Arrival of younger siblings - were you aware in advance?

Myself and twin sister were nine when younger brother was born. Mum was in hospital and we went to stay with grandma who lived round the corner. We were told in advance and I think I was excited about it but not very impressed at his arrival. He made a noise and he smelled a bit funny. We had to help with feeding and nappy changing, I wasn't very impressed with that either.

I was 3 when my sister was born. It was the days when babies were in a nursery in the hospital. My dad took me "to choose" the new baby from a window into the nursery. I chose another baby but dad said he thought we should take this other one.
I have always wondered how the baby I chose turned out. The one I got is not much of a sister or any type of relative to anyone.

My parents adopted my sister when I was 3½ and I remember going to the Salvation Army Home for Unmarried Mothers to see the babies on offer.

Sounds callous doesn't it? That however was how adoptions were managed in the 1950s. We were not allowed to know which of the young women serving tea was my sister's birth mother, although my mother had a pretty good guess. I wonder if the poor girl was told which couple had chosen her child?

When I was about 10 my mother became pregnant and miscarried at three months, which I was well aware off.

Just "before closing time" my parents tried again. We were not told about it, we were both away at school. She miscarried again. They had adopted my sister because they were reasonably certain they could not have more children otherwise, but that apparently didn't stop them trying.

My younger brother and sister were born when I was in my teens so I knew a lot about what was going on. I helped choose names, learned to wash and boil bottles and deal with nappies and looked after the rest of the family when Mum was on bed rest before the birth.

I am the youngest of three. My sister was born before the war started and my brother was born inbeteween I came along in 45 my sister is nine years older then me and I remember my mum years later showing me a letter she had from my sister when she was in hospital having me. It was a turbulent time for my parents my mum was evacuated with my sister and brother so I am glad I came along at the end of the war for my mums sake.

One of my first memories is just before my fourth birthday....mother walking in with a baby in her arms. I was sitting in a chair with a cat on my lap. I can still see the scene in my head. Nothing was said to me about the upcoming event. I made sure that my two eldest knew right from the start about siblings arriving. They loved being involved.

I was last of 6 kids...so no younger siblings to be told about or not. Much better way of doing things these days. Just thinking of my 12 year old grandson...he seems to be able to hold any conversation with me...on conception....birth control...homosexuality....he will readily talk about all of them with me or his parents. How much better than the upbringing we had ...storks bringing babies or delivered in the doctors bag. Or talking about gays in derogative terms. Long may the enlightenment remain.

I was 2 when my brother was born. I remember being sent for breakfast with a neighbour and thinking it was odd as you visit neighbours for tea, not breakfast. When I got back home, I was introduced to the baby.

My sister was born when I was only 18months old. I have no recollection of her as a baby or until she was 3 ish and interfered in my games ?

I was 6 when my post-war sister arrived in 1946. She arrived during the night, being delivered in our downstairs ‘parlour’. I don’t have any memories of the baby being talked about in advance, or of my Mum looking any bigger. All I can recall is something waking me during the night. I started to go downstairs, but was sent back to bed by a strange woman, who must have been the midwife. I don’t appear to have found this strange, and did as I was told.
That is the sum total of my remembrance. I have no recollection of meeting the new baby, or of her babyhood. My mind is a complete blank until she was about four, and starting school. We are totally unalike, in looks and temperament. Perhaps I was jealous, as she must have been given things that just weren’t available for me, during the war. Anyway, her arrival seemed to make no sort of impression on my life for quite a few years.
We are still totally ‘chalk and cheese’. If my DM hadn’t been so quiet and respectable I would almost suspect that we had different fathers!

I don’t have any siblings but spent a lot of time with my cousins. A new cousin was born when I was 8. I remember asking why my aunt was wearing baggy dresses and was told it was a new fashion! The whole thing was kept very hush hush in case ( I suppose!) I asked where this baby had come from.
I remember going out with one of my grandmothers when I was about 12. We saw a heavily pregnant woman in the post office. My grandmother told me that she didn’t go out in late pregnancy because people would know what she had been up to! This was from a respectable married woman. Times have changed!

