Pregnancy in the 1970s

Yes jalima a hot summer!
I spent the day of my daughter's birth basking in glorious sunshine on the Isle of Skye! We came back to attend my sister's wedding!
A few weeks later we heard the news of DD's arrival and brought her home aged 6 weeks.
Many years later her birth mum and I compared how we'd spent that day.

My first pregnancy was confirmed in the first week of September 1975. I went to the local Family Planning clinic where a urine test confirmed the pregnancy there and then. I could have gone to my GP but he used a service that took 24hurs to get results! I was actually already 15 weeks pregnant and when I saw GP he thought maybe I was having twins . I did have a very blurry scan which confirmed a 16 week single pregnancy! I had been about to attend what was called a 'sub-fertility' clinic as DH and I had been trying for a pregnancy for 18 months but I had a very irregular cycle and suspected PCOS.
I had an otherwise uneventful pregnancy.. some suspected gestational diabetes but after swallowing a jug full of sugar and PLJ it was discounted. My labour started fine, then they tried to turn the baby as it was lying a back to back but it was too big. In the end, after about 10 hours labouring gas &air plus pethidine and all on my back (not allowed to walk or move to a different position) they ushered DH out which frightened us both and I was in the stirrups. Forceps and venteuse wielded and my 9lb3oz DD arrived in a rush brow first. I was swiftly whisked to surgery for a transfusion and significant internal repairs. I remained in hospital for 10 days, during which time I celebrated my 25 birthday.

My 2nd (unplanned) pregnancy was confirmed November 1977 at my GP surgery who was then able to do an immediate urine test. I still had a coil in place which had to be removed and there was a threatened miscarriage as a result. Three days in bed and the bleeding stopped and the pregnancy continued problem free. Labour was text book and in 6 hours I delivered DD2 with just gas and air and no stitches needed! 8lb13oz.

I have pregnant twice 1969 and 1972
Both times I hd to wait till I had missed two periods before going to the doctor's.No pregnancy tests he never examined me but gave me a note to take to the nearest hospital where I was booked in.
The first time I had to have all my antenatals at the hospital.Once a month at first then at seven months once a fortnight until the last month when it was weekly
I had a ''questionable'' pelvis and had to be X rayed with the rule thing across my hips then told I was able to have a normal delivery but haha that was proved wrong
i went 3 weeks overdue was told that babies come when they are ready. Then it was decided to induce me but on that day I started labour spontaneously
Horrible long labour with baby's head not engaged.The doctor broke the waters at some point ''to hurry things along'' baby went into transverse lie then and passed meconium so I remember getting lifted onto a trolley and two nurses running as they pushed me into theatre for caesarian section.The general anaesthetic routinely used then for all sections nearly killed my DS1 and myself.I knew very little of the following two days .I first saw my son when they decided we were well enough the whole thing was a nightmare
I sort of accidentally got pregnant again two years later.The same pregnancy scenario.At first hospital visit the consultant told me I would have to have another caesarian and thrust the form to have my tubes tied in front of me saying ''We can't cut you open everytime you have a baby''
I was so scared I talked my husband into signing it and spent the rest of the pregnancy in fear.I worried about my little boy having to grow up without a mother if I did not survive the birth
Then the powers that be decided that I might be alright for vaginal delivery but to have a ''trial of labour''When I went into labour two weeks late the trial failed I did not dilate so off to theatre again and I prayed like I have never prayed before when they put me under the gas
My prayers were answered and I woke to be told I had another son and my tubes had been tied.I met my son two days later he looked like a skinned rabbit but I loved him straight away
Sorry for long rant.These people who ask for a caesarean delivery now have no idea what it used to be like.

I remember finding out my pregnancy test was positive over the phone in 1971. It was the best news ever - we’d been trying for 3 years. I suppose it was a urine test, but I don’t really remember. It wasn’t an easy pregnancy, with a threatened miscarriage and a lot of time spent in bed. Awful birth, too, induced and forceps. The obstetrician had told me the baby was small (no scans then) - he was 9lb 6! Worth every horrible moment. I was in hospital for a week.

Baby no. 2 was conceived without trouble, and born (easily) on his due date in 1974, weighing 7lb 13 oz. Because my first birth had been so awful, I had an epidural this time, which totally transformed the experience. I was watching The Two Ronnies when I felt the first labour pains, and went into hospital rather reluctantly, because everybody knows that babies never arrive on their due date! I went home the day after the birth.

I spent the day of my daughter's birth basking in glorious sunshine on the Isle of Skye! It must have been a bit cooler up there then
I came home with DC2 and was trying to find some shade mcem
It was about 96F in the back garden and carried on until the first rain in September.

