I'm 21 weeks pregnant and the only time I've ever parked in a P&C parking space is when my niece was much younger and came shopping with me. I'd never dream of parking there with her now (11 going on 21). On the note of parking in disabled spaces, I use a walking stick as I have problems with my joints - I can usually make into the supermarket ok but am usually in tremendous pain when I've finished. I spoke to someone on the customer services desk at Tesco Bangor (north Wales) and she told me to use a disabled space if I needed to - I will only use them if there are quite a few available and then only if the furthest 1 or 2 are free, I'd never park in the ones closest to the store. I can guarantee that I will have a go at people who use the P&C spaces once JJ arrives and if I'm subjected to abuse that most people seem to be objected to I will wave my stick at them!!!!

I took my baby to somerfield and because the next car was close to the line I had to park off centre in a space in order to open the door. When I returned the attendant had slapped a "please be more considerate" ticket on my car. I was in a P&C spot, with a seat visable and my wheels were just touching the white line between me and a chevroned area!! I was really upset and would have complained had my lad not been screaming already because he hates supermarket lights. Why not have joint use spaces for disabled OR mums. No-one likes to spaces empty..

i watched a lady park in the baby spaces next to me, she had a posh car and no children not even a babyseat in the back. so my hubby went to customer services this is asda by the way and they said they couldn't do anything about it. but said it was annoying. they should make spaces for mums to be as well or let them park in the disabled bays as when i was 38 weeks pregnant i could hardly walk as i was so big and normally had to park miles away from anything.:\(

I have just got back from my local Sainsburys where (as usual) as I was parking a fat builder in his van was parking in a P&C space. I didn't say anything because I was on my own with lo and he was bigger than me but I took down his reg and took it to customer services. I explained where he was parked and asked them if they could get him to move and to give them credit they took the number and put a call out asking him to go to customer services. It didn't do any good because he was just leaving any way (he was of couse just buying his sarnies!) but it is nice to know that some supermarkets will try and help and it made me feel better

I'm 30+4 weeks and am lucky enough to be mobile so walking across carpark is no prob. However, when Spud arrives I would like to be able to park outside my supermarket. I can't remember where I read it but someone had suggested that you register your pregnancy with local authority and they issue a badge with a four-year validity. You can then display this badge in your car and it allows access to P/T spaces throughout your pregnancy and up until the child is 3yrs old. It would also allow carpark wardens to warn/fine non-badge holders for parking in P/T space.
I think this is complete genius and would happily pledge my support for such a scheme.

We frequently have problems at our local supermarket with people parking in the parent and child spaces when they clearly do not have a child with them. I went through a period of complaining at the 'help desk' each time, but that does no good and have been told for the past 6 months that they will be introducing some sort of scheme or clamping - but this is yet to happen.
I have even tackled the occassional person, but this also seems to do no good - I even had one guy tell me he had to park there as he needs to keep an eye on his dog who was in the back seat! and two young woman said they only have 1/2 hr for their lunch and it was quicker to park in a spot nearer the supermarker door!

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I completely agree that these people who part in mother and toddler spaces should be ashamed of themselves. I have a 4 year old, a 3 year old, and a 16 week old, and am tired of trying to get them all in and out of the car safely, while just anyone parks in the mother and toddler spaces. It makes me really cross, as I would never dream of using these spaces if my children weren't in the car with me, and that goes equally for the disabled spaces! People should spare a thought for others, and realise that the spaces are there for a genuine reason, and maybe oe day they may need them themselves - hopefully someone equally as thoughtless won't be in them!!

I challenged somebody again today, man and woman in dodgy old ford escort and apparantly it was ok for them to park there because she was having dental surgery later today???????? Hello? what the f*** has that got to do with anything?

We would never dream of parking in a disabled space so why is it that some disabled people feel its ok to park in the parent and baby spaces. I have seen this happen on numerous occasions and had to park right at the back of the car park so I could get my son and his buggy out with ease and not to damage anyones car!!
Just 2 days ago a car with 3 able bodied adults were parked next to me and were unloading their trolley, I din't have the guts to confront them but I made sure they heard me speaking to my fiancee saying how annoying and lazy it is to use them, lets just say they looked sheepish!!

I have only just passed my driving test and am pregnant with my first child, so as yet this hasn't affected me with the P+C spaces. However, my husband is registered disabled as is my MIL and when we go out with them we have terrible trouble finding a disabled parking space. Also, the looks we get are terrible. It's not too bad for my MIL as she has obvious mobility problems but if it just my husband in the car, as he doesn't look disabled (he is visually impaired) we get people glaring at us and talking behind our backs because we walk out of the car with no obvious disabilities, people just make assumptions. Can't wait for baby then I can moan about disabled spaces and Parent + child!

