Call the midwife

Back in 60's and 70's we all left our prams with our babies outside of shops. Prams, on the whole, were far too big and difficult to get into shops. Most of us, I am sure, at least once, with our first babies, forgot about them. I did not have a hard-bodied pram, but a soft bodied one (1969), the top could be lifted off the very well sprung base so I could put into the back of my car. Lasted through many babies (my own and fostered), and my older children fondly remember it.

I had a pram bag, than fitted on the front of this pram. Came out of a shop with this in my hands, and it was only when I was walking along, trying to fit it on a non-existent pram in front of me, did I realise I had left that, and baby at that shop.

In 1973, there was a very sad kidnapping of a young baby not far from where I lived, resulting in the police issuing warnings that we should NOT leave prams and babies unaccompanied. I had two small children plus the latest, at the time. A visit to my local library I used a very small pushchair for this youngest so that I could take the other two there. Library staff told me I was not permitted to bring in pushchair. At the same time, they did permit older people with their wheeled shopping baskets in there (I did ask if shopping was more important than babies). They threatened to call the police when I insisted of bringing in this pushchair, and I told them to do so and I would also contact the local paper. I did this when I returned home, and it made their front pages and the council changed the policy for that library very quickly.

I always put babies (my own and fostered), into that pram into my front garden (unless it was pouring with rain), after they had been morning bathed and fed. The fresh air was considered so important - nobody ever questioned it.

I thought that Trixies shock at finding baby outside was because she was worried about the mother. She knew that she was having problems and was concerned for her mental health. Mother wasn't just putting baby outside for fresh air, she just couldn't bear the sound of the baby crying for milk when she wasn't able to feed it successfully due to mastitis.

I was born at home during WW2 - came with such speed I was there before the midwife! One day Mum did leave me in the pram outside a shop and I was gone when she came out - an onlooker told her a woman had taken me into Woolworths which was next door. Seems she rushed in and followed the noise of my cries and grabbed me back - I cried with anyone but my mother!
1963 I had DD in Queen Charlotte’s hospital (10 day stay) and 1967 DS at home. I saw the same two midwives every time at the clinic and one of them came to deliver the baby. The GP also came to check me over. It was nice having DS at home as DD was three and a bit and spent much time with me in bed - was not allowed to get up fully for the ten days - every day a visit from a midwife.

Very interesting post Franbern.

Oh gosh Sparklefizz that was bad! At least mine was just five minutes away. I should add it was my own baby.

Fascinating, Franbern! Thank you. I couldn’t help thinking that in 1967, fur was only going to be acceptable for a few more years, before society turned against it.

Meryl, there must have been more than a few babies born at the roadside on the way to Bath! The roads in the 1940’s must have been pretty grim, I can’t imagine doing that journey while in labour.

Although my mother lived opposite the Woolwich Arsenal I was born in Bath ( 1946) the reason being that all the hospitals were full.
I went through all my infant and junior school with children who were born in that same hospital in Bath.

Your post was really interesting Franbern. Thanks for sharing.

I also was shouting at the tv last night. That incredible scene with the furrier sitting down carefully and slowly putting in those many tacks into the fur skin. My Dad was a fur nailer then. It was first of all, very much, a standing up job. There would be several skins nailed with chalked out pattern shapes on a very large, heavy board. Skins dunked in a bucket and then the nailer set to with his tools - a bag of old rusty nails, hammer and pair of pliers which he used to pull skins to the pattern and then nail them. Five skins would all have been done within about 10-15 minutes. Then that board lifted down, and new one placed on tressles. In a normal working day Dad would have probably do at least a couple of dozen of those boards, each with five or six skins.

Did not know anyone then who did ALL the furrier jobs themselves. They were strictly divided and different people in different roles. Top of these was THE CUTTER, he who actually cut the skins to shape. Then the NAILER. Then the machinists, large industrial machines, usually done by women. The final LINING AND FINISHING, was often carried out by outworker women in their own homes. My Dad could carry out all of these roles and did make me a wonderful pair of fur lined fur gloves when I was little - but it was more than unusual for coats to be made in this way.

For a time my mother was taught by my Dad to do the finishing and lining (at home), and I can well remember having to stand on chairs as a little girls so that she be sure everything was hanging properly when the linings were put in.

Regarding the circumcision - provided that they baby is healthy it is often carried out by a Moyle at home. Women (including the Mother) are usually sent to another room. Babies lips are usually smeared with something like honey (back then, it would have been some sweet wine), and whilst they are licking this off, the action is carried out. Most babies are absolutely fine with it, and will happily take a feed and go to sleep afterwards. Personally, I think that it is about time this was stopped - unnecessary physical mutilation at such a young age must be against medical code of practice.

