Maternity Care in the Second Half of the 20th Century

First baby (daughter) in 1981 was 4 weeks early and weighed 4 1/2 pounds. Very quick labour of 4 hours. No enema, shaving etc. NCT breathing exercises came in useful. Just OH, the midwife and me in the delivery room. In hospital for 5 days with breast feeding help, lessons in bathing the baby and physio exercises. Visitors allowed any time.

1983 and first son born on daughter’s second birthday, which was also their great grandma’s birthday. Two weeks late and took 6 hours. He was delivered by a medical student who needed one more delivery for his baby delivering badge! He had to be accompanied by the chief midwife who came along with a group of obstetric nurses. They asked my permission throughout. I was only in hospital a couple of days and as I already had one child assumed I knew what I was doing.

Second son arrived in 1985. He was also two weeks late and I had a 2-hour Labour. I was worried I would give birth in the car. Just OH and the midwife who was pleased our son was born on her birthday.

So, three very quick births with friendly and helpful medical staff.

I had awful pregnancies though. I was rushed to hospital the first time with the sickness thing that Kate Princess of Wales had. With the boys I had rather a lot of migraines. I was the exception to the rule that pregnant women have a break from their migraines .

In 1970, 1971 and 1976 I gave birthday to my 3 children. I was sick throughout each labour and throughout the night and following day. I have no idea why. We were given pills to put around our teeth to bring on the labour. No idea what they were called but I dont think they helped.

The maternity home for No. 2 was better, at least after the unpleasant midwife who delivered him went off duty.
Just to add, she brought me two sleeping tablets and forced them on me because labour was going very slowly and she wanted a quiet night and said she'd send me to the hospital the next morning. I tried to hide them but she was having none of it and I remember asking 'But what if I sleep through it all?' 😁
'Don't be so stupid' was her reply.

Baby arrived in the middle of the night so she had to do some work.

Usedtobeblonde

How many of us in those days , 1965 for me, had very little contact with their babies.
Whisked away straight after birth, no idea why, in the nursery approximately 20+ hours a day.
No feeding during the night, it is all so weird and unexplainable now.
My H had seen our D for about 2 minutes on the day after she was born and then not again until I arrived home late afternoon the following day.
You had to go home by ambulance, couldn’t be fetched by car and I was waiting around for several hours until one was available.
We just accepted what happened because it always had.
Yet somehow we bonded with our babies because we didn’t know any different.

Usedtobeblonde
1970s, first baby and baby was whisked away so that I could 'get some sleep' - I hadn't even seen her properly and spent the rest of the night thinking there was something wrong with her.
Not allowed a cup of tea either in case I was sick.

It was not a good experience.

The maternity home for No. 2 was better, at least after the unpleasant midwife who delivered him went off duty. She even 'forgot' to phone DH to let him know the baby had arrived. The care afterwards was good.

I had my first in 1982 in an ex-workhouse. It was in a terrible state, so old and run down it was impossible to clean. 13 hour labour and epidural plus enema, shave and episiotomy. Babies went to the nursery at 9pm, but as it was next door we could hear them crying all night. The nurses brought them to us to feed which meant the lights were on all night with lots of tramping around. I was in three days and didnt sleep at all. 3 years later a new maternity hospital was built and I had a four hour labour with no enema, shave or episiotomy, just gas and air. The baby was by my bed the whole time and we could breast feed as suited us and the child. I was in two days and would have liked to stay longer, but DH travelled all the time for his job and there was no such thing as paternity leave and neither set of grandparents came to help.

I had my first in hospital in 1972, A 2 and a half hour labour meant I ended up with lots of stitches, he was a big baby and I was a slim 8 stoner before I had him. I was in hospital for 10 days. In 1974 I had my second and had an hour and 15 min labour, she was 3 weeks early and weighed only 7 and a half lbs. Unfortunately my husband had a car battery explode in his face after I had been in ffor 6 days so they let me go home to look after him and the babies. My third was born in 1980 in a cottage hospital and I left after 36 hours, labour was only 45 minutes. During all of these births I was well looked after. My last one was in 1987 , they wouldn't let me go to the cottage hospital because they said I needed extra care as I was old (39!) All went well, another big baby and a 3 hour labour, inconsiderate child! After 24 hours I was transferrred back to the cottage hospital where I stayed for 11 days until the older kids went back to school after the summer holidays, luxuriating in the care and rest I got. The whole business of pregnancy and birth was great for me at that time.