I was just three and knew nothing until the night my Dad woke me up and started to dress me and I complained that he had put my liberty bodice on back to front. He took me into the front bedroom and the midwife was bathing my new sister.

I was nearly 3 when my brother arrived. I was sent away with an aunt and came home after two weeks or so to find my baby brother in a blue cot and a small blue cot and doll for me.

I was almost 4 1/2 when my little sister was born. Before that I had older sisters who doted on me, my Mum, Dad and an Auntie who lived a few doors away. I remember being told my Mum was going into hospital but my Auntie would be coming to look after me and being so happy because she always spoilt me and played with me whereas my Mum was always so very busy working in the house and did not have much time for playing. I remained very close to my Auntie all of her life who was like a second Mum to me and my sisters and never had children of her own. It made it all the harder when she and my Mum died within a dew weeks of each other.

Pressed too soon. She brought a pot of bubbles with her. Something I did not usually get.

I was 3 when I was told I was going to have a baby sister or brother. I said I didnt want a sister only a brother and I wanted him to be called Graham. This was the surname of frends of my parents so I assume that's where I got the name from. A couple of weeks before my mother was due to have the baby I went to stay with my aunt, uncle and cousin and we went to Ramsgate for two weeks by the sea. Ten days or so later they told me Mummy and Daddy were arriving soon with my baby brother. I remember standing at the front door waiting for the hire car to come round the corner. When it did it had a trailer on the back with the big bassinet on it. My Mum got out of the car and ran up to me so pleased to see me and I turned into my aunt's skirt and said 'me no like that lady'. My poor mum was so upset. But by the time she gave me my bath that night I was fine with her. And yes he was called Graham.

Yes, I knew.

I was 5 and knew beforehand that mummy was going into hospital. I still have letters we wrote to her telling us what we'd had for tea.

The baby, a brother, was underwhelming to us girls although mother was rediculously pleased with her large boy.

I suppose when more babies died, it was not a good idea to
include the children in your grief. When my neighbour's baby died at 2 months, my DD, who would have been about 4 was very aware and upset. She had held her.

I have 4 younger siblings and 4 of them were born at home. I can't remember meeting any of them for the first time though, and have no memory of them being born at all. I can't remember my Mum being pregnant So I don't know whether I knew they were on the way or not. Actually I find it odd that I don't remember anything about it. I was 3, 5, 7 and 8 when they were born. All I can remember is the time my mother went into hospital to have my youngest brother.

Only 14 months between me and my sister. I was five and a half when my brother was born I remember my mother in a pale green seersucker maternity smock and skirt. Don't remember my brother as a baby at all!

I am told that I kicked the doctor when my sister was born as he'd promised me a brother before he went upstairs.
GP at a home birth....those were the days!

I don't remember any preparations for the arrival of my younger brother, I just remember that he brought me a golliwog (are we allowed to mention those?) when he and mummy arrived home from the hospital.

Just after the war, people never talked about (rude word) pregnancy - it was always a euphemism, even then whispered, 'She's expecting'. Les Dawson got it exactly right! .

My sister was born when I was 7 years old and my first memory of her was as a baby in a carry cot on the table. I had to be quiet all the time so I did not wake her.

She was a paid from Day One and just got worse.

I suppose the reason most of us weren't told way back, was because of the awkward questions we might ask! I don't recall ever wondering (at least with siblings) where the babies had come from, and we weren't given any stories about storks or gooseberry bushes.

I must have been about 9, and evidently aware where they came from, when I wondered how on earth a neighbour's son could be the absolute spit of his father, if he'd grown in his mother's tummy. I asked my mother but she fobbed me off and said she'd tell me when I was older.

She never did - IIRC it was a girl at school when I was maybe 11 who revealed the truth over a school dinner. By then it was a great relief to have this great mystery solved at last!

I never had any ,older,or younger,unfortunately as an older brother was still born.I only found this out from my Grandma!