Your mothers' take on motherhood.

My mum was of the opinion that having a baby was akin to shelling peas. ?‍♀️ I was supposed to be born at home but her own GP was on holiday and the locum sent mum to hospital because he felt that I’d be very small. All 9lb 8lbs of me.

My younger bro was born at home after a 90min labour, I’m told. Sadly, the rapid birth genes didn’t pass down to me!

Yes, I was first and born in hospital. Brother three years later at home delivered by a midwife. I have a very clear memory of her cycling away leaving this tiny new baby in a blue wicker crib and the gas and air tanks propped against the wall waiting for collection. Number three, my sister, different father, was born in hospital as there were rhesus complications. I remember asking my mother why she had her slippers on the bedside cabinet. She said it was because the ward was infested with cockroaches so if she needed to get up to feed baby in the night ... eek.

I was the first child and was born at home. Mum's friend was a midwife so she came to help. Apparently it was the hottest day of the year and when I was born my dad went out to tell the the neighbours that I'd arrived. Mum could hear the cheers as she held me for the first time. She told me I was born with hair that looked like it had been 'flashed'...by which she meant highlighted blonde.

Dad was given the afterbirth to take away and didn't know what to do with it so he put it on a bonfire in the garden.

I can remember the phrase "Out you go, father!" being mentioned.

DH was a breech birth. He was born at home (well his grandfather's home) with an old Italian midwife. She propped up the end of the bed with books to try and slow down the birth. Suffice to say that MiL never had another baby.

I was born in one of the local hospitals. No husbands allowed of course and my mother said she was left in a room on her own for hours. She eventually called for help because she thought the birth was imminent and got into trouble for not calling anyone earlier! When my father came to visit they showed him the wrong baby!

My mother said childbirth was terrible, so she wasn't planning to do it again. I am an only child....?

Perhaps it's U and unU?

I think second children were always born at home, here
I wonder if it varies according to location?

People did get taken to hospital if things got too bad, but I think those midwives had most responsibility.

My mother tried to have both myself and my brother at home, in the 60's. Both times she had to go into hospital and have forceps deliveries. Didn't breast feed either of us. She complained we bit her.

I was Mum's fourth baby so it must have been like falling off a log for her by then, because she used to laugh and say, "I remember the night you were born because Arthur Askey was on the telly!"

I was born on a very snowy and cold January day at 5pm home. My Mums sister was a nurse during the war and she helped her as midwife was stuck in snow, my brother had come home from school and was asked if he wanted to meet his new baby sister - he said no Crackerjack was on.

When I went into labour, my Mum enlisted the help of her sister, my Aunt Ethel. She came to my room where I was crying out in pain and she says “ H, stop screaming, this pain is nothing compared to what you will be having later - it will get worse” ? I’m surprised I went on to have 2 more children

Oh gosh, yes! My mother often reminded me that it took her 48 hours to push me into the world, how the first one paved the way, got a bit squashed in the process and that’s why my brother, who came next, was easy to pop out and better looking! I think she was joking. We are very alike.

I born at 2am, at home. The whole family used to talk about the night I made my rather sudden and dramatic entrance into the world, helped by the district nurse. I’m rather sorry I can’t remember it