Working mums2B that use the train

[bunnyrabbit]

To all you working mums2B that travel to work by train:
Did you know that you can sit in first class for a certain amount of time before you go on maternity leave?
I think the norm is 6 weeks but First Great Eastern give you a letter of authorisation 8 weeks before you are due to finish work. I sent them a copy of my MATB1 on Monday and I already have a letter back.

Give your train network a call and suss it out. For those of us who do not have air conditioned trains, it's a godsend to have more room.

brilliant - makes me wish I travelled by train!
good tip bunnyrabbit

Wow - that means next week - superb! Thanks bunnyrabbit

Thanks for that. I'm just going back to work after my nice long maternity leave and I am pregnant again so I shall follow that up further down the line.

Mind you from what I remember first class on Connex is more trashed than second class. It really is the pits! Mmm, excited about commuting again now

Ho ho Gem, that's just the bits of Connex that have first class (this is beginning to sound like The Four Yorkshiremen).
Very pleased for all fellow bumpy commuters who can take advantage of this, a nice gesture from First Great Eastern!

Believe me, it's the least FGE can do considering the crap service they provide!!

Oh, and the first class carriage seems to be miles from the loos on the rush hour trains

bunnyrabbit, I only wish they had done this 2 yrs ago. I was commuting just after the Htfield crash and FGE were totally useless. I often had to stand for an hour at 28 weeks pg, since they refused to let me sit in 1st class. I once had a huge row at 27 weeks (1st time round) with the conductor on Anglia trains, who tried to throw me out or charge me for sitting in 1st class. He told me there were loads of seats atthe back of the train, and didn't ubderstand why I refused to sit in the smoking carriage. So I burst into tears, that worked!!

Marina at four yorkshiremen! Oh, what wonderful snippets appear on mumsnet, great stuff.

Thought I'd post on this again so anyone who missed it can benefit. Doe sanyone know if there is anywhere on mumsnet where we can put this sort of info so that it's not lost???

Unfortunately I use the tube and when I was heavily pg with ds, I rarely got offered a seat. Its grim....any advice on strategies to get a seat?!!!

Not all train companies agree - Connex South Eastern refused me in both pregnancies and I showed them examples of other companies that did allow this. I did once sit in 1st and got nearly fined!!! I was 8 months pregnant ! Long story but a complete disgrace on Connex's behlaf.

Good - their loosing their franchise

In Practical Parenting this month (near the front) there is a small article about a week being sponsored by Tommys at the start of Sept, whereby commuters will be encouraged to give up their seats for pregnant women. Will be interested to see what happens!!!

LucieB. First time round with dd's pregnancy I rarely got offered a seat. This time round (I'm 36 + 5 and went on maternity leave a few weeks ago) I nearly always got offered a seat. In terms of strategies for the tube ALWAYS fight your way into the seating section. Once in there I nearly always got a seat however if I stayed in the central sections (away from the seats) most of the time no-one would notice. A friend of mine always took her jacket off and stood stroking her tummy in a pregnant sort of way - sometimes I did this simply because I was hot or because little one was kicking like mad but I couldn't say whether or not it helped.

HTH - How far are you?

Thanks Wills - I am 11 weeks so don't have a bump yet. Actually the first trimester is often when you need a seat as you are feeling dizzy and sick. Fortunately I don't seem to suffer too badly from morning sickness. And obviously its uncomfortable towards the end too...good for you getting a seat. I found last time that people would obviously see me and then bury their heads in their papers/books or pretend to be asleep! Grrr!

Clutch your bump and groan. Guarenteed to empty the train.....

Bunnyrabbit, what a great idea! This thread reminded me of a new advertising campaign on the Brussels metro/bus network here. Posters of a bus full of hairy, stone-age men (seated) and modern highly-pregnant woman standing holding her bump. Caption: "Our transport has evolved - have you?"
Made me grin... but I haven't noticed a change in attitudes yet. Everyone keeps telling me my bump is huge for dates (don't you hate hearing that?!), but it's obviously not big enough for people to give up their seat for me.

Sprout - most friends tell me I'm enormous but when mws feel they tell me I'm too small and now I'm having to have a scan to check baby is ok - typical! Still the scan will be fun.

LucieB - actually more women got up than men. Men definitely put their heads into their papers/books. With dd's pregnancy (at 38 wks) a man actually barged past me to a seat and then proceeded to put his newspaper up against his nose so he couldn't see me. I took great delight in telling him it was upside down !

I find that foreign tourists always leap out of their seats - especially italians and spaniards who also then ask you if this is your first, etc etc in a delighted fashion - whereas the english just grimly try to avoid eye contact. in fact that is the key to getting a seat - decide whose seat you want and then force them to make eye contact - once you do they almost always get up.
Sticking the bump out as far as possible always helps as well!

Agreed that you mustn't be afraid of eye contact! Good point pph