Pregnant women share MRT struggles, from being ignored to being mocked for sitting down

SINGAPORE: A pregnant woman’s question about whether expectant mothers can still count on getting a seat on Singapore’s MRT during peak hours has prompted other mothers to share their own experiences of standing throughout their pregnancies.

Posting on r/askSingapore, the woman said she sometimes uses a reserved seat but has noticed older women standing nearby and appearing visibly unhappy about it.

“When I sit in the reserved seat, aunties stand near me and seethe angrily…makes me feel guilty for occupying a seat even though I am pregnant,” she wrote. “Pregnant ladies, are you able to get a seat on the MRT during peak hour?”

“It makes me feel guilty occupying a seat even though I am pregnant,” she wrote.

Her question quickly drew responses from other women, some of whom said they too had struggled to get a seat while heavily pregnant.

One woman recalled she “didn’t get a seat” even when she was heavily pregnant at eight to nine months. She still had to stand during some of her journeys, and said the situation has not changed much since becoming a mum. 

Even now, she often finds herself standing when travelling on the MRT or bus while carrying her two-month-old baby.

“A bit paiseh to ask, also a bit paiseh to expect seats. But I usually give up my seat to pregnant people/mom and dad baby-wearing. I just didn’t expect that when it was my turn to be having a baby, nobody would give a seat to me hahaha. It just feels a bit sad la, the society is like this.”

“I know nobody is entitled to seats, and if I want a seat, I should take a taxi. However, I just feel a bit pitiful towards my baby that fewer and fewer people are being considerate of her safety, esp. when taking the bus since the bus turns and stops a lot. MRT is more stable.”

Another woman shared a particularly unpleasant experience from her first trimester, saying an older man once “mocked” her for sitting down even though she was not using a reserved seat. 

She was dealing with severe morning sickness at the time, and after getting off just one stop later, the man reportedly sighed loudly and said, ‘Haiya! One stop also need to sit!’ 

“I have also experienced a lot of unkindness from elderly Singaporeans and decided that one kid is enough for me (not because of financial reasons lmao).”

A third woman shared that her pregnancy was not particularly obvious, even when she was eight months along with her first child. Because she was barely showing, some passengers simply did not realise she was pregnant and did not offer her a seat. 

MRT staff, however, were much more observant and would quickly usher her to the front of the queue when passengers were boarding.

“The MRT station people were quick to usher me to the front of the queue when boarding the train. Ironically, now that I am not pregnant and wear loose dresses, people try to offer me a seat.”

A fourth woman, who is currently almost six months pregnant, said she only takes the MRT about twice a week, but her experience during peak hours has been rather underwhelming.

“I must say, the number of times someone has actively given up their seat to me during peak hours in the past month… I can count on one hand, and most of the time it’s been young, seemingly able-bodied people who are occupying those seats, busy on their phones.”

Ask for a pass or ask other people

Others, meanwhile, suggested that the post author and other pregnant women consider getting an MRT pass or politely asking fellow commuters for a seat.

One user shared she did this back in the day, writing, “So many years back when I was heavily pregnant, I would go to someone younger in the seat and ask politely if they needed the seat and if it was ok for me to sit.”

“So far 100% of the time they gave up the seat, maybe because they were paiseh or what. But I did not want to assume; although they were younger, they might have an underlying medical condition.”

Another commented, “Get the MRT pass for pregnant women. I didn’t need it because my pregnancy was very obvious. Short and skinny with a big tummy and barely able to walk lol. I started showing very early, and my pregnancy was a really rough one. Strangely enough, the ones who always offered me a seat and a kind smile were aunties, followed by guys. Wishing you an easy pregnancy!”/TISG

Commuters who require a seat on public transport, including pregnant women and those with less visible health conditions, can request a “May I Have a Seat?” lanyard.

These are available at MRT passenger service centres, bus interchanges and TransitLink ticket offices.

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