"Why isn't anyone offering me, the pregnant lady, a seat on the bus?"

Do I really expect people to observe this one golden pregnancy etiquette?

There are certain privileges that come with growing a teeny, tiny human.

Everyone is super nice to you and always offers you a chair to sit on at events.

Everyone buys you presents (okay not for you, but for the baby, but still…presents).

People applaud you when you go for a second serving of anything. Even cake. Eating for two you know.

And you finally get access to the front seats on the bus. You know, the ones reserved for elderly/people with a disability or broken ankle/parents with prams/preggers.

The problem is all of those categories are fairly obvious…except for preggers. If you are old, you look old. If you come in on a wheelchair or struggling with crutches and a plastered foot, that’s a pretty obvious sign for people to get up. And if you have a pram, well, people fly out of those seats pretty fast.

But unless you are in your third trimester and have a basket ball belly, then well, you are a little screwed.

Even now that I’m in Week 15 of my pregnancy, my belly looks very similar to the many times I had a ‘food baby’ after eating a little too much.

The other day I got to a very full, people already standing bus. And as I got on, I could see people in those golden seats staring at my stomach. Trying to figure out if I had a food baby or a real baby in there.

I admit, I've done the same in the past. Checking every women's stomach trying to figure out whether there is a teeny, tiny human in the slight bulge. Because the last thing you want to do is offer your seat to someone who isn't pregnant but you think looks it.

Awkward.

So why don't we just stand and wait our turn until we are in fact showing?

Because ever since I found out that I was pregnant, I've been desperate for those front seats. Not because I feel like I have limited time to sit on those golden seats, but because first trimester morning sickness and the bus driver braking every five seconds, never mesh well. And even though I've kissed morning sickness goodbye (please don't come back), I'm still pretty sensitive to motion sickness.

And I know I'm not the only one out there.

I've asked my pregnant and non-pregnant friends what they would do in my situation. Many have just said, ask for a seat. And look, if I was heavily pregnant (showing) and no one stood up, my hormones would probably fire up and I would tell the fit guy with the gym bag on his lap to get the hell out of my seat.

But my belly being the size I am, I feel awkward saying anything. And I feel physically terrible standing for the full hour.

So, dear reader, what should I do when the bus is full and I need one of those precious seats?

CLICK THROUGH the gallery to find out what happens in Week 13 to Week 15 of your pregnancy:

Want more? Try:

“A letter to my pre-pregger boobs. I’m so sorry.”

What not to say to someone who’s just announced their pregnancy.