Thank you to everyone who has signed up so far, we appreciate your support! However, almost 800 Babyexpert users have viewed this thread, but not left their name (that's all we need!). Please, please, add your name and help our cause! Thanks

It totaly angers me as well i have a few run in with people who have taken a space that i am just about to take and they dont have children with them. i end up waiting 20 mins for a child parking space its not on. Just this friday gone i was waiting that long for a parking space the car parking attendent at my local tesco told me to go and park in a disabled parking space i didnt like to do as i felt a bit cheeky but he also told me that parent and child and disabled are allowed to share parking spaces as long as we show that we have children. Lets hope something can be sorted!!!!!!!!!!!!!

at my local tesco there are only 4 p&c spaces and about 10 disabled spaces,the disabled are never full up and the p&c spaces are always full i have only used the p&c spaces when i have my friends 1yr old with me but i have a baby on the way and would hope to be able to get a space once i have my baby.i dont mind if the p&c spaces are the furthest ones from the store as long as they are wider for us with pushchairs and not abused by people without children.

hello. I have read through this thread and one lady does state correctly that if you join the Tesco parent and baby club you get your sticker for your car and can park in these spaces whilst pregnant. (I do also have a "Mum to Be On Board" sign in the back of my car!!) I have been suffering with mobility and muscular pains whilst walking and getting in and out of my car and so we have parked in the P&C space. But this is only if there are a couple free and not much other parking around the store.
One thing that REALLY gets my goat about my local Tesco (I will name and shame the Leighton Buzzard branch here!) is that about 6 months ago they expanded their home delivery service.... no prizes for where it was expanded - over about 6-7 P&C spaces. And yes you have guessed it - they haven't been replaced in any other areas of the car park. At the same time there are at least 15 disabled spaces that I have never seen more that 2/3 full. Why haven't they either changed the use of some of the disabled spaces or have them as shared use. Also since these spaces are the nearest to the cash machines guess who blocks them up.....
Phew rant over - Lou

i shop at tesco n most of the time we have 2 wait 2 park in a parent n child space i have 2 daughters of 14mths n 6yrs n im 26wks pregnant. quite often at our tesco u find disabled people parkin in the child spaces.:\( i once told a bloke who'd parked in the wrong space 2 move his car 2 the main carpark n not 2 b so lazy as he could walk 2 the store only 2 b told that as he works in tesco he can park where he wants:o n that if i wasn't so fat i could do the walk 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! did try n point out 2 him i was pregnant n tryin 2 park with 2 young chrildren!!!! i did complain 2 tesco but nothing was done about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:oops::evil::x:cry:

this is my biggest bugbear. it is just lazy inconsiderate people who park there when there are spaces elsewhere. It would not kill them to walk a bit further. There are never enough spaces. I think supermarkets should be more considerate to parents as we must make up alot od their customers and provide more spaces and clamp people who park wrongly the same as they would a disbaled space.:oops:

I am 35yrs and have always respected disabled and parent & child parking spaces, so now im 28 weeks pregnant I get really angry when I discover I am in the minority! Even in the car park at work where everyone knows im 28 weeks pregnant I have cars parked right up to my car door and on occasions have had to wait for the person to come back to their car so I can get in mine - why are people so selfish?

I havent started using the P&C spaces at our local supermarkets yet (we have a Tesco & Sainsburys local to us) so im not sure how strict they are on people using the spaces when they shouldnt, but rest assured when the time comes I will be 'having my say' if I see people using them inappropriately!

Why cant we have designated spaces in ALL areas and not just in supermarkets eg: town centre's, child friendly places like zoo's etc.., like disabled people do?

Maybe Prima Baby should find out which places are the worst offenders and arrange for local Parents & Children to stage a protest and really show the 'offenders' up!!!!!! What do you think Prima Baby?

You have my support 100% on this one. I am 27 weeks and I think there should be spaces for mums to be also, I'm sick of people, yes mainly 4x4 parking so close it kills my back to get in the car, annoys me so much i feel like bashing their car with my door lol.

I think its disgusting that people wihout kids think they have a right to park in parent & baby parking spaces. I would like to see these people fined.

Hi just to let all u mums to be that at tescos p&c spaces you are allowed to park in them as i read in the baby club book so dont feel u have to wait to have ur baby to park in them you do have ur baby just that no one can see him or her yet. Pregant women need those spaces to i know i did as i was a big as a cow lol i had to push my door wide open to get out there was no way i was parking in a normal space i couldnt get out of my car. Tesco do parking permits so either join the baby club or ask at customer services.