Pregnancy in the 1970s

Can remember those red Britax car seats for toddlers. Fitting required drilling through the base of the car. My hubbie and Brother in law became quite adept working together to put these in our cars. Had two on the back seat for children born 1969 and 1970.
The Maternity hospital in which I had my first - my son at end of 1969, was pretty primitive. Only a couple of very old baths, no showers, for the whole of the post natal ward and if a Consultant was required for baby, then they had to wait until one could come from the local General Hospital. It was the rule that all first time Mums stayed at least ten days, Mums with other children were permitted home within 48 hours. It was also a standing rule that ALL first-time Mothers had to breast feed.
My husband had been born in the same place in 1942, do not think there had much modernisaton since then and in 1970 it was closed along with many other similiar maternity hospitals. I desperately wanted my husband there for the birth, and gave the Midwife his telephone no at work for him to be called. She never did. So, he arrived a couple of hours after baby's birth during normal visiting time, not even knowing he was a father.
Second time round had baby at home, totally different, great experience and hubbie was with me throughout.

It probably varied from area to area. A friend having a baby in north London in 1967 was discharged from hospital after 6 hours. We were all shocked.

In 1971 in Berkshire, I was kept in for a week after the birth, less than 2 years later, for DD, I, too was discharged officially after 6 hours, but as that would have meant a 7.00am discharge, I wasn't discharged until nearly lunch time.

DH has always had a 'thing' about car safety and fitted front seat belts in his car in about 1966/67, and insisted people used them. With babies we had a carrycot harness in the back of the car and, even for the trip home from hospital, the baby was in the carry cot and strapped in.

Six months later his insistence on car safety saved us from serious injury, if not death, in a car accident. It was the weekend after he had fitted the britax child safety seat in the back for DS. We were all wearing our seat belts and were driving along a country road when someone pulled out from a side road. DH managed to avoid hitting him, but we went across a verge and into a hedge, decelerating heavily. If we had n't been wearing seat belts we would have been catapulted through the wind screen and if DS had been on my lap...........

I had my babies in 72 and 75. There weren’t the tests available that there are now - no scans. I remember hearing the babies heartbeat when something like an ear trumpet was put on my tummy and it played through a speaker. Also, in 72 we had to fight for my husband to come into the delivery room with me. A sympathetic nurse told him to put on a gown and mask and hold on to the trolley.
You were kept in hospital for a week in 72. By 75 you could go home after 48 hours if you had someone at home to look after you and the health visitor came every day for ten days.
Can I also remind people that even in 1972 being a single mum was frowned upon. A colleague of mine said they tried to remove the baby from her by force and wanted to coerce her into agreeing to an adoption.
When you took the baby home you sat in the front seat of the car holding it. when we went out baby lay in a carry cot on the back seat. When we had a new tangled car seat fitted for one year old people thought we were daft.

I think one of the reasons for a vaginal examination at first ante natal visit in the 70s was to allow the doctor to check for any important abnormalities. The doctor would check your vagina and cervix for any sign of infection or deformity that could pose a problem for your pregnancy.

I had three children and it was the same procedure on each occasion in two different hospitals.
I only ever had one ultrasound in three pregnancies and that was only because I had a threatened miscarriage.

My two were diagnosed by a late period and an internal examination, later in 1978 I missed a period and bought a test at the chemist but it was negative- Which was the result I wanted.
Your book character will most certainly not have her husband by her side in the labour ward but could have a baby born at home.

Good luck with the book!

An internal doesnt give any of the information an ultrasound does it cant have been for those reasons.

I know it was normal proceedure, but how did they justify/rationalise it? The cervix and vagina wouldn't have been remarkably different at that point.

Were they checking for hymens?

notanan2, I too had an internal at my first ante natal appointment.
That was normal procedure at our local maternity hospital in 1979. No ultrasounds then.

I took my nursing finals whilst pregnant. I spent the journey the journey to York letting out my uniform.

My first was born in 1977. We were living overseas, I never had a test but 'knew' very early on because of tingly boobs.

Had to come back to Uk to have her - local hospital was dire. I was 28 and down in my notes an an 'elderly' primigravida!!
Though to be fair, I was the eldest by quite a bit on the maternity ward.
A far cry from now - dd had hers at 38 and 39, which seems so normal nowadays.

In 1969 I was about to graduate and get married 2 months later. The advice was to start taking the pill a few weeks in advance. I saw the uni doctor who was sympathetic about troublesome periods and thought it would be sensible to avoid being unwell during exams.
He checked the engagement ring and, all things considered, duly prescribed the pill!
(Didn't have to pay a double prescription for the combined pill.)

Well you were already 2 months 'gone'by the time you saw the doctor so there were changes that could be felt on examination.

I had my first baby in 1977 really hot summer then as well yes doctor urine test pregnant.. Was really young and had three sons in all how times fly! Been married 42 years in April!

What was the internal for? Surely all that did was give you cystitis? I cant imagine the cervix is remarkably different in very early pregnancy?

