8 Months Pregnant

[rerant]

Not being pregnant, this obviously happened to someone else at my work.
Coworker D is 8 months along and has been working 10+ hour shifts to save up enough money in anticipation for the reduced pay when she goes on maternity leave.

She's a very hard worker and also careful not to work too hard for the sake of her baby.

A woman today came through her line with something that needed to be lifted off her flatbed cart so that D could scan what was underneath it.

D asks if the woman could please lift the item.
The incredible SC bitch says, "I'm not moving anything. Why can't you do it?"
D looks down to her stomach that, even under baggy work sweater, shows that she is VERY obviously with child.

From what D told me she eventually ended up getting the woman to help her lift the item.
Apparently it wasn't particularly heavy, but who cares. SHE'S EIGHT FUCKING MONTHS PREGNANT!

People like this woman make me want to scream.
I saw the tail end of this event, too, as I was two lanes over from D, but didn't see the lifting of anything. I only caught the customer bitching to someone she was with about something I couldn't hear.

Had I seen D trying to move the item I would have dropped what I was doing (even if I was in the middle of serving a customer) and gone to help her.
No. Done it my self. She shouldn't be bending and lifting anything heavier than her own finger.

[Lingering Grin]

She shouldn't be bending and lifting anything heavier than her own finger.

unless it's a chocolate milkshake

[marasbaras]

... or a bonbon.

What a piece of garbage. I hope she gets what is due to her.

And, I hope your friend's delivery goes smoothly.

[NightWatch]

The one encounter I can recall having with a pregnant woman was on the bus. It was completely crowded and I was sitting near the front. At the time I was super goth kid, ya know, piercings, spiked collars, dyed black hair, trenchcoat etc... I was the only one who got up to let her sit. There were a whole bunch of people nearby who looked a lot nicer then I did, but they pretended not to notice the woman.
(just goes to show, the weirdos are way cooler! )

[friendofjimmyk]

Or a spoonful of Hagen daus topped with pickles!

I'm not sure why - but this reminds me of the scene from the movie "Traffic" wjere Catherine Zeta-Jones character finds herself trying to sell a bunch of cocaine because her husband is in jail (if I recall correctly) and the potential buyer wanted her to try the cocaine and she pointed out the obivous - she was 7 or 8 months pregnant and if the guy didn't want the stuff, she'd take it elsewhere.

Not sure why that came to mind - maybe just a silly thing - fictional or not - that someone expected of a pregnant woman.

[tropicsgoddess]

Ugh...people like that SC disgust me. I would've asked a co-worker that was free to do it if I was in your co-worker's shoes. I don't care what an SC has to say, no way would any pregnant woman (showing or not) endanger the life of her unborn child for the sake of some lazy entitlement whore. Much luck to your co-worker on the baby!

[iviles]

I HATE when people do that to pregant women! A co worker of mine went into labor ( not full blown) and still came to work for a couple of days becuase her water hadnt broke yet. Customers actualy put in complaints because she was ignoring their order or would walk away to the back of the store. Ummm she was haveing contractions people! They knew she was pregant! In our company if a formal complaint is made managment has to respond. When they did the SC's told them well she shouldnt be at work then. Sure we'll force her to go home if you agree to pay for the doctor bills. I hope her deilvery is quick and tell her teach them daddy not mamma that way she can make her partner get up in the middle of the night!

[Becks]

At the time I was super goth kid, ya know, piercings, spiked collars, dyed black hair, trenchcoat etc... I was the only one who got up to let her sit. <snip>
(just goes to show, the weirdos are way cooler! )

"The weirder you're going to behave, the more normal you should look. It works in reverse, too. When I see a kid with three or four rings in his nose, I know there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about that person."
-P. J. O'Rourke

[Daisy]

And to think, I feel horrible about having to ask the workers at Target for help with the giganto-bags of dog food, and I'm 9 months pregnant (Just about one more week to go!). They always help of course, and they probably don't mind, but I'm so used to doing things myself that I hate to ask.

Now, if I were in that situation, I would flat out refuse to lift anything for that woman. She managed to get it onto the cart, she can lift it up to scan something underneath.

[Seshat]

And to think, I feel horrible about having to ask the workers at Target for help with the giganto-bags of dog food, and I'm 9 months pregnant (Just about one more week to go!). They always help of course, and they probably don't mind, but I'm so used to doing things myself that I hate to ask.

If you're visibly disabled or visibly pregnant, decent (healthy) people never mind doing simple things for you. And staff who can't do them themselves are happy to get more able-bodied staff to do things.

Don't let yourself feel bad. Your baby's health - and yours - are more important than 'feeling like you're being a bother'. Not just to you, but to the decent people around you. (Wierdos included. )

[Boozy]

A co worker of mine went into labor ( not full blown) and still came to work for a couple of days becuase her water hadnt broke yet. Customers actualy put in complaints because she was ignoring their order or would walk away to the back of the store. Ummm she was haveing contractions people! They knew she was pregant!

In defense of these customers, that's sort of a confusing situation, don't you think? I mean, she might be visibly pregnant, but how would they know she's in labour? Its not unusual for a woman in the early stages of labour to keep going about her day as usual (it keeps things moving) but to go to work? There's nothing wrong with that, but it's highly unusual.

If I were being served by someone and they just walked away from me in the middle of the transaction without a word...I might complain too.

We complain when customers expect us to be mind-readers, so we can't expect them to be either.

[iviles]

If I were being served by someone and they just walked away from me in the middle of the transaction without a word...I might complain too.

We complain when customers expect us to be mind-readers, so we can't expect them to be either.

Sorry I should have explained most of the time she would tell them and if not anyone around her (we always made sure someone was and with a cell phone) would explain the situation and always finish with the customer. We thought that would be the end of it but they still complained.

[RayvenQ]

Hell, if I was just shopping there and saw what was going on, I'd have lifted it for her myself (and I have a back condition)

Then again, I am something of a gentleman (*snickers*) for instance, I ALWAYS hold the door open for anyone if I get to the door first I'll hold it open, let them in or out and then carry on my way.

And Daisy, I know how you feel, I hate having to get or having people do things for me that I can usually do myself (because of the back problem)

[Boozy]

We thought that would be the end of it but they still complained.

Then you're absolutely right; a quick apology to the customer followed by continued service from another employee should have been the end of it.

Some people.

[ShinyGreenApple]

That happened at WM with a friend/coworker of mine. And keep in mind, she was about 19, 5'4", and so big that even at the beginning of her third trimester, she was starting to look as if she was bent over backwards when she walked. Management had her only work the express lanes so she wouldn't have to deal with the mega-orders, but she'd still get jackasses putting 20-packs of beer on the counter.

"Sir, excuse me, I'm really, sorry but I can't lift that, I'm pregnant." Then she'd smile nicely and point to her belly. The response she received most of the time?

"So?"



Also, I'd get couples who would come through my line, and I'm scanning away, and bagging in the bag carousel, and before I even had a chance to start loading the cart (I would always, always load a cart for someone who was pregnant, or had their hands full with children), their boyfriend/husband/useless sperm donor would look at them and go "You need to put those bags in the cart." or "You need to get those!"

You know what? I don't really give a shit if you work 60 hours a week to provide for this woman and your baby. I don't even care if the baby is yours or not. Just because you are doing the grueling, exhausting task of sliding a debit card, it's YOU what needs to load the fucking cart if you won't wait for me to do it. Not someone who's bent over backwards with a baby belly the size of Texas.

Sorry for the rant, but this was one of the things that would get me seriously steamed.