Correct. If she were thin, getting a lot of exercise at this juncture would be bad because becoming underweight would harm the baby.
Wait till you need it. You’ll know when you need it. When you get dizzy from standing still, when you can’t fit your feet in anything but Uggs, when standing up feels like cracking your pelvis at the pubic bone, when even maternity pants don’t fit, when the baby drops and everything from your waist down gets puffy and purple… you’ll know.
Quoted because I don’t think anybody saw this the first time.
Also, parking in the expectant mother spot when you’re a guy is surprisingly fun.
It may not get your vehicle towed, but that company would be well within their rights to ban you from coming on the premises ever again. Subsequent visits and use of the space could then *become *a legal matter.
If this has ever happened to anyone, anywhere, I’ll eat my hat.
Riiiight. Which is why most OB’s tell their thin patients to lay around on the couch the entire 9 months.
I say, like most people here, wait until you need it. When I was about 7 months along, my pelvis separated early. Every step was grind grind grind. Close spaces were a Godsend.
We have expectant mother spots where I work (no mother of an infant slots though, children aren’t allowed through security. 
). To park there, you have to apply for the permit by bringing a doctor’s slip affirming that you a) are 20 weeks along or b) are in need otherwise for pregnancy related reasons.
For stores, I’d have to go with whenever you feel that you need a parking space closer to the door.
BTW, congrats to you and Mr. Neville!
I’m pretty sure everybody already knows this, but just in case not, this statement is ludicrously and hilariously wrong. If anyone actually needs elaboration as to why, I can provide some, once I’m finished laughing. Might be a while.
To answer the OP: Sure, use the spot. My general philosophy when pregnant was that I’d use the spot if 1) I was past the point in pregnancy when walking becomes uncomfortable/painful, or 2) there weren’t any other parking spots. But: You’re pregnant. The spot is for pregnant people. You can use it whenever you please.
Wait until you need it. Don’t take the spot from someone who does need it - you’ll be that person yourself all too soon.
I’m 34 weeks now and I can waddle around forever, but at around 8 weeks I was having to take real, lie-down breaks in the middle of something as strenuous as folding laundry. I might have considered using one of those spaces then even though I wasn’t showing at all.
I say, like all things preggy, wait until you need it. And if that’s early (like a seat on a train when you are 15 weeks and feeling faint), or not until the day you drop the sprog it doesn’t matter.
But my advice is to keep as active as possible during pregnancy to help make labour and the post-natal period a little easier. So consider parking as far away as you feel comfortable to get a little NEAT exercise.
So buy a new one, and hang THAT up 
I vote for “wait until you need it”, whenever (and whyever) that may be - back pain, waddling, whatever. In the meantime, park further away and think of it as extra exercise that will help with a healthy pregnancy.
The symbol here is a pram…
That’s…kind of hilarious. Like you’re sneaking a baby through security, or something.
Yeah, they won’t issue the little boogers a visitor badge, so you’d have to smuggle them in. 
My local grocery store has a few close-in spaces designated by signpost as being RESERVED FOR PARENTS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN. As a parent of a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old, this really makes things easier for me. It’s going to be even better in a couple of years when I start bringing them with me.
Whenever you need it where the reason is pregnancy driven. If that is tomorrow due to morning sickness, or never because you turn out to be one of those glowing women who coast through pregnancy. There are a limited number of spaces and if you need them, you’ll appreciate why many of us suggest using them when you need them and not to celebrate your coming joy (or just make the trip into the grocery store faster) and being considerate to the women for whom a trip to the grocery store is a challenging quest.
I’m surprised no one else has mentioned this. This was my experience as well. very early on and very late in the game (38 weeks +) would have been my times of graetest need.