But one thing that has always stuck in my mind was the note written on my hospital appointment card for my firstborn, it said 'elderly primagravida'. I wonder what those midwives would think of all the mothers today who tend to wait until they are in the 30s and 40s before having babies.

How many of us in those days , 1965 for me, had very little contact with their babies.
Whisked away straight after birth, no idea why, in the nursery approximately 20+ hours a day.
No feeding during the night, it is all so weird and unexplainable now.
My H had seen our D for about 2 minutes on the day after she was born and then not again until I arrived home late afternoon the following day.
You had to go home by ambulance, couldn’t be fetched by car and I was waiting around for several hours until one was available.
We just accepted what happened because it always had.
Yet somehow we bonded with our babies because we didn’t know any different.

My son was born in 1995.
Home birth was planned, but he was born in hospital.
His back was against my back.
He was born with ventouse assistance & I had an episiotomy with legs in stirrups
Midwifery care was poor.
I was very much frowned upon because I didn’t want to breast feed.
Not a good experience

In 1972, with my first pregnancy, I spent four weeks in an antenatal unit, due to high blood pressure, until labour started almost three weeks early. I was then taken by ambulance to our local large teaching hospital. My DD was born by vacuum extraction after a long labour, then immediately transferred to the special nursery due to breathing difficulties. In those days, no one was allowed to enter the special nursery, apart from staff. DH and I could only look through glass. During the week following the birth, while still within the normal 7 day stay, I had very severe post partum haemorrhaging. I had no idea what that was about at the time, and it was very frightening. The nurse just had me lie down, then she massaged my abdomen, then told me to let them know if it happened again. No visit from a doctor. Baby was allowed home after two weeks - the first time that I’d met her! The very next night, I had a second severe haemorrhage. I actually fainted due to the sudden loss of blood. We didn’t have a phone in the house,so didn’t get the doctor in till morning. All he said was that we should wait t and see if it happened again. To cut a long story short, it happened twice more before I was admitted to hospital, requiring a D & C, blood transfusion and intravenous antibiotics. It was many years before I realised how serious this was, and how negligent the hospital staff and GP were.
One big difference by the time I had my third in 1977 was that the parents were allowed into the special nursery ( baby had a collapsed lung ). That was good because she spent almost three weeks there.

Thisismyname The staff were awful and very nasty. --- They had decided that I was an unmarried mother until DH arrived.

The above sparked a memory from my 1970s obstetric course. There was an unmarried mother on the ward who was expecting twins. The staff were generally horrible to her and I overheard one of them telling her that she would be in for a lot of pain when the twins delivered and it served her right and would teach her a lesson.

It was totally the opposite in my general training where we were taught not to be judgemental and to treat everyone with respect and kindness.

I have three children born in 1985, 1987 and 1990. I wanted a home birth with my first but at the grand old age of 26 was told I was old for a first baby so they would not agree. An older midwife kept asking me if I wanted ‘a nice little enema’ I just repeatedly replied no thank you. I had had and air, refused petaling but ended up having it when my then husband told them I wanted it when I was in the middle of a contraction and unable to say no! The result was that after my daughter was born I was very very sick. I was in hospital for about three days. The first night was awful. They put baby in the nursery so I could sleep. But I could hear her crying (she was the only baby in there). I couldn’t for the life of me find the nursery and no staff checked on me so I spent the whole night sobbing.

My son’s birth was straightforward. No mention of enemas this time lol.

Daughter no2 was spine to spine, the pain was excruciating. If I got into a position where the pain was less my contractions would stop. There was concern about the baby as I had merconium (sp?) in my waters but she was fine. She was also born face first which left her looking like should done several rounds of boxing lol.

All three were delivered on a midwife run ward by my GP which was lovely.

