Music Venues while Pregnant

[Anonymous]

I've been pleasantly surprised at how great music venues have been. I called ahead to 9:30 Club and they saved me a bar stool right above the VIP section for a show and Echostage opened up one of their VIP sectionals when their 'handicapped' section was too full for another pregnant lady and myself last night for Belle and Sebastian. There are so many great shows going on at Merriweather and Wolf Trap but I just can't even imagine being comfortable at an outdoor venue with this heat and humidity. Anyone else enjoying special baby bump treatment at shows?

[Anonymous]

I didn't know that was a possibility! I'm 7.5 months along, and tried to get Prince tickets yesterday, but didn't get there fast enough. I wonder if this would have been a better route

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been pleasantly surprised at how great music venues have been. I called ahead to 9:30 Club and they saved me a bar stool right above the VIP section for a show and Echostage opened up one of their VIP sectionals when their 'handicapped' section was too full for another pregnant lady and myself last night for Belle and Sebastian. There are so many great shows going on at Merriweather and Wolf Trap but I just can't even imagine being comfortable at an outdoor venue with this heat and humidity. Anyone else enjoying special baby bump treatment at shows?

While it's nice that the venues made accommodations for you, I don't think pregnancy is a disability! As someone who's worked for a large venue in the area, it always bothered me when people feigned disabilities in order to secure accessible seating at shows where they'd otherwise not have great seats but were physically capable of sitting with the rest of the crowd. Obviously we wouldn't question it and would honor the request...but accessible seating is limited and it sucks to turn someone down who genuinely needs the accommodation. I went to Wolf Trap, Jiffy Lube, 9:30, and other venues while pregnant and never requested special treatment. Of course at the outdoor venues you're going to suffer through the heat no matter where your seats are!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been pleasantly surprised at how great music venues have been. I called ahead to 9:30 Club and they saved me a bar stool right above the VIP section for a show and Echostage opened up one of their VIP sectionals when their 'handicapped' section was too full for another pregnant lady and myself last night for Belle and Sebastian. There are so many great shows going on at Merriweather and Wolf Trap but I just can't even imagine being comfortable at an outdoor venue with this heat and humidity. Anyone else enjoying special baby bump treatment at shows?

While it's nice that the venues made accommodations for you, I don't think pregnancy is a disability! As someone who's worked for a large venue in the area, it always bothered me when people feigned disabilities in order to secure accessible seating at shows where they'd otherwise not have great seats but were physically capable of sitting with the rest of the crowd. Obviously we wouldn't question it and would honor the request...but accessible seating is limited and it sucks to turn someone down who genuinely needs the accommodation. I went to Wolf Trap, Jiffy Lube, 9:30, and other venues while pregnant and never requested special treatment. Of course at the outdoor venues you're going to suffer through the heat no matter where your seats are!

I don't disagree in the average pregnancy, but I'm definitely disabled in my current pregnancy. Of course, I'm not going to any shows either, as I'm stuck in the bed or hospital most of the time, I'm sure people roll their eyes with my handicapped placard, but I'm not faking it...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been pleasantly surprised at how great music venues have been. I called ahead to 9:30 Club and they saved me a bar stool right above the VIP section for a show and Echostage opened up one of their VIP sectionals when their 'handicapped' section was too full for another pregnant lady and myself last night for Belle and Sebastian. There are so many great shows going on at Merriweather and Wolf Trap but I just can't even imagine being comfortable at an outdoor venue with this heat and humidity. Anyone else enjoying special baby bump treatment at shows?

While it's nice that the venues made accommodations for you, I don't think pregnancy is a disability! As someone who's worked for a large venue in the area, it always bothered me when people feigned disabilities in order to secure accessible seating at shows where they'd otherwise not have great seats but were physically capable of sitting with the rest of the crowd. Obviously we wouldn't question it and would honor the request...but accessible seating is limited and it sucks to turn someone down who genuinely needs the accommodation. I went to Wolf Trap, Jiffy Lube, 9:30, and other venues while pregnant and never requested special treatment. Of course at the outdoor venues you're going to suffer through the heat no matter where your seats are!

I agree that it's not a 'disability' but I certainly can't stand for a 3 hour concert at 8 months pregnant. I think we're talking apples and oranges. 9:30's seats are up a bunch of stairs so I don't think anyone in a wheelchair could even access that area and they wouldn't be able to see the show unless they got up onto a bar stool. Neither venue seemed to have a 'limit' on these seats. Obviously I would never advocate kicking a disabled person out of a seat for a pregnant woman and I don't think being pregnant and asking for a seat or special accommodations is 'feigning' a disability. If it's a seated venue, I'm not sure why a pregnant woman would need to ask for special accommodations...unless your pregnancy has taken such an extreme toll that you need a wheelchair to get around or something of that ilk. But good on you for never requesting special treatment! The woman next to me at the Pixies was 38 weeks along and had been having contractions for four weeks so I feel like she deserves all the special treatment the venue would allow her.

[Anonymous]

I'm going to The Weepies concert at The State Theater in Falls Church next weekend. I've heard there's seating upstairs, but I can't remember if it's first-come or reserved seating. Anyone know? I'm only about four months, and can stand for a little while, but after about an hour I'll need to sit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to The Weepies concert at The State Theater in Falls Church next weekend. I've heard there's seating upstairs, but I can't remember if it's first-come or reserved seating. Anyone know? I'm only about four months, and can stand for a little while, but after about an hour I'll need to sit.

