No, I have not done this, but there were times with my second pregnancy when I absolutely could’ve used it- I had such disabling pelvic dysfunction after 30 weeks (from excessive laxity) that there were times I absolutely could not walk from the parking lot to a store. Third trimester was excruciating for me.

With my first pregnancy I ran until well into the third trimester and then fast walked many miles every day until delivery. Second one, completely different story. If you haven’t experienced anything like this then just consider yourself lucky.

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who thinks the Illinois law makes sense?

Yes. The story posted makes zero sense as to why the law was passed in IL.

Anonymous wrote:I had such severe sciatica pain that I was barely able to walk at times during one of my pregnancies. I was not driving at the time (different city), so I cannot offer advice, OP, but I do sympathize. Different bodies can experience pregnancy very differently.

Me too. I crawled when I was at home and used shopping cart as a walker, and later the stroller.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my preemie twins were discharged after a long NICU stay they automatically gave me a handicapped permit, valid for 6 months which was as long as they expected them to be on tubes and o2 and things. I never used it once bc it wasn’t like the twins were walking and needed to be close. It seemed selfish to use when I was an able bodied person who would be taking them to all of their appts, but it was definitely part of their discharge packet

I think they gave you that pass because the preemie twins were considered temporarily disabled people, with the tubes and o2. I don't think it would have been selfish to use the pass, because you had to get the temporarily disabled passengers (the twins) into wherever you were going.

Yes that's why they gave it to me but it seemed stupid b/c whoever was going to be taking them in was not disabled so seemed selfish to take a parking spot (primarily at the hospital) from someone else who was.

Anonymous wrote:When my preemie twins were discharged after a long NICU stay they automatically gave me a handicapped permit, valid for 6 months which was as long as they expected them to be on tubes and o2 and things. I never used it once bc it wasn’t like the twins were walking and needed to be close. It seemed selfish to use when I was an able bodied person who would be taking them to all of their appts, but it was definitely part of their discharge packet

I think they gave you that pass because the preemie twins were considered temporarily disabled people, with the tubes and o2. I don't think it would have been selfish to use the pass, because you had to get the temporarily disabled passengers (the twins) into wherever you were going.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had such severe sciatica pain that I was barely able to walk at times during one of my pregnancies. I was not driving at the time (different city), so I cannot offer advice, OP, but I do sympathize. Different bodies can experience pregnancy very differently.

This was the case for me with one pregnancy but not the other two. I think it’s right that it should be an option for those who actually are disabled by pregnancy conditions!

I agree with this! I personally had easy pregnancies and wouldn’t have needed or wanted a pass for them but I had sciatica when I was 30 and there was a period where I was proud of myself if I managed to spend 20 minutes over the course of an entire day standing up. Someone suffering from something like that, especially while pregnant and consequently needing to go to things like doctor’s appointments and barred from taking a lot of the available painkillers should qualify for disabled parking for sure!

Anonymous wrote:I had such severe sciatica pain that I was barely able to walk at times during one of my pregnancies. I was not driving at the time (different city), so I cannot offer advice, OP, but I do sympathize. Different bodies can experience pregnancy very differently.

This was the case for me with one pregnancy but not the other two. I think it’s right that it should be an option for those who actually are disabled by pregnancy conditions!

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone remember the special parking spaces that some stores used to have for pregnant women? I seem to remember Harris Teeter having signs with a stork on them. I thought they were also for mothers but may be remembering wrong.

I was long past the time of needing them but remember thinking it was good for those in need.

I think they also had special spaces for Veterans as well.

Babies R Us and/or Buy Buy Baby used to have special spots for pregnant or new moms.

No, but Lidl’s parking lot near us - and a small number of other stores - have special “pregnant mom” parking spaces (separate from hc).

Does anyone remember the special parking spaces that some stores used to have for pregnant women? I seem to remember Harris Teeter having signs with a stork on them. I thought they were also for mothers but may be remembering wrong.

I was long past the time of needing them but remember thinking it was good for those in need.

I think they also had special spaces for Veterans as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being pregnant is not a disability. Get over it.

After DW gave birth, her employer sent over forms to apply for short-term disability from their insurer. The reason was she had just given birth. Nothing other than that -- her delivery went smoothly. The insurer approved her for 3 months.

If the insurer treats it as a disability, then why shouldn't it be treated that way for parking purposes?

Key words… AFTER she gave birth.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being pregnant is not a disability. Get over it.

After DW gave birth, her employer sent over forms to apply for short-term disability from their insurer. The reason was she had just given birth. Nothing other than that -- her delivery went smoothly. The insurer approved her for 3 months.

If the insurer treats it as a disability, then why shouldn't it be treated that way for parking purposes?

After birth she is no longer pregnant, so the above doesn't apply.

Anonymous wrote:No, and it's WAY harder to walk with an infant in a carrier than it is being pregnant. Literally every single person had a pregnant mom. You'll live.

It depends on the pregnancy. I personally had no problem walking with an infant in a carrier (or in a stroller, or whatever) but I could barely walk the last month of my pregnancy due to a nerve impingement.

Not all pregnancies are the same and the whole "everyone had a pregnant mother" argument is weird because some people's moms had horrible complications during pregnancy that threatened their lives (and in some cases, killed them), so being dismissive about it is just strange.

OP, I would speak to your OB if you think you need this. I had severe sciatica during my third trimester, and frequently had numbness in my right leg in addition to the sciatic pain. My OB offered to provide written confirmation of the issue for both work and a temporary disability tag because walking more than about a block was very painful for me. I wound up not feeling like I needed the parking tag because work allowed me to WFH and my DH was able to drive me places the last 6 weeks or so.

I think if you show up with a doctor's note that states you have a temporary disability, they pretty much have to give you the tag. Which they should!

But I'd talk to your OB because without a note, you might be SOL. As a PP said, everyone experiences pregnancy differently and people won't just assume pregnancy on it's own is a disability, but they'll be more inclined to accept the word of a physician.

Am I the only one who thinks the Illinois law makes sense?