I had 4 babies in 3 different towns in the 1970s. All were late and induced with oxytocin.
No. 1 had a high forceps delivery with me under GA. In hospital for 10 days
No. 2 and 3 had severe jaundice due to incompatible blood groups between parents, in hospital for 10 days. No 3’s shoulders stuck and she was born not breathing.
No. 4 was 10lbs 9 oz but no problems and home in 2 days.
I breastfed them all without any help or encouragement.
Yes, birth was regimented then but we got much better care than now. My midwife daughter left the NHS because she was unable to give the care and attention needed and is now independent, giving wonderful ante and post natal care and ideal home births. This has to be paid for, so tough luck if you’re poor and giving birth in an inadequate maternity ward.

I was born in 1963 by an emergency c section, my brother 1964 by cs and my sister in 1967 by cs. My mother was forced to try breastfeeding with my brother and myself, although not my sister. She was in hospital for 14 days with the three of us. Fw to 1981 and my youngest brother was born by sc. Again my mother was not encouraged to bf. She should have stayed in for 7 days but was a little ill and had to stop in for 10 days.
Roll on to 1988 and my sister had a baby by sc, stayed in for 5 days. I did not have a sc and should have been home after 2 days but had an infection and stayed in 4 days. Both of us were given a choice of breastfeeding or bottle.
My daughter has a sc in 2020 and was aggressively (imo) encouraged to bf, was home in 2 days and she had another 2 under 5s at home.
I hope this little history helps.

Not in the 60s though I think. I had a 9 lb 4 oz baby with just a few whiffs of laughing gas.

As the OP said, episiotomies were more or less standard in hospital births in the 1970's, though slower and better managed births meant that I did not have one for the last two babies.

My first child was born in the mid-70's and I also had to stay in hospital for 8 days, though the maternity unit was very full and the care was pretty basic. By the time I had my last child (of four) they had moved on to being allowed to leave the same day if your baby was born before midday, with an overnight stay if not.
My two middle children were born at home (my choice) as my experience during my first labour was pretty awful, with our GP turning up afterwards to do any stitches that were required. The home births were preferable as the Community Midwives were far more experienced than most of the midwifes in the hospital units and I felt much safer. In fact the midwife from my second birth was running the hospital unit when I had my fourth child.

WARNING CONTAINS DETAILS SOME MAY FIND UPSETTING.
We have 4 DS born 85, 88, 99 and 02. There were lots of notable differences between the first two and second two. With DS1 I stayed in for 5 days, 2 days with DS2, I went home next day with DS3 and was in 5 days with DS4 due to emergency caesarean.
We were young and fun loving when I went in to have our first, I was in established labour and they hooked me up to a monitor and I announced that I had shaved in readiness to be told they didn’t do that anymore 😂
I remember the midwife pulling involuntary funny faces as she examined me internally, she then said I am popping out to make you some tea, if you need me urgently ring the bell. She left the room and my husband picked up the bell to ring, in a panic I asked what he was doing? He said I forgot to ask for a biscuit with my tea! I laughed at him and then had to explain why the monitor had gone yampy! She was not amused!
My labour with DS2 was 17 minutes from first twinge to birthed! I was in labour for 24 hours with DS3 and DS4 was in difficulty and they said dead inside me so he was got out pdq! He’s now 23, and I thank God everyday for him and the NHS.

Lupatria

i had my first baby in 1970 after a 4 hour labour! no shaving, no enema. pethadine plus gas and air - i was "high"!!
i had an episiotomy which was sewn up crookedly and was home before my daughter was a day old! i hate hospitals.
the midwife visited and cut my painful stitches and i never looked back.
my son was born in 1973 (on my daughter's 3rd birthday) and everything was different. a 2 hour labour, no pethadine or gas and air. and a home birth as there wasn't time to get me to hospital!

Had my baby in the 90s - episiotomy stitches were really hurting when I got home. My husband cut them out for me - there was no way I was going back to the surgery or the hospital. I begged him to do something. He used a head torch and sterilised some tweezers on the gas hob - it worked really well.

Awful place. I hope it's improved since the 1980s. Or perhaps been demolished.

No, it's still there. Started its life as a workhouse in the 1800s.