I've never been but based on the FAQ it looks like they take reservations. Not sure what's involved in that but certainly seems like it's worth a call to see if they can set a seat aside for you.

[Anonymous]

Oh that's so wonderful - and how was Belle & Sebastian last night? This was the first tour I've missed in 12 years, mainly b/c I've heard the venue is awful and didn't feel like paying a babysitter for an awful venue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been pleasantly surprised at how great music venues have been. I called ahead to 9:30 Club and they saved me a bar stool right above the VIP section for a show and Echostage opened up one of their VIP sectionals when their 'handicapped' section was too full for another pregnant lady and myself last night for Belle and Sebastian. There are so many great shows going on at Merriweather and Wolf Trap but I just can't even imagine being comfortable at an outdoor venue with this heat and humidity. Anyone else enjoying special baby bump treatment at shows?

While it's nice that the venues made accommodations for you, I don't think pregnancy is a disability! As someone who's worked for a large venue in the area, it always bothered me when people feigned disabilities in order to secure accessible seating at shows where they'd otherwise not have great seats but were physically capable of sitting with the rest of the crowd. Obviously we wouldn't question it and would honor the request...but accessible seating is limited and it sucks to turn someone down who genuinely needs the accommodation. I went to Wolf Trap, Jiffy Lube, 9:30, and other venues while pregnant and never requested special treatment. Of course at the outdoor venues you're going to suffer through the heat no matter where your seats are!

the places that OP mentioned (9:30 club and echo stage) do not have seating unless you get there outrageously early and find a bar stool. Nice try, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to The Weepies concert at The State Theater in Falls Church next weekend. I've heard there's seating upstairs, but I can't remember if it's first-come or reserved seating. Anyone know? I'm only about four months, and can stand for a little while, but after about an hour I'll need to sit.

At 4 months? Do you have some kind of additional physical issue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to The Weepies concert at The State Theater in Falls Church next weekend. I've heard there's seating upstairs, but I can't remember if it's first-come or reserved seating. Anyone know? I'm only about four months, and can stand for a little while, but after about an hour I'll need to sit.

At 4 months? Do you have some kind of additional physical issue?

+1 - pregnancy is going to be a long road if it is this hard at 4 months and nothing else is wrong!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to The Weepies concert at The State Theater in Falls Church next weekend. I've heard there's seating upstairs, but I can't remember if it's first-come or reserved seating. Anyone know? I'm only about four months, and can stand for a little while, but after about an hour I'll need to sit.

At 4 months? Do you have some kind of additional physical issue?

I wouldn't want to stand for hours at four months pregnant either

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to The Weepies concert at The State Theater in Falls Church next weekend. I've heard there's seating upstairs, but I can't remember if it's first-come or reserved seating. Anyone know? I'm only about four months, and can stand for a little while, but after about an hour I'll need to sit.

At 4 months? Do you have some kind of additional physical issue?

I wouldn't want to stand for hours at four months pregnant either

THANK YOU. PP here. I've walked 3-5 miles every day the last week, and do yoga once a week, and none of these bother me. But standing in one place on a hard floor for an hour or more can get to be very painful on my feet, knees and back. Even before I was pregnant, standing around was never very comfortable.

So think before you judge next time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to The Weepies concert at The State Theater in Falls Church next weekend. I've heard there's seating upstairs, but I can't remember if it's first-come or reserved seating. Anyone know? I'm only about four months, and can stand for a little while, but after about an hour I'll need to sit.

At 4 months? Do you have some kind of additional physical issue?

I wouldn't want to stand for hours at four months pregnant either

THANK YOU. PP here. I've walked 3-5 miles every day the last week, and do yoga once a week, and none of these bother me. But standing in one place on a hard floor for an hour or more can get to be very painful on my feet, knees and back. Even before I was pregnant, standing around was never very comfortable.

So think before you judge next time.

It was a valid question, not a judgment. Even you say that it was uncomfortable prior to pregnancy, so you want a special accommodation that isn't necessarily related to your pregnancy all that closely. If it were uncomfortable before but without a medical basis for special treatment, perhaps it would be better just not to go and listen to your body?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to The Weepies concert at The State Theater in Falls Church next weekend. I've heard there's seating upstairs, but I can't remember if it's first-come or reserved seating. Anyone know? I'm only about four months, and can stand for a little while, but after about an hour I'll need to sit.

At 4 months? Do you have some kind of additional physical issue?

I wouldn't want to stand for hours at four months pregnant either

THANK YOU. PP here. I've walked 3-5 miles every day the last week, and do yoga once a week, and none of these bother me. But standing in one place on a hard floor for an hour or more can get to be very painful on my feet, knees and back. Even before I was pregnant, standing around was never very comfortable.

So think before you judge next time.

It was a valid question, not a judgment. Even you say that it was uncomfortable prior to pregnancy, so you want a special accommodation that isn't necessarily related to your pregnancy all that closely. If it were uncomfortable before but without a medical basis for special treatment, perhaps it would be better just not to go and listen to your body?

She is listening to her body. She wants to see some music and take a seat. What's the big deal ?