By the late 60's only very few new mothers breast-fed. This was very much the time of bottle feeding. I did get mastitus on one breast when I was feeding my twins. I was determined to carry one and, as an NCT B.feeding counsellor and a fourth time Mum, I knew what I was doing - but the pain was incredible - I can remember at the time describing it as being like a red hot knive being used. We did get through it eventually but anti-biotics gave me thrush and both babies oral thrush!!

NCT probably hadn't reached Poplar by then. It was very middle class. I didn't find a group until 1976 and had moved to a city. I already had 2 children

Suedonim
My story is less alarming but awful for me. I left the pram outside the department store, (every small town had one back then). I tried on clothes and had a really good browse and forgot I had a baby. I left by another door and was halfway home when I remembered. Baby was still sound asleep.

My dad left my 9mth old brother in his pram outside the post office. By the time mum had run to get him, little bro had managed to get the shopping from beneath the pram mattress (it was a big pram with a sort of well underneath the body) and was happily squeezing out the guts from some herrings from the fishmonger. Mum said bro was covered in scales.

Yess! nadateturbe. I was aged 8 and the girl nextdoor was 6, and we were allowed to wheel her baby brother in the pram to the newsagents on an errand. It was about a mile away. Unthinkable nowadays.

We came out and forgot the baby in the pram and walked home - friend's Mum had a fit when she realised, and we ran back and the baby was still there (thank goodness).

I walked back to my mums one day from the shop without the pram!

My DH was born in 1959 and his mum was out shopping with his Gran. The pram was gone when they came out the shop but luckily they’d taken baby in with them. Just shows how trusting people were then as it certainly wouldn’t happen now.

My brother was born at home in 1961. I remember standing at the bottom of the stairs with my grandma not really aware what was happening until they said we could see baby when he appeared.
I recognised that blue wallpaper with teapots etc on. It was either in our kitchen or my grandmas. Pretty certain I used it to cover my school books too!

Have they mentioned the NCT yet? I think it was formed around 1960 and offered advice during pregnancy and beyond.

Lilypop Iam I’m so glad it’s not just me shouting at the t.v it makes me feel bad as his nearest and dearest could be coming on here reading this, so hopefully it’s just the character that we have an aversion to haha.

I look at old photos of me Sparklefizz and they are a bit weird!
I have several Mothercare catalogues in my pile of treasures room of junk and the outfits are very strange.
Bottle feeding was the way to go back then.
The ward I was in after DS#1 was full to bursting but only I and one other mum were breast feeding. We had to draw the curtains around our beds in case someone's husband should see us during visiting.
We were told at ante-natal classes that the Queen breastfed all hers until they were 3 months old.
Several girls chose to have milk suppressing tablets and were very keen to get back to their "normal" lives and size asap.
There was always one trying to smoke too. We were all so young. I was 21 and one of the older mums.

I wish they'd get the clothes right too. Some of the outfits are just plain weird.

Although I still like CTM I wish they’d get very simple details right. Bottle feeding, prams etc. I too left my child outside in the pram for fresh air and when going shopping. It was also considered ok to leave a baby crying so they weren’t spoilt. I suffered from mastitis and was told in no uncertain terms I had to give up breastfeeding and use a bottle instead, much as I didn’t want to.

Yes to leaving babies in prams outside shops. I did so with my first two, born in the 70’s. It never crossed anyone’s mind that anyone would steal a baby. Today, new mother’s are told never to leave their babies alone at all, 24/7.

Interesting to hear about the coloured bed linens some people had! Maybe they hadn’t filtered out to the provinces where I grew up in the 60’s.

I had never heard of the phrase ‘breast is best’ until the 80’s, formula was the most common way of feeding amongst my friends, again in the 70’s.

There was a lot of imposing of modern views on last night's script.

Leaving babies in their prams outside houses and shops was common into the 70s. While Trixie might have been a bit concerned that the baby was crying, she wouldn't have been horrified and annoyed.

Formula feeding was considered a perfectly acceptable alternative to breast feeding and very very common in the 60s.

I'm not sure Sheila, as a still very religious former nun, would have been so delighted to see homosexual acts decriminalised. Resigned and accepting maybe, but I don't think she would have reacted the way she did.

I had my first child in 1971. The babies were all taken away and bottle fed babies were fed by nurses during the night. A whole week of this, just 5 days for the second. Mothers aren't so lucky nowadays.

Good!

I was working as a nanny for a Jewish family in 1982 and their newborn boy was circumcised in a ceremony at home. There was a big family and friends gathering. All I can remember is how the little mite cried afterwards. It still happens today in Jewish families - my DD is married to a Jew and there were big discussions about my DGS being circumcised - he wasn’t!