65 years ago tomorrow, a German war bride in a small Scottish town felt that contractions were probably sufficiently advanced for some action to need taking, so she picked up her little suitcase and walked, alove, 3/4 mile up the hill into the town to her MIL's house which was next to her FIL's printing business where her DH the eldest son, worked with his father and brother. Her MIL, not entirely unsympathetic, but feeling this was no big deal, agreed that Yes she should get along to the hospital so she carried on along the High Street to the local Cottage Hospital. Her DH accompanied her but didn't go in of course, you didnt in those days. In fact he went back to the office and awaited developments. She spoke some English but it was her first baby and I imagine she was pretty scared of an unfamiliar situation in a strange country where until very recently the only good German had been a dead German. I believe the midwife was kind, if a bit brusque.
I arrived in due course and my father brought my 7 year old stepsister along to "meet" me after she came out of school with a bunch of daffodils she had picked from our next-door neighbours' garden(!)
How very different from nowadays - ante-natal care, supportive fathers present at the birth, paternity leave, even the offer of a lift to the hospital!
I wonder how on earth my poor Mum coped with the apparent indifference and the expectation that she "had to get on with it".
Thanks Mum 
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