Store refuses to let pregnant woman use their bathroom, leaving her embarrassed

A woman’s body experiences many changes during and after pregnancy, and the journey often comes with unexpected emergencies. Even a small act of kindness can go a long way for expectant mothers. Unfortunately, one woman, who goes by @pelvicfloorisnomore on Mumsnet, shared a frustrating experience where she didn’t receive any help when she needed it most. In her post, she described the humiliation she felt when she wasn’t allowed to use a restroom during her third pregnancy.

"I popped to the local coop post-school run and as I was checking out was desperate for the loo. My pelvic floor is pretty shot from the previous 2 kids. The baby had dropped during the school run walk so I was feeling like I could not wait. The store was an empty bar with a couple of pensioners. I asked if I could use the staff loo as there were no other loos nearby and I was unlikely to make it the half a mile home in time," the woman wrote in her post. The staff did not allow her to use the restroom and told the pregnant woman that it was against their policy. 

The pregnant lady ended up wetting herself even before she could step out of the shop in disappointment. She felt humiliated in public and had to walk home just like that. "It could have been avoided if a little kindness was shown," the mom wrote further, wondering if she was being unreasonable by asking for some flexibility in the policy of the store to help people like her in need. She made a second update to that incident, adding more context to her story. The mom mentioned that she lives in a small town and had left her house just after using the restroom.

"I don’t have access to a car during the week as my husband uses it to commute to work so my only means of transport is to walk the kids to school and was just picking up some milk before returning home. There are no public loos. The staff in that coop see me several mornings a week picking up staples. I don’t normally need the loo on the school run but the baby dropped," she added. The comment section condemned the actions of the staff at the store and mentioned how this unpleasant situation could have been avoided if they let the pregnant lady use the restroom.

A few others also sided with the staff, claiming that they could have lost their jobs if they went against their restroom policies. @stanleypops66 wrote, "I'm sorry this happened, but In those types of shops the toilets are usually behind locked doors, where the stock is kept and safes, etc. allowing an unauthorized person back there would probably cost someone their job. I'd be hugely sympathetic to you though." @viques wondered, "Why didn’t you ask at the school where they know you? You would probably have had a more sympathetic response. I am sorry this happened though, one of the joys of being a woman. Make sure you do your pelvic floor exercises post-birth." @TheYearOfSmallThings added, "They can't let you into the staff areas, including the loo."