Maternity Care in the Second Half of the 20th Century

On my hospital notes it said I was a mature mother as I was thirty years old when I had my first baby in 1985. I had to stay in hospital for a week after giving birth. I was also encouraged to bottle feed, no breast is best from the nurses.

I wouldn't be having a baby now if I was starting out in life. The world and his wife seem to be on every ward, visiting time seems to be all the time, no rest, left on your own in many instances whilst in labour and shoved out on the same day, the shortage of midwives now won't ensure you will get one. I wouldn't feel we would be safe. When I had my two we were looked after too, wards spotless and well looked after with Sisters and a Matron. You were an old mother at 26, I was told by doctors the best time to have health babies and mothers was between 18 an 25, now people are in their forties.

Baby number 1 was born in 1986, just as the Chernobyl clouds dispersed and were floating our way from Russia, that event always resonated as being a synonymous event with my giving birth for the first time. I was monitored carefully in my pregnancy, particularly in the weeks after I'd stopped working at 7 months, I seemed to be having an inordinate amount of appointments in the final run up. My doctor told me I had preeclampsia, I had no idea what that was, just as well the age of Google wasn't upon us, so I didn't delve further to find out about the condition, just as well, I don't think I would wanted to have known it could be life threatening, I was blissful in my ignorance. The labour was long drawn out, I had an epidural, which I was told rather harshly by one quite unsympathetic nurse that had slowed everything down and I was hardly dilated when actually I was almost fully. He eventually arrived somewhat distressed, forceps delivery, which I didn't want but the doctor deemed necessary, I suppose any baby would be distressed having a pair of metal salad like servers clamped around their head, but still a somewhat perfect 7lb 3ozs, I think I was in hospital for something like 3 or even 4 days afterwards, all I remember is I couldn't wait to get out of the place, it was impossible to get any sleep the lights appeared to be on all night from what I remember. One of the mothers had ridiculous numbers of visitors who should have left come evening time, but often didn't so they created too much noise when the rest of us in the ward wanted to be quiet. We, the mothers had to clean the bathrooms before using them. I remember finding the stitches quite painful afterwards. My second baby was born in 1990, he was a huge 9lb 4ozs and like his brother rather overdue, an easier labour though, he arrived looking just like a native American baby, a shock of black lavatory brush hair and quite puce we had a sofa at the time, the colour a similar hue to his initial skin tone, we'd often place him on that because he matched it so well. Over the next couple of weeks that all changed and he looked quite different the high colour disappeared, the black hair fell out to be replaced by fair hair, but as my children grew older their hair became darker, so often the case. Number 2 was extraordinary to behold initially though Both my children were born at Queen Charlotte's Maternity Hospital in West London, which sadly is no longer.

I also remember my husband coming to pick me up with my older one, nearly 4, who came along too, proclaiming at the time "I only want to bring mummy home, not the baby" . He did however turn into a very good older brother right away, sorting out numerous toys to give him.

@Ladyleftfieldlover, l had my first known migraine (l think l had had some previously but not realised them for what they were) when I was expecting my third baby. I had an aura then, two hours later, the most horrendous headache imaginable. I have been prone to migraines ever since but, thankfully, never had the aura that preceeded the first one.

Allsorts

I wouldn't be having a baby now if I was starting out in life. The world and his wife seem to be on every ward, visiting time seems to be all the time, no rest, left on your own in many instances whilst in labour and shoved out on the same day, the shortage of midwives now won't ensure you will get one. I wouldn't feel we would be safe. When I had my two we were looked after too, wards spotless and well looked after with Sisters and a Matron. You were an old mother at 26, I was told by doctors the best time to have health babies and mothers was between 18 an 25, now people are in their forties.

In the maternity home for No. 2, I shared a room with a lovely woman who was having third baby. She was married to an Italian and had her first two babies in Italy where the experience, in the 1970s, was just as you describe, Allsorts.
We did get a peaceful eight days afterwards in the maternity home, it was a much more pleasant experience than the local hospital.

A big change since the 1970s was the move - or should I say "attempt to move" towards more woman-centred care which means listening to women's preferences instead of delivering a patriarchal, one-size-fits all service. As a doula and antenatal teacher, some of your experiences I read here from the 60s and 70s make my blood run cold. Quite aside from the authoritarian attitude to women's bodies, the ignorance about the benefits of breastfeeding and how to initiate it successfully was awful. While it may sound lovely to be in hospital for 8 days, separating mother and baby and timing feeds is no way to get breastfeeding started. Even now breastfeeding rates are higher and support has improved, if you look on your phone for the emoji for "baby" a bottle pops up.
Unfortunately there are so many shortages of staff. Midwifery is a wonderful profession but it has become very risk-averse and midwives are terrified of being hauled over the coals. Avoiding risk these days is seen as synonymous with a need to add more technology and take tighter control of a process which often does not flourish under such circumstances. Take induction of labour, promoted as a tool for reducing stillbirths. Stillbirths have, happily, gone down but remain at the same level for the last decade while a steady increase in inductions continues. For first time mothers, induction of labour doubles the likelihood of an unplanned caesarean. Most caesareans are unplanned. Which means that about a quarter of our mums now are leaving hospital after a birth which was completely the opposite of what they had expected.
The emotional effect of this needs to be thought through.