I had my first child a son in 1976 no pregnancy test just missed period. Took urine sample to GP this was 1975.

In 1966 there was a 'No Pill unless you are married rule' so it was condoms for the honeymoon and straight to the GP after. She told me that the Pill was really designed for women to space out their pregnancies not to avoid pregnancies altogether. She eventually agreed to prescribe for 6 months only because I was only 19. Then I had to make an appointment with a different GP every 6 months, as each would only supply 6 months worth at a time.

I remember that it was counted as a double prescription (Estrogen & Progesterone) so it was double the charge every time.

In the small northern town I lived in in l968 the family planning clinic would not prescribe the pill unless you could give them proof of the forthcoming marriage.

My first child was born in 1965 before I was married. I was sent to a mother and baby home in London where we kept our babies for 6 weeks. I would say there were about 20 mothers at any one time.

Out of the roughly 20-30 mothers during the 6 weeks I was there (post birth) I was the only one who kept her baby. All the mothers without exception would have liked to keep their babies. The reasons they couldn't were various, the social climate, lack of funds, parental pressure and others. The women came from a variety of social backgrounds and educational levels. They were not all young and there were a couple there that were nearing 40. Unless you had family help it was almost impossible to keep a child if you were single.

I also remember the adoption agencies were very picky. The one that dealt with us was the C of E. The social worker came to inspect all the babies. I always remember she said to me 'She might be difficult to adopt as she hasn't got much hair'. That stupid, heartless comment finally made up my mind for me.

Whenever it is my daughter's birthday I always think about the other women who had their babies around that time and wonder if any have made contact and how their lives have worked out.. For better or worse I am so glad times have changed.

Someone I knew, with 6 children, said she tried the cap, by the time she had it in position her hubby was fast asleep!

Much easier to insert MOnica

Thank goodness I was on the pill!!

Slightly off topic but does anyone else remember the family planning clinic and the Dutch Cap aka diaphragm. I was measured for mine then had to practice inserting it in front of the nurse. Mine was so well lubricated it shot out of my fingers and across the room. Oh the joys.

Re pregnancy rest for unmarried women, don’t forget the Brook Advisory Clinics, which gave confidential advice and pregnancy testing to all women, married or not. Might be a useful fact to include in your novel.

Mine were 72 & 79, I remember the enema, I ran to the toilet, fortunately it was in the same room as the bath, I thought I was ‘empty’ till I put one foot in the bath and had to run back. Both my labours and births were a doddle thank goodness. Both were in lovely British Military Hospitals in Germany.

mcem thank you for the flowers . Once the abortion act came in there were so fewer babies to be adopted. I used to phone the social worker and ask if there were any . She said a big part of her life had changed because of the act. Long before car seats for babies she used to take her elderly mum with her to collect the babies and her mum got to sit in the front seat of the car holding them .
My DD was still in nappies when we got our first baby and she used to perch herself on the arm of my chair with a book for us to read while I fed the babies . Neither of my DC seemed to be put out having strange children in the house and from the start they knew the babies would be leaving to go their their own mummies. Only problem was when I fell out with DD she would say she was going to go to her real mummy and she now tells me she even imagined how lovely and glamerous her really mummy was.

I had mine in 71 and 73. As i remember I missed a period, saw the doctor, when the second one was missed and I had an internal examination to confirm it.

I was 27. 28 when DS was born. I lived in a new town where the average age for a new baby was about 20. I was classed as an 'elderly' prima gravida. At time I wasn't sure whether I was going to be referred to the obstetrics department or gerentology.

I was given no weight gain limit or diet advice although the general understanding was weight gain should be no than 2 stone. I suffered from morning sickness throughout my pregnancy and could only eat small quantities at a time and I only put on a stone, despite carrying a 9lb baby in a small swimming pool of waters. A week after he was born, I weighed in a full stone less than I had been at the start of my pregnancy. My lowest adult weight ever!

Second time round, in 1973 three different doctors gave me three different due dates spanning two months!!! So I asked for a scan, as I had been told one of the local hospitals had one. They needed a reason so I said I needed to know the due date because my mother was coming to stay as soon as the baby was born and as she was still working she needed to know in order to book leave. It worked and they confirmed the date that I had worked out for myself.

My sons partner is pregnant now ,she has her first scan this week.She was very surprised when I showed her my card from my pregnancy in 1978,gp visits every two weeks and hospital visits with regular weight and urine tests on the other week .A wee diet sheet ,porridge and fruit or eggs and toast for breakfast ,salad and cold meat with bread and butter and fresh fruit for lunch and meat and two veg with a pudding in the evening.NO snacks and a weight of 21 pounds over the whole prgnancy thet the consultant insisted was the max he would allow.She says women nowadays wouldn't stand for that ...lol.Maybe not but I didn't know anyone who put on over 2 stone or who couldn't get into normal clothes within a couple of weeks.He was harsh but fair and we all adored him...sadly he moved on before my son was born in 1988 and I just couldn't take to the new consultant and there were no fortnightly appointments or weight management either .