My last child was born in 1971, by then my doctor was always certain as soon as I said I was late, so he`d give me some tablets to take, then say come back if things haven`t changed in ? days, then I was declared pregnant. I never took a pregnancy test of any kind.

My children were born in 73 and 75.
No.1 was going to be a home birth - I'd been to NCT classes and thought everything would be easy if I just relaxed!!! Was in labour for 4 days then taken in for a section. Nasty young midwife said 'You wouldn't have had these problems if you'd had your children earlier.' I was 26 at the time! Baby was 19 days late .

No.2 was born 20 days late - they used to leave you in those days if there didn't seem to be any problems. Baby was brow presentation and 9lb.4oz so was also delivered by Caesarian, but after only two days in labour that time.

OH wasn't present at either birth because both deliveries were under general anaesthetic. I can still remember the sensation of my hips being rocked to help extract no.2 whose head had become stuck.

In 1978 I took a urine sample to the chemist and went back for the result the same day. I think it was as soon as I'd missed a period. This was London, maybe different in other areas. Good luck with the book.

DS born in 1976 at home, very quickly with no intervention. It was before the hot Summer. It rained a lot that Spring.
He was #3 and I knew I was pregnant but didn't want to announce it too early..
Walking my "big" boys to school in the morning I was sick in the gutter. The other mums guessed immediately and insisted we all go and celebrate over chocolate eclairs and coffee.
Lots of these stories sound familiar.

I was pregnant with my first child during the hot summer of 1976 though to be honest I don't remember it being that hot. (We were in the North UK) I took a urine sample to the doctor after a missed period. It was in a lemonade bottle as I had nothing else! A week or so later I had to ring to find the result and made an appointment then. The visit to the GP (who smoked like a chimney) confirmed it and I was booked in to the maternity hospital, after which I never saw him again.
Appointments with the hospital were few and far between but as I was 2 weeks late they insisted I went in to be induced so he would not be born at the weekend. I was admitted on the Wednesday night though never slept because of the noise and had waters broken at 'silly o'clock' in the morning. I went all day with nothing but painless contractions which were ideal for students to 'feel' and finally when nothing happened they said I would have to have a C-section. That immediately sent me into labour.

They gave me an injection and I remember nothing else until the final stage of delivery which I thought was the beginning of labour and wanted it all to end then!! He was born about 6pm after which I was starving and they gave me a sandwich.

The following morning we were all moved by ambulance into a maternity home which was situated in the local park. It was really lovely and I stayed there for a week. The whole thing was very surreal but I still went on to have two more children, in different circumstances though.

By the way it is his birthday today!!

By the way I was 29 and considered an elderly mother!

We lived in a Bedfordshire village in 1977. Went to GP after a missed period. He asked for a urine sample and did a pregnancy test there and then. No test needed with second pregnancy in 1979 as I recognised the slightly out of body feeling. Did a shop bought test in 1983 as we were heading to France for a camping holiday and I needed to know whether to avoid cheese and wine. I did! Remember putting the test behind the curtain in the downstairs loo and meeting DH in there several times as we waited for the line to develop.?

Oh yes, the enema ! I had a baby in 1976, and I was also a midwife so I saw both sides of the story. Though I must admit that being a midwife didn't prepare me for the realities of childbirth at all !

No home test for me - I lived in the suburbs of a large city, but I had to see the doctor who sent away a urine sample.

There's a very good Wiki entry about this.

Like the toad idea

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregnancy_test

Granny23, what an unpleasant experience you have had. Enough to put anyone off having babies! My first was born in hospital, the other two were home births (much nicer but not as safe). This was late 60's early 70's. Like the others here, I went to the doctor as soon as I suspected I was pregnant. I knew there were pregnancy tests, but I was married and the babies were planned, so there was no urgency to get it confirmed.

I had forgotten about the dreaded enema ?
I remember being in an old fashioned hospital with only one toilet in the ward
There were six of us waiting for an enema. Everyone thought I was very brave, offering to go first.
However, as this was my second baby, I knew exactly what was ahead and wanted to ensure I had access to the one an only toilet.

Freeandeasy good on you for checking your facts. Too many books are spelled through sloppy research.

Suggest you join a Writers Group or start one yourself. This is a great way of bouncing your work off others and you’ll get hints about finding an agent, presenting your book, etc.

Best of luck.