In a few weeks time it will be 50 years since I had my first baby. We had no birth plans then, no , scans or other interventions. A metal tube pressed against the stomach to listen to the baby was about as tech as it got, and was accepted for what it was.
Despite being two weeks late and induced I was in labour for 36 hours. I begged for a Caesarian but was refused. I have never forgotten the pain which was the longest and worst I had ever experienced, then or since.

Experiences recounted here show that my awful memories were commonplace.
I was left alone for most of my second labour and when my baby was emerging and I shouted for help, a nurse looked around the door and said,’You’re not the only woman in here’.
Having No. 3 in Wales I pleaded not to be left alone and the little nurse was shocked at the very idea!

watermeadow

Experiences recounted here show that my awful memories were commonplace.
I was left alone for most of my second labour and when my baby was emerging and I shouted for help, a nurse looked around the door and said,’You’re not the only woman in here’.
Having No. 3 in Wales I pleaded not to be left alone and the little nurse was shocked at the very idea!

Sadly, those horrible, probably thoughtless, little acts of disrespect stay with mothers - all their lives.

I was just 21 when I had my eldest son in 1967. Waters broke 20 miles away from the maternity hospital where I was booked in and it was a whole month before the due date, so I was blue lighted in with H following behind in the car. Normal birth ensued 8 hours later at 2am, episiotomy necessary and the shift changed at that moment. My son was placed in my arms and they left us. The new shift didn't seem to know that I was still on the delivery table so we stayed like that until 6am, he and I staring at each other. It was uncomfortable but lovely at the same time. It happened to be the same labour ward where my mum had delivered me.
Second son was a home birth..local midwife, gas and air, my GP abandoned his evening dinner event and came to stitch me up still wearing his DJ! My dear friend next door visited carrying a delicious casserole, followed by my parents with a Victoria sponge. It was all bliss. My baby was inspected by his brother and father and we all settled down later to sleep in our cosy home.
It beggars belief when I hear of the impersonal and cold birth procedures of today.

I had twins in 1989.
I had to stay in for 3 weeks 7 weeks before due date as blood pressure began to climb and I was exhausted.
I was allowed a home visit and went to a bonfire party.
I was petrified and thought something was wrong when waters broke.
Rushed back to hospital. Labour started middle of the night and I was taken to Labour ward.
Kept asking them to ring husband and was told to let him sleep!
All okay until docs arrived on duty. They examined me Ugh! Broke the hind waters-no explanation.
Luckily my sister worked at the hospital and came to see me. I was scared.
Husband arrived mid morning.
Remember it took all day but at least they tried to be as natural as possible.
In tge end they were delivered with forceps. I was allowed to stand up but wired up to a monitor.
Was very relieved to have prearranged epidural. Twin births I’d been told it was routine-so a section could be done quickly.
Then I couldn’t stand.
They tried to let this wear off near delivery but I panicked. Topping up was then hard as I couldn’t keep still.
Babies stayed with me-husband ( now long ex) left to celebrate.
As a result of top up when I woke up later that night I hadn’t been warned but couldn’t move. Thought I was paralysed.
Worst bit was returning to normal Hispital for d and c and being alone with 2 babies preparing for general anaesthetic and wondering how they’d be without me!

Frognet, what an awful experience, can see why your ex is your ex too.
My daughter was born in hospital, on the ward as I was not checked for about 7 hours and no time to get to theatre, natural birth. Only just 20, I was sent to a mother and baby ward and the baby went to a nursery, she was bought to me
about 5.39 girls a nappy change, which immediately fell off and was told to feed, I wasn't shown it was the woman next bed along that told me what to do. Babies then stayed with us all day, no night feeds. She never woke up in tge night when hone 8 days later. The nurse was do in love with my daughter, as was I, she had her boyfriend come in the day we were discharged, dressed up to go home, curly hair almost to her shoulders, she had the framed picture of her with the nurse last time I saw her, years ago now, on display with family photo's, that was when she thought I was a good mother, now she has nothing to do with any family. My son was born at home, he on the others hand loved being awake all night, however he was a good baby too once he grew out of that stage, he is a lovely son to this day, No one went back to work after a baby then, no one that I knew anyway. As soon as youngest at school I got work to fit in, when divorced it had to be full time to keep us. They had that good start though.

I had my first baby in 1969. It was a home birth (my choice). I phoned the midwife when my waters broke. Later in my labour the midwife had to call out my GP and I had a low forceps delivery. Not very pleasant. When I had my second baby two years later I was not allowed to have a home birth. It's extraordinary to think back to tmy first birth in our small spare bedroom with a paraffin stove as the only heating in the house in a cold January. Them was the days...

Lizzie I still have my old paraffin heater , it’s under the stairs just in case … it did us proud pre central heating.

Granmarderby10

Oh MilestOne I had an iron injection in hospital after an op for acute peritonitis, the most horrid sensation like.. well lead weights in your muscles. But necessary.
I was offered Mackeson in hospital with evening meals too after treatment for dehydration due to severe pregnancy sickness - always liked it anyway much nicer than Guinness imo sweeter by far. Can you still buy it?
Quite incredible really, this was 1979.
How things change.

I was given wine to ‘bring up the milk’ in the French clinic (same as a hospital, sounds better but wasn’t). However my eldest wasn’t allowed to visit, no children were at that time I signed myself out after 7 days.