My grandma is 100 and needs a handicap space when I take her places. She has a walker. Most of the time, there are no handicap spaces available. Why is that? I think doctors are allowing everyone and anyone to apply for one. Even obese people are getting them. Fat is not a disability either.

Anonymous wrote:I have a disability placard. I’ve also had a baby while disabled, but I didn’t have the placard back then because my disability hadn’t progressed to the point it is now.

Do you know what would be super helpful? If mothers of young children could have a spot similar to van-accessible spots, with the extra space on the side. It doesn’t need to be close to the store because it’s not addressing a mobility issue, but the extra space to move carseat or babg to stroller (or toddler to/from cart) would be amazing.

Omg yes this. Ideally far from the door actually to cut down on traffic. Good for third trimester of an uneventful pregnancy too — my sister had an embarrassing situation one time where someone parked so close to her at the library she couldn’t get back into her car and they had to page the other driver to ask them to move their car so the pregnant lady could go home.

My husband needs the handicapped parking to get out of the car (he is an above the knee amputee and needs the extra space to open the car door and swing his legs out). If all pregnant women got handicapped parking placards, we would need more handicapped spots or my DH wouldn’t be able to run errands and get out of the car.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Wow - you must be a real peach. While it's not a disability, I would gladly allow a heavily pregnant woman the ability to park close to a store for her convenience. I see it as a gesture of goodwill and respect.

Um, that’s not how it works. Those aren’t “goodwill and respect” parking spaces. They are reserved for people with disabilities who NEED them. If pregnant people without disabilities take them, then wheelchair users won’t be able to park close to the store.

If a pregnant person has a disability because of the pregnancy, then of course she should be able to get a handicapped spot, just like a non pregnant person would who is suffering from the same pain or injury. But not for goodwill and respect.

+1.

+1000

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Wow - you must be a real peach. While it's not a disability, I would gladly allow a heavily pregnant woman the ability to park close to a store for her convenience. I see it as a gesture of goodwill and respect.

Um, that’s not how it works. Those aren’t “goodwill and respect” parking spaces. They are reserved for people with disabilities who NEED them. If pregnant people without disabilities take them, then wheelchair users won’t be able to park close to the store.

If a pregnant person has a disability because of the pregnancy, then of course she should be able to get a handicapped spot, just like a non pregnant person would who is suffering from the same pain or injury. But not for goodwill and respect.

+1.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My doctor gave me one while I was on bedrest. They don’t want their patients walking unnecessarily. Sorry that bothers so many of you…

You are on bed rest, so where are you walking to? Starbucks? Target? If you are that disabled that you can’t walk and on bed rest, then you don’t need to be out. And if we are talking about doctors appointments, sweetie, someone can drop you off up front and then park.

Seriously? I would rather a husband/relative/friend park in the handicap spot and then help their pregnant person safely into a doctor's appt. Something is wrong with our society to have such little empathy.

It’s just the misogynist trolls. Ignore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My doctor gave me one while I was on bedrest. They don’t want their patients walking unnecessarily. Sorry that bothers so many of you…

You are on bed rest, so where are you walking to? Starbucks? Target? If you are that disabled that you can’t walk and on bed rest, then you don’t need to be out. And if we are talking about doctors appointments, sweetie, someone can drop you off up front and then park.

No, sweetie, when you are being monitored twice a week your husband doesn’t drop you off and park. You drive and park in handicapped parking because that is what is safest for you and your baby, even if an internet nobody feels mad about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My doctor gave me one while I was on bedrest. They don’t want their patients walking unnecessarily. Sorry that bothers so many of you…

You are on bed rest, so where are you walking to? Starbucks? Target? If you are that disabled that you can’t walk and on bed rest, then you don’t need to be out. And if we are talking about doctors appointments, sweetie, someone can drop you off up front and then park.

Seriously? I would rather a husband/relative/friend park in the handicap spot and then help their pregnant person safely into a doctor's appt. Something is wrong with our society to have such little empathy.

Anonymous wrote:My doctor gave me one while I was on bedrest. They don’t want their patients walking unnecessarily. Sorry that bothers so many of you…

You are on bed rest, so where are you walking to? Starbucks? Target? If you are that disabled that you can’t walk and on bed rest, then you don’t need to be out. And if we are talking about doctors appointments, sweetie, someone can drop you off up front and then park.

Ignoring the weird haters on this thread...

It makes me feel better to learn that I wasn't the only one with severe sciatica during my pregnancies. Everyone else I've mentioned this to has just shrugged and said they felt fine their whole pregnancy. Meanwhile I had numbness down one leg for about 5 months and shooting sciatic pain pretty much daily through my last trimester. It sucked!

There is this frustrating issue with pregnancy where if you have any issues that might make it hard to function/work as normal, people act like you're being a "smug" pregnant lady or making a big deal out of nothing. But then if you try to tough it out, people are like "omg take it easy, you're pregnant!" Like people act like morning sickness ("morning" sickness) or swelling or back pain is no big deal, but then if they see you carrying a cardboard box they yell at you for overdoing it. I just can't even.

Anonymous wrote:My doctor gave me one while I was on bedrest. They don’t want their patients walking unnecessarily. Sorry that bothers so many of you…

Amazing, isn’t it? They’d rather the woman go into preterm labor and deliver a NICU preemie.

My doctor gave me one while I was on bedrest. They don’t want their patients walking unnecessarily. Sorry that bothers so many of you…

Anonymous wrote:

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

Wow - you must be a real peach. While it's not a disability, I would gladly allow a heavily pregnant woman the ability to park close to a store for her convenience. I see it as a gesture of goodwill and respect.

Then when you own a store, you are free to do that.

Anonymous wrote:

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

+1. If you have extreme, out of the ordinary complications caused by pregnancy, yes. Otherwise, no.

You don’t need extreme out of the ordinary complications to qualify. If your complications meet the definition of a disability for parking, then you should qualify. It’s a lot easier to walk with crutches for a broken foot then it is to walk with SPD.

I have a disability placard. I’ve also had a baby while disabled, but I didn’t have the placard back then because my disability hadn’t progressed to the point it is now.

Do you know what would be super helpful? If mothers of young children could have a spot similar to van-accessible spots, with the extra space on the side. It doesn’t need to be close to the store because it’s not addressing a mobility issue, but the extra space to move carseat or babg to stroller (or toddler to/from cart) would be amazing.