A few weeks ago, my daughter and I were ending a fun-filled summer day at Six Flags amusement park when we decided to stop into the guest relations office to find out more about an upcoming concert. While we were being helped, a pregnant woman came in quite upset. I couldn't help but overhear her lament. She was frustrated because she had paid the full admissions price to go to the park with her two sons and was prohibited from getting on any of the rides. She explained to the customer service representative that while there are warnings posted at the different attractions about the risk to pregnant women, there was no sign at the gate entrance explaining the outright restrictions. The mom went on to note that she certainly did not expect to get on a roller coaster this far along in her pregnancy but didn't understand the harm of riding the carousel or the train that circles the park. She added that these are no different from driving in a car which her doctor permits and that mothers carry infants on these rides every day.

Reiterating again that no one told her before she paid that she wouldn't be able to do anything once in the park, the agent replied, "well, we have a lot of people who come for the shows." I watched this irate mom's face blow up almost as big as her pregnant belly as she asserted her desire to get her money back. As the guest services agent went off to call corporate (and maybe a few attorneys) to find out what to do, I couldn't help but think that what was needed here was to bring on the mom troops and stage a rally until this woman got what she deserved. As if she could somehow read my mind, the mom turned to me and asked "do you think I'm crazy?" "Of course not," I said. While she waited for her answer, the agent who was assisting my daughter and I came back with the information we needed. As we turned to leave, the pregnant woman and I exchanged one of those empathetic mother-to-mother glances. I told her that she fully deserved her money back and encouraged her to stand her ground, sharing the story of the Illinois mom who a few years back helped get a state law passed after being thrown out of her health club for breastfeeding.

On the way home, my 9-year-old wanted to know more about "what was happening to that lady?" After I explained, she said, "mom, you should've told her about ParentsWork," and I couldn't help but smile at her insightfulness. I'll probably never find out whether the pregnant woman got her refund or if her efforts will be rewarded with a change in Six Flags policy (although I do intend to check their Web site and the signs next time I'm there), but the experience was an important reminder that, despite how far we've come, maternal discrimination is sadly still alive and well in America today. And, whether it's speaking up at an amusement park or signing a petition to demand equal pay in the workplace, we owe it to ourselves and our daughters to do something about it!