In 1971 when I was pregnant, you were able to ring a telephone number and they sent a specimen bottle in the post. You put your sample in the padded envelope and included a postal order, after a week or so you could ring the phone number and they would tell you if you were pregnant or not. By the time I got the results I had signs of early pregnancy anyway, waste of money really.
Struggling to recall where I found the information for the test, can only assume it was in the parenting magazine I bought every month.

With my first (1977) I went to see my lovely GP when my period was late and when he asked how he could help me I said
" missed period, probably pregnant" . He examined me internally and told me I was right as he could feel the uterine artery and said he would see me at the antenatal clinic the following week. No pregnancy test.
With my second (1980) I waited a little longer before going to the GP and saw another doctor who sent a test away and when I phoned for the result he said it was negative. No internal examination was carried out but I felt pregnant. I felt quite indignant when he said to wait a month before he would do another test. I think over the counter tests were available but were expensive so I just went to BPAS as they offered free tests. The ladies were very kind, did the test and confirmed I was indeed pregnant and were taken aback when I smiled happily as they were more used to girls seeking tests as a prelude to wanting terminations. I think it made their day as well as mine!

My eldest was born in February 1976. I had to take a urine sample to the doctor, not over the counter tests then. I had the dreaded enema too [ not something I had been warned about ]. I had an awful experience of giving birth. Nursing staff weren't very caring. I was made to lay in bed the whole labour and wasn't allowed to walk around.
In those days you had to stay in hospital for a week. My son was born just after midday, which meant I ended staying in hospital for 8 days as that was how they determined the stay.
We were taught how to care for the baby, and bath them etc. Smoking was still very much allowed in the day room [ I never smoked and hated this even then ]. No disposable nappies then, so we were taught how to put toweling nappies onto the baby, trying to avoid catching the safety pin on the baby
1976 was the very hot summer which was draining.

My second child was born in 1978 and again pregnancy was via a urine sample at the doctors. I had a home birth for this one due to the experience I had in hospital.

I was 29 in 1970; stopped the pill'; missed two periods. Therefore went and told my doctor in Nairobi I was pregnant! No tests done, she prodded a bit and agreed with me! Back in England, had DS1 in Exeter. As we had moved around, pre-natal care was a bit patchy, but BP checks proved OK. Waters broke at 5am and very strong contractions started immediately, going on until 4pm when the baby and I were both showing signs of exhaustion and the forceps were brought out!
Second time around, I don't think any tests were done. I just knew I was pregnant and moreover knew to the minute exactly when conception took place - need I say more?

Thank you all for sharing your personal experiences. I very much appreciate it.

Anja - thank you for your very helpful suggestion about joining a writer’s group - something I had never considered.

I’ve never given birth and to hear what you’ve all been through is so enlightening. The trauma, the fear, the stress, the pain and the indignities some of you must have gone through is unimaginable. An enema with one toilet!! Smoking in the day room! I’m now getting a clearer picture of how it was like.

But, Oh, the joy you all must have felt to finally hold your precious little bundle of joy! All worth it in the end.

My middle step daughter had a horrific birth 13 years ago - had an emergency Caesarean - so I suppose, although medical technology has moved on, complications still do occur. In my opinion, she left hospital far too soon, and could have done with a few more days to recuperate, but I suppose they needed the bed. In the 1970s, the stay in hospital was longer, which I think was probably not such a bad thing.

I certainly do remember 1976 being the long hot summer. I wasn’t pregnant (never have been) but I was very overweight at the time! It was the first holiday my boyfriend (soon to be husband - now ex) went on together and the heat (for me) was completely unbearable - we were in a caravan!! The heatwave of that year is also going to be mentioned in the story line, as my poor heroine struggles with pregnancy, along with a lot of other woes.

Again, thanks for all your replies. I really appreciate it.

Whenever I was given an enema in hospital, the nurse waited alongside with a bedpan at the ready, no rushing to the toilet!

OMG, reading this it's just amazing how times have changed. Had to go to the Brook Street clinic in the late 60s to get the pill, and oh the questioning, just like the third degree. However, met DH, married early 70s, and still even then to get the pill once engaged and before marriage was still a problem. Didn't try for a family till mid 70s; had two miscarriages, but can't honestly remember anything about pregnancy tests. Anyway third time, 1978, remember taking a sample bottle to the doctor, and ringing up for the result about a week later. DS arrived in 79. And funnily enough I remember even less about DD who was born in 1983!

Oh yes I remember that enema and the rush to the toilet! Nothing could have saved me if it had been engaged. I also remember being shaved and the horribly prickly regrowth. (1977) Luckily with my second two they arrived too quickly for such niceties!!