UP-STAND: Making public transportation safer for pregnant women

Following the birth of her daughter Ani, Christine Serdjenian Yearwood (2008), from New York, has launched her own initiative called UP-STAND. UP-STAND aims to make public transportation safer for pregnant women by connecting them with their supporters. Christine, the Founder and CEO of UP-STAND, said she listened to horror stories from women who used public transportation while pregnant; they described being shoved onto crowded trains, fainting from motion sickness, and health complications from standing. Christine shared their pain and frustration, but understood that these same women rarely asked for seats because they realized other riders might have hidden disabilities, or felt dejected from prior bad experiences.

The way UP-STAND works is to get people to buy an UP-STAND pin that alerts the person in front of you that you’re open to giving your seat to a pregnant woman on public transportation.  Or it can alert the person in front of you that you yourself are pregnant and can really use a seat on public transportation.

The company operates out of Christine's home in Astoria, NY.  The awareness items are currently only available in English, but they ship worldwide. UP-STAND items are sold online at www.up-stand.com/collections, on Amazon, Etsy, Pinterest and Facebook, and at Raising Astoria, The Brass Owl, and Tiny You (those last three retail locations are in Queens, NY).

Make sure to purchase your own pin and help make public transportation a lot more comfortable for expecting mothers.