I had my 1st aged 20 in 1973. Yrs to shaving and enema. Was on bed rest for two weeks prior to going into labour due to pre eclampsia. My DH was abroad with the army and I had a 48 hr labour totally alone . I had a couple of pethidine injections . Baby was back to back and I needed an episiotomy and forceps delivery . The staff were awful and very nasty both before and after the birth . My husband got some leave and turned up on baby’s 3rd day . Staff attitude changed on a sixpence . They had decided that I was an unmarried mother until DH arrived . My stay was awful . I couldn’t sit due to odema in the area of my stitches but to lie on the bed to feed baby was not allowed so I had to stand up . The problem with standing was that I went dizzy every time I, so I had to put baby in the cot while I lay on the bed to recover then stand up and carry on with the feed . This could happen four or five times during each feed . I was supposed to stay in hospital for 7 nights but signed myself out on day 3 .
I had my next two babies in a different hospital with nicer staff .

I just slip into this thread as my three children were born in the nineties. I generally had easy pregnancies but my labours were not straightforward. My first was born in 1991 and I had eclampsia - fitting - after he was born, having never had high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia during the pregnancy. The next thing I knew was being attached to a drip in the postnatal ward. This ward was run by an old school sister, who adhered strictly to visiting hours and afternoon rests on the bed. We were also helped with feeding, bathing and general caring for our new babies, although, despite my best efforts, I was unable to breastfeed him. I was in hospital six days and it really set us up well. My second baby was born in 1993. He was spine-to-spine, so readjusting his position throughout the birthing process. The pain was excruciating as l had no relief front or back. The epidural was wonderful. The postnatal ward was very different this time. Visiting rules appeared to be non-existent and there was an Indian lady with her new baby in the opposite bed. She had family with her the entire time. I realise that this was probably a cultural thing but I found it exhausting being opposite and even going to the bathroom was difficult as there was no privacy. My baby had swallowed some mucus during birth, which was dealt with quickly as we were in the hospital. I was able to breastfeed him for nine months. My daughter was born in 1996 and there was a new maternity unit at the hospital, which meant you were in the same room from labour to leaving the hospital. She was another spine-to-spine baby and, once more, I was grateful for the epidural. After the birth, she fed easily and naturally until around midnight. I realised that I had no milk left so asked a nurse where they kept the little bottles of formula milk. The nurse asked me if I would like her to give the bottle to the baby. I was very grateful for this suggestion as I had been awake for around 36 hours by this point and was exhausted. Both baby and I slept till about eight o'clock and it was a wonderful start as I fed her for 10½ months. We went home later that day. I think l was very fortunate with my experiences and am glad I had my children in the nineties. Maternity care seems to have gone backwards from what I can see.

No 3 was born in a hospital and I was left by myself as the midwife went off for her lunch. She was gone for quite some time and, needless to say, baby arrived while she was gone.
Luckily DH popped in to see me (no-one had let him know as I'd been there a couple of days).

The equipment was faulty and the hospital really dirty as they had a problem with the cleaners.
The night staff nurse afterwards just ignored everyone and sat in the office reading magazines.

Awful place. I hope it's improved since the 1980s. Or perhaps been demolished.

Was that the mid 1870s, butterandjam? 😲

Chocolatelovinggran

My late MIL worked in the Welsh valleys before WW2. She " prescribed" stout for expectant and nursing mums because, in these poor households, food priority went to the working man, and the women were often undernourished.
No proud miner wanted to hear that, but would feel comfortable spending a modest sum on stout, giving the woman iron, and important calories.

Food priority to the husband/sons, was still a thing in Scotland in the mid 1970s. We'd just moved from England to Glasgow , our kind neighbours did their best to help us settle in by explaining Scottish ways so I didn't put my foot in it so often. (Hanging out washing on Sundays, for example) . This was truly done with the very kindest intentions.

One of them happened by just as we were eating our evening meal and later, tactfully got me on my own to explain my latest faux pas. First, was serving sausages. Worse, was sitting at the table eating alongside himself.

"Butterandjam, sausages are fine for women and children; but not a proper meal for a man. And, a wife's role is to serve dinner to hubby and son. I don't sit at the table with them. I eat mine later in the kitchen after they've finished. That way I can be sure they've had enough and if the men were hungry I just make do with what's left".

I had my first in the Uk as you reported OP in the 70s and second + third in France under similar situations.

I was shock to read on mumsnet this weekend of a mother whose waters had broken, arrived at the Uk hospital to find no bed available in the labour ward. She was told she would have to have a C-section, as it had been more than 24 hours. She hadn’t planned for this but had to go though it, there was no real choice. Even then she had to wait in the queue till pm the following day.