{
  "id": 2118818,
  "title": "Pregnant women share MRT struggles, from being ignored to being mocked for sitting down",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/pregnant-women-share-mrt-struggles-from-being-ignored-to-being-mocked",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-20T09:00:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Independent Singapore",
    "slug": "the-independent-singapore",
    "url": "https://theindependent.sg/pregnant-women-share-mrt-struggles-from-being-ignored-to-being-mocked-for-sitting-down/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A pregnant woman on Singapore’s MRT has sparked discussion among mothers about the challenges of securing a seat during peak hours. On the r/askSingapore forum, she expressed feeling guilty for occupying a reserved seat while pregnant, as older women nearby stood and appeared unhappy. Other women chimed in with their own MRT experiences.\n\nOne mother recounted not receiving a seat even when heavily pregnant at eight to nine months, having to stand during many journeys. She now habitually offers her seat to pregnant individuals and parents with young children, yet she notes few reciprocate the kindness when she is pregnant.\n\nAnother woman shared a particularly unpleasant incident from her first trimester when an older man mocked her for sitting even though she wasn’t using a reserved seat, as she was dealing with severe morning sickness. A third woman explained that her pregnancy was barely noticeable, and passengers often failed to realize she was expecting, not offering her a seat. However, MRT staff were more observant, assisting her by guiding her to the front of the train queue.\n\nOne woman admitted that she only takes the MRT twice a week but experienced minimal seat generosity during peak hours, with only a few young, busy individuals offering their seats. The post prompted suggestions that pregnant women consider applying for an MRT pass or politely requesting seats from other commuters, or even using a “May I Have a Seat?” lanyard, available at MRT stations and bus interchanges.",
  "summary": "Women at different stages of pregnancy shared their experiences of travelling on the MRT and buses, particularly during peak hours. This article ( Pregnant women share MRT struggles, from being ignored to being mocked for sitting down ) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}