Arrival of younger siblings - were you aware in advance?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 adopted and remember as a 5 year old being told a new baby was coming. each day I ran home from school to ask 'is she here yet?' and then one day as I went in I was told 'shhhh' and in the front room was a pram with a 6 month old sitting in it, she had bright ginger curly hair.

I was nearly four when my sister was born. I knew my mother was pregnant and remember sitting playing on the floor every afternoon while my mother had a sleep. One day she fell over my toys and I was very worried about the effect that might have on the baby.

My granddaughter was very involved in her mums pregnancy. She was five at the time. On going to the scan the doctor said "that's better than Santa isn't it?" Granddaughter replied "no Santa is better".

I was four when my younger brother arrived. I knew s/he was coming and wanted a sister. I called him Rosemary for the first six weeks of his existence in the hope he might become a girl...

I was thirteen when my dear sister did eventually put in an appearance. She's not called Rosemary.

I think it is very confusing for young children to be told they are going to have a new brother or sister so early in the pregnancy. The months leading up to the birth are an eternity to a young child, and I think they should be told only when the birth is imminent.

I remember my mum being rushed out of house and me (aged 4) going to stay with neighbour, was because mum was having miscarriage, which I only learned years later. I'm sure my older siblings were only told once each new baby arrived safely. I told my daughter quite early on so she wouldn't be frightened when I was being sick so often and we'd read stories about new babies a lot to prepare her, my husband was working away from home a lot at the time so I was on own with toddler a lot. We bought a present for her to give the baby when it arrived and also one for the baby to give her, a present she treasured for many years as was from her little brother. I think most people nowadays do tell children a new baby is on the way but I think it's wise to wait till 16 weeks or even 20 if it's a mum who's had early miscarriages in the past. Thing is toddlers overhear a lot more than we think they do and other adults will casually comment to the mum about the new baby arriving, which I don't think was so commonly mentioned back in the 1950s, so they'd be very confused if not in on the happy news. I think is something that needs careful handling with gradual sharing of where the baby is as mum's body gets bigger. My daughter used to speak and sing to her new baby long before he arrived and was wonderful about the new addition once he was here.

I was very aware. I was 14 when my brother was born ( same day as Prince Andrew)
I was also very aware of the imminent birth as my father got me out of bed to help when my mothers waters broke.

I was 7 when my brother was born. I was shipped off to an Auntie, Uncle and 2 cousins. I was put into a school temporary where I know no one and was bullied by a girl - my world was turned upside down. My dad came to visit a few times and was heartbroken when he went home again, especially when he told me I had a baby brother who I was desperate to see. My mum had my brother in a local maternity cottage hospital and was in there for 10 days and the only visitors that could go where the husbands. How times have change now eh!

I was 9 when my sister was born, and I knew for most of the pregnancy what was going on, we talked to the bump, called it little billy. I knew when my mam went to the hospital but was horrified when my dad took me to see the baby because little billy had turned into a girl. Not impressed. I remember telling my dad to take it back and get my brother.

I'm the second youngest of nine and there are only 15 months between me and my younger sister so I don't know about our arrival for the elder children, but when I was having my children there are only three years between youngest and eldest so all too young to understand the coming of a new sibling. I think it's lovely to include the siblings but obviously you need to be careful with the older child possibly feeling pushed out.

I don't remember being aware that my younger brother was on the way, but as my mum was in hospital either due to or having given birth to him coincided with my first day at school - luckily we lived next door to my grandmother and my dad worked opposite our house so was around at lunchtime and I think we must have gone next door for tea!
5 years after that, I can remember my mum telling us all that we were going to be having a new baby brother or sister in January and remember felling a little annoyed - I liked being the middle one, and a girl between 2 boys! Though that changed when she arrived - it was quite a thing at school to have a baby sister as funnily enough 4 of my schoolfriends also had baby siblings born about the same time - must have been something in the water!

I was almost 4 and my sister just 5 when our brother was born. We knew a baby was coming but not much else as mum was in hospital for months beforehand and we were shipped off to grandmother's in Yorkshire for the duration. we travelled unaccompanied to Hull from London unaccompanied but with the guard keeping an eye out and making sure we got our connection at Doncaster. Lots of excitement for us and a new baby brother at the end of it all.

Im the youngest, so no.

My mum always told me that when her little brother was born she was clueless about it, she came home from school she was about 6 to see the doctor coming down the stairs and was told her mother had hurt her ankle, but to make her feel better the doctor had bought her a baby boy in his bag to make her feel better, mum was terrified for the first month's of her brothers life the doctor was going to appear to take him back and to another poorly lady

I don't remember my brother being born but I am only 2 years older than him, so not surprising. But I do remember my mother being pregnant with my sister when I was 6. My mother used to show us her tummy so that we could see the baby kicking, and I remember my mother breastfeeding my sister, too.
Many years ago when I was a young woman, I truly put my foot in it by talking to a young nephew about his pregnant mummy. Later on, I got told off because she hadn't told her. I wouldn't have said anything if I had realised they didn't want him to know, but I don't understand why these things weren't shared with the siblings.

So much has changed, no chance of sibling bonding in our house. I wasn’t allowed in my mother’s room, I can remember hanging about on the landing, and the district nurse shooing me downstairs. After a first peak, I don’t think I saw him for a week.

I was almost 2 when my brother was born. I don't remember anything about it at all.

Next door had a baby girl 6 weeks before his birth called Susan. Apparently I thought he was the same baby and called him Susan for quite a while

Cue for a song?

I was ten when my sister was born and was aware only in the few weeks before the birth. I was given the job of making up the cot the evening before the birth and then I went off to stay with my friend two doors down.

I'm told that I sat up in the big pram and announced 'I'm going to have a baby brudder'. So evidently I did know - except for the fact that the baby turned out to be a sister.

I was less than 2 when sister no 1 appeared. Six and a half with sister 1 being four and a half when sister 2 appeared.

I did know something was happening and did ntice my mother wearing smocks but I didn't know enough to understand what this meant.

Sister2 arrived on a Sunday. First Sis1 and I were sent a couple of 100 yards upt the road to church by ourselves and when we got home we were told to play in our bedrooms. DF cooked lunch and DM wasn't there and questions went unanswered, then sometime in the evening DF came and told us we had another sister.

In those days fathers were not wanted in maternity hospitals so DM went to hospital in an ambulance or taxi and DF stayed home to look after us. All our immediate family lived in London. We lived in Carlisle.