter to sit in first class whilst you preggars

When I was pregnant first time and had a obvious bump I only got offered a seat twice on a London bus, but was happy to stand both times by young ladies (early 20's).

I had a really bad experience when I was about 36 weeks pregnant there was no first class seats so I sat on a normal seat and I had these trousers that were oh so so comfy but they were shiny material anyway I kept slipping off the seat, so sort of bounced or nudged my way into it again the guy next to me turned and shouted at me (he was digging his elbows in me every time he turned the page on the paper)and was over my side of the seat he shouted the 2nd time everyone avoided looking at me or him (even the two people sat opposite me).
He got off the stop before me, then I burst into tears everyone avoided looking at me, I felt such a freak, but that made me give up work at 37 weeks instead of 38!

Some train companies (mine does - Nat Ex East Anglia) offer a free upgrade to first class in the last 8 weeks before maternity leave if you have a season ticket, you just need to write to them with a letter from your employer stating the date you go on maternity. Worth checking out if you commute into london from a distance.