In a heartbeat. They go straight from the welfare office and then park by the front door. Have you noticed who has the most kids, those that can't afford to have them. I pay for their kid, then why should I have to walk farther than them.

Yes, if I had a wife and she was pregnant. :)

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

If I were pregnant.

I actually really respect the handicapped parking, and other privilages awarded to the disabled... That said...

One time I was at a park and I saw a car parked in the middle of two handicapped spaces, without a sticker. Had the car been in only one space, and there had still been a spot left i would have let it go. But this just smelled like the work of a jackass. So I yelled out, "who's car is this?!" A guy raised his arm... His only arm.

FML...

Exercise In PregnancyBradley Goldberg, MD

It is not always necessary for pregnant women to give up their exercise routines. In fact, studies have demonstrated that mild to moderate amounts of exercise could result in certain benefits such as shorter labors, less preterm deliveries, less cesarean deliveries, and less fetal distress during labor. Proper exercise programs could also increase your daily energy levels, and improve your quality of sleep.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that women who exercised before pregnancy can continue to exercise with some restrictions. Specifically, ACOG recommends:

Regular exercise (at least three times per week) is better than intermittent programs.

Avoid exercises where you lay flat on your back after the 12th week of pregnancy.

Do not exercise to the point of exhaustion, instead, stop when fatigued.

Make sure you do not overheat. Drink plenty of fluids and maintain a proper diet.

Avoid activities that require precise balance.

Avoid activities that have the potential for abdominal trauma.

Don’t worry, the above list does not exclude all activities. Recommended regimens include walking, swimming, bicycling (stationary bikes are best in late pregnancy), and low impact aerobics. Walking is ideal, especially for women who did not exercise much before they were pregnant.

Sounds good so far, but you must keep in mind that there is the potential for problems. High-impact exercise, with excessive bouncing or jarring should be avoided. In addition, women who exercise too vigorously on a regular basis could have babies with low birth weights. It is also prudent for women who were inactive before pregnancy to limit new exercise programs during pregnancy to mild or moderate programs, such as walking or swimming.

Certain groups of women should not be exercising at all when pregnant. This includes high-risk pregnancies such as women with high blood pressure related to their pregnancy, women with premature labor, and women with twins. As a rule, you should always check with your physician before beginning any exercise program during pregnancy. Grocery shopping is physical exercise

Bibliography

1. The Athletic Woman, Part II: Concerns During Pregnancy, The Female Patient, Vol. 23, July 1998, pp. 34-40.

2. Exercise During Pregnancy, ACOG Pamphlet # AP119, 1998.

3. Williams Obstetrics, 20th Edition, F. Gary Cunningham,M.D. et.al., Appleton & Lange, Stamford, Connecticut, 1997.

4. Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period, ACOG Technical Bulletin #189, February 1994.

They can now fine you $250 if you park in a handicap zone even though a parking lot is private property and a cop has no jurisdiction there. But the other types of parking aren't recognized by the law ... yet.

See? Everyone needs some special privilege or benefit sanctioned by the feds. I take the parking spot and tell onlookers that I couldn't find any handicap parking. When they ask what's wrong with me I say, "I have a hang nail." If they stare harder I add, "Oh, I forgot, and an ingrown toe nail... ouch!" ;)

Sometimes I push my belly way out and yell, "Expectant fathers have rights too!" ;)

BTW, handicap parking discriminates against the able bodies!

Basically if you can get a bunch of people to feel sorry for your ass, you can force concessions from the rest of the populace.

We are becoming a nation of pathetic, pitiful, unproductive, worthless, wretched, beggars with the power to legally extract alms from the able bodies!

There are way too many victims on this planet. We should get rid of a few ;)

I don't see a problem with having parking for expectant mothers. I think it's more about the discomfort women feel in their third trimester, than the fear that they are going to pop mid-shopping excursion.

I have two good legs and am able bodied. I have no problem walking a little further so that someone who needs it can park closer.

At my supermarket they used to have a few spaces reserved for mothers with children only plus the usual handicapped spaces. I can park in the handicapped spots but would never take up a spot for mothers with or expectant of a child. I can still walk a bit farther than a more handicapped person than myself but I hate it when I see a teenager parking in one of those spots just because they have the right credentials from a parent.

People actually need those spots. Will it really kill you to walk the extra couple of yards?

If I remember correctly, Missouri pioneered the "expectant mother parking" after a pregnant woman slipped in the icy parking lot of a shopping mall during the Christmas season and was injured (I can't recall whether the fetus sustained injury as well). So in those situations, perhaps seasonal preggo parking would be in order. Helps keep the pregnant woman from toppling over in the ice and snow, which helps keep the mall from getting sued, which keeps prices down and everybody goes home happy.

I have no personal experience with being pregnant so I have no real idea whether its physical discomforts warrant expectant mother parking on a year-round basis; but hell, these woman are pregnant, and I don't really begrudge a pregnant woman a parking spot. That would just be sort of petty.

So no, I don't park in expectant mother parking.