How To Get A Baby On Board Badge

April 11, 2014

If You’re Pregnant, Here’s How To Get A Baby on Board Badge

Want To Get A Baby On Board Badge? Here’s How

Are you pregnant and want to get hold of your own TFL ‘Baby on Board’ badge to use on London’s public transport?

If you’re pregnant, need your own baby on board badge, and are wondering where to get one from don’t assume you can just ask at a London tube or overground ticket office and they’d dish you one out right there on the spot. That’s not always the case.

Here’s more on why you would need a badge and where you can get one from.

How to get a baby on board badge - here's how to get your own Baby on Board badge from TFL Transport for London to use on London's public transport

Why Would You Need A Badge For Public Transport?

  • The Baby On Board badges are usually worn by pregnant women to signify to other travellers on public transport that you need a seat – ideally! – or at the very least some space.
  • Pregnancy can be exhausting, and leave you feeling weak and dizzy, which isn’t ideal when you’re on a packed tube with no air. And sometimes your feet and ankles really, really hurt. It’s a time when you might really need a seat.
  • Public transport in London can be crowded, especially during rush hours, and it’s not always obvious to people that you are pregnant when everyone is crammed against each other.
  • The badge can help indicate that you are pregnant to other people in seats. Who, let’s face it, are often busy on their phones or reading spare copies of The Metro.
  • Lots of women don’t look visibly pregnant for a long time, either, especially during first pregnancies, and people are too polite to guess and risk offending you.
  • And it’s often when you look the least pregnant – in the first trimester – when you are sick and dizzy and would really appreciate a seat (right?).

Pregnant? Here’s How To Get a Baby on Board badge:

How To Get Your Own TFL Pregnancy Badge:

There are a couple of different ways in which you can get hold of one.

baby on board pregnancy announcement

How did I get my badge? I contacted TFL and they posted out a ‘Baby on Board’ badge to me, which you can see in my pregnancy announcement.

Here Are The Ways You Can Get Hold Of Your Baby On Board Badge:

  • To get a badge through the post, you can go to the TFL website and fill out the form here.
  • You can also call TFL on 0343 222 1234 to order your Baby on Board badge.
  • Badges will be posted free of charge any address within London, Greater London and South-East London.
  • You’ll be given one badge per person. If you lose your badge, they will send out up to two more.
  • Badges are posted in a plain envelope!
  • My Baby On Board badge took about three days to arrive.
  • You can also get a badge from some – but not all – tube stations, but ALWAYS check first before you make a journey!

Would you wear a Baby on Board badge? Here’s what some London mums told me about their Baby on Board badge experiences .

Are you pregnant? Read these posts next:



And if you live in London here’s some tips on getting around public transport in London with a pram, for when your baby arrives.



10 Comments

  • Laura

    April 12, 2014 at 3:04 pm

    When I was pregnant I just asked at my local tube ticket office and they gave me a handful of the badges. I found it useful to wear one because I was pregnant during winter both times and it can be hard to spot a bump under a bulky winter coat. I didn’t do it to make people to give up their seats on public transport (that should be good manners really), but to make sure people didn’t barge into me.

  • Sarah Bagnall

    May 6, 2014 at 7:24 pm

    I am currently only 11 weeks pregnant and hadn’t planned on wearing my badge until I had a bump as I had the belief that people would think I was being rude expecting a seat without carrying the extra weight, however I have now been wearing it for a week, turns out one of my symptoms of pregnancy is I faint every time I stand for too long. I have so far fainted (badge free) standing on the overground, and fainted (with badge) in a queue. Not fun. I do feel like I’m being judged by people who look for a bump and then glare at me but this is when I really need that seat.
    I’m generally very slim and fit and don’t mind standing so it’s all a bit alien to me.

    1. Archna Patel

      August 20, 2014 at 3:12 pm

      I’m in a similar situation, whereby I don’t feel as though I need the seat and as I’m not showing at the moment, I don’t want to be judged if I wear the badge but don’t have a bump.
      Stale alcohol and cigarette breath is enough to set me off and I have to get off the tube before I faint or throw up.
      I’m only 8 weeks at the moment and didn’t think I’d need the badge until a few months in, but I’ve seen women who are much small than me also not showing, wearing the badge and I think it does works. If only to make everyone aware that its not ok to push and shove. Thank you TfL for getting something right.

  • Motherhood journeys |

    February 4, 2015 at 10:38 am

    […] birth stories and my own tale of motherhood, was named for the obvious – the wording on the baby on board badges given out to pregnant women to use on transport in London – but also because I liked the idea […]

  • How to travel by public transport in London, with a baby |

    April 2, 2015 at 11:23 pm

    […] Also: things to do in London when you’re two, how to get a Baby on Board badge […]

  • A Baby on Board and Not on the High Street |

    May 4, 2015 at 10:52 am

    […] Baby on Board […]

  • Baby On Board – Lais Little Life

    January 12, 2016 at 9:09 am

    […] An informative site Baby on Board Blog […]

  • How London changes when you have kids | A Baby on Board blog

    February 16, 2016 at 6:07 am

    […] Baby on Board […]

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Prev Post Next Post