Q.
What does this sign mean, where are you most likely to see it and what should you do when you see one?
A.
This is called a “Maternity Mark”.
The maternity mark is a sign that pregnant women carry to indicate to others that they are pregnant.
Maternity Marks come in the form of stickers, keychains, pins, etc. You will most likely see a pregnant woman with this sign if you are near the priority seating of a train. If you see the mark and you are sitting in a priority seat, it’s courteous to give up your seat to the pregnant woman (assuming you are not eligible for priority seating, of course).
Some other suggestions if you see a woman carrying this sign is to avoid smoking near her and to ask her if she needs help if you notice she looks sick or uncomfortable.
Do Maternity Marks really help?
It’s hit or miss. Nowadays, people are looking at their cellphones so much that they do not notice women who have the maternity mark, or might not even notice they are pregnant unless they are really showing. In any case, pregnant women do find it beneficial to carry around, just in case others do notice it and can be sensitive to their condition.
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