Do you remember pre childbirth enemas?

I always remember reading that Mary Quant had her pubic hair shaved in a heart shape. I wonder who did that ?

They also shaved our pubic hair in those days. I remember the nurse asking, “Wet or dry?” As though we were in the habit of doing it, which nobody was.
My ghastly experiences in childbirth, four babies in three hospitals, have haunted me ever since.

When I went to visit the hospital pre DD's birth (38 years ago) I asked about enemas and shaving - and was relieved to learn that neither were now standard practice!

I seem to remember that there was a time limit for an enema. If you arrived too late, you couldn't have it. So I made sure I did! After the first one I vowed I wouldn't have another, and escaped it for two and three.

My babies were born in 1947 and 1949. Was shaved, had enema. Those days one stayed in hospital even if healthy for ten days. Twice a day private parts were swabbed with Dettol.

I had a curry a few hours before the enema ... my son loves curry!

I definitely remember my enema it was 1971 with a tube and a load of liquid, the awful thing was I was in a ward with four other people on a bed pan with screens round me embarrassment.

No, not necessary, babies no not come out covered in poo.

I remember them being given the night before my two C - sections. Dreadful but necessary, I suppose.

Dignity was not part of pregnancy and childbirth back in the sixties. I can well remember (1969) at our 36 week check up with consulant, we had to wait on chairs in a corridor with dressing gowns on, no pants, stockings rolled down around our ankles.

My second, a year later, was to be a home birth,. Waters broke but nothing else happrned. Midwive said I could have 48 hours before having to go to hospital. For my last chance she told hubbie to purchase some Caster oil, and sandwich it between a squeezed orange. (before you could buy orange juice) Worked like a charm. daughter born two hours later. No time for enema, although still managed the shave.

I DO remember unfortunately but never heard of the 3 Hs

Enemas, 1970 and 1972. No Hs.

OMG yes. First baby was late so was induced and had enema the night before, had to run before it was all in and a shave and then an episiotomy after the birth. 2nd baby was quick so did not have anything done and 3rd (1986) nothing done as I had been in slow labour for 3 days by the time I went to the hospital.

Hurry?

They did exist in my time but never had one administered.

No enema for any of mine but suppositories after an emergency C section for the second that didn’t work, the pontefract cakes and castor oil did the trick.
My worst experience was whilst being shaved in prep for my third baby which was an elective C Section. The midwife who pulled back the curtain with a kidney dish and razor in her hand was a very bossy girl from my old school who I was not too keen on who by this time was a qualified midwife. I begged my DH to take me home which of course he refused. She was actually ok and just chatted away about people we both knew from school while shaving me, embarrassing to say the least!

Believe births can be messier now!

High….hot …and a Hell of a lot!

OMG! This is an expression I never, ever use but the post brought back OMG memories.

1981: enema, shave, forceps, poor stitching up of cut, itchy grow back, surgery needed later to rectify stitching up.

1983: no enema, no shave, no forceps, gas and air, easy delivery, no itchy grow back.

Realistically I think enemas were actually a good thing. It must be horrible to poo all over the sterile table when giving birth, and not that great for whoever’s delivering the baby either, or even the baby itself. More like a barnyard than a hospital.

I chose the hospital for the birth of my children partly because my sister-in-law told me that they didn't bother with either enemas or shaving there (Queen Charlotte's). 1978 and 1980. By the sound of this thread I feel I had a lucky escape!

My eldest was born in 1962. So I was given the enema and vaginal shave as routine. Although no one thought to tell me about it in advance. After the enema had done its job, I was left on a table until a doctor came in with a group of students. The sheet was pulled back and the doctor exclaimed “ Here we have a natural red head” before a nurse arrived to shave me.

And, ironically, the enemas that still haunt us, ....people actually pay good money for that nowadays, rebranded as 'colonic irrigation', and yes, I've had several. Makes me feel better now than it did back then too!

No recollection of the 3 H's but remember the shave and the enema - yuk!!!

I'd had a curry a few hours before! My son loves curry!!