Pregnancy in the 1970s

I had my first baby in December 1970 during the bread strike. We all spent a week in hospital being fed more toast and sandwiches than we could eat, while everyone outside was queuing for whatever bread they could find.

The second time I was induced. I was nervous anyway and it wasn't helped by a locum doctor sorting through the equipment and saying "I've never used this type before, how does it work?" I would rather one of us had known what we were doing! Afterwards the midwife told me that the doctor stitching me up did leather work as a hobby. I wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not!

When I’d just delivered DD1 in hospital the midwives said my GP was in the building for a function and might want to pop in to see us. And he did, red-faced and beaming, on a cloud of alcohol fumes. “I’ll do the stitching, Sister, he announced. Pass me your biggest needle because I might have trouble threading it...”. And he did. Fortunately I think the whisky breath anaesthetised me.

Yes, you could def. get a pregnancy test done in the chemist in the 70s. It was not instant, but possible.

I worked at a maternity hospital in the early 70s.

I do not recall tests at all. Just missed period, then wait until another missed and go and talk to the doc.

I had my first test in a hospital lab because I worked at the hospital and so did my OH, as a houseman. We got a special dispensation to send a test to the lab.

Maggiemaybe the thing I remember about being stitched after DC2 was looking at the GP who had come in to do it and his pyjama bottoms were sticking out of the bottom of his trousers.
It was about 2 am.

2am for me too, Jalima. But mine was suited and booted. It’d obviously been a good do!

mine was obviously dragged out of bed; he wasn't very communicative

I didn't get slapped by the sister when I was in labour but the woman who had been in the next bed to me did. I heard her screaming in the delivery suite and then a very loud slap. I was shocked. Surely that was an assault even then? Presumably it would definitely be classified as an assault now.

I remember being shaved by one of the nursing assistants. I protested that the curtains were slightly open at the corner. It was embarrassing. The nursing assistant told me not to be silly "We're all girls here together". This was while the ancillary staff were pushing trollies of hot drinks around the ward.

My whole 7-day stay in hospital (a former military hospital) - induced labour, delivery, stitches, after-care, etc, etc - was an absolute nightmare and I was so relieved to get out. I'm sure it damaged the relationship between myself and my daughter.

My second child (1979) was born so quickly I had him in the admissions room at about 1 am. The midwife complained that I had left it too late That was about 20 minutes after my first pain! She was drenched because my waters broke and baby came immediately. She was on her own as the other nurse had run out for a maternity pack and she also complained because I was nipping her with the toes on the one foot I had wrapped around her shoulder. I remember the other leg flapping about with nowhere to go! It all seems quite farcical when I look back!

I then had to wait a couple of hours before my GP came to stitch me (yes.. midwife had the time to do the cut as soon as her colleague arrived back). GP apologised and he explained he had been called out on a rape case. That was the only time I had gas and air and I remember having a discussion with him about the increasing weights of babies with my legs up in stirrups. He would not tell me how many stitches I had, only saying that he was known for how small and neat his stitches were. To be fair I had no problems with them. Looking back it was like some kind of surreal dream. I was home at the end of the next day!

My father was a GP and all my childhood ladies handed urine samples in if they had missed a period.

I honestly can't remember when it became possible to buy pregnancy tests, but I think it was the early to mid 1980s.

In 1974, we decided to try for our fourth child. I knew I had fallen the first month, and when I got something similar to flu a couple of weeks later I made hubbie telephone GP to ask how safe paracetamol was in first weeks of pregnancy. When I finally went to GP (had to wait then to miss second period), he did the test himself (I took in a urine sample with me). Whilst doing it he made sarcastic comments about me diagnosing the pregnancy before I fell pregnant, looked down at his testing strip and confirmed I was correct.
I went to him for a check when I was about 16 weeks pregnant. As my previous three pregnancies had been pretty close together, I knew this one was different. I felt baby movements both high up and low down in my uterus. I had also read that my local hospital was one of three on the country to have the new Scanning machine, GP confirmed I was 'big for dates' and asked what I wanted to do, and - with a sigh - sent me along to the hospital.
Appointment two weeks later with a consultant and he was most rude about GP's diagnosing multiple pregnancy at 16 weeks (although it was actually me that made that diagnosis), but he sent me on for this new scan thingie. Very exciting there, had to drink masses of water beforehand, then had Doctor and Nurse doing the scan. There they confirmed two babies, and gave me a polaroid photo of them, (which looks nothing like babies or anything). My twin babies were born three weeks early in April 1975.

In the early 1970s I fostered babies who were to be adopted . The mothers could not sign them away until the babies were 6 weeks old and I filled the gap though it was never as short as 6 weeks . I was shocked by what good homes some of these babies came from . The girl's parents would not let them keep their babies and there was nowhere else to turn . Changed days indeed . One baby's mother was a teacher yet she could not see a way to keep her baby .

Oh that has reminded me of neighbour's in the 60s who were adopting a baby. She arrived and we all went to see her and give gifts. 2 weeks later the baby disappeared as the birth mother decided not to go ahead with the adoption.

They dis adopt eventually but it was a hard time.

Flora thank you.
My girls came to me in 1976 and 1978 (each aged 6weeks).
for you and all foster mums.

My sons partner is pregnant now ,she has her first scan this week.She was very surprised when I showed her my card from my pregnancy in 1978,gp visits every two weeks and hospital visits with regular weight and urine tests on the other week .A wee diet sheet ,porridge and fruit or eggs and toast for breakfast ,salad and cold meat with bread and butter and fresh fruit for lunch and meat and two veg with a pudding in the evening.NO snacks and a weight of 21 pounds over the whole prgnancy thet the consultant insisted was the max he would allow.She says women nowadays wouldn't stand for that ...lol.Maybe not but I didn't know anyone who put on over 2 stone or who couldn't get into normal clothes within a couple of weeks.He was harsh but fair and we all adored him...sadly he moved on before my son was born in 1988 and I just couldn't take to the new consultant and there were no fortnightly appointments or weight management either .

I had mine in 71 and 73. As i remember I missed a period, saw the doctor, when the second one was missed and I had an internal examination to confirm it.

I was 27. 28 when DS was born. I lived in a new town where the average age for a new baby was about 20. I was classed as an 'elderly' prima gravida. At time I wasn't sure whether I was going to be referred to the obstetrics department or gerentology.

I was given no weight gain limit or diet advice although the general understanding was weight gain should be no than 2 stone. I suffered from morning sickness throughout my pregnancy and could only eat small quantities at a time and I only put on a stone, despite carrying a 9lb baby in a small swimming pool of waters. A week after he was born, I weighed in a full stone less than I had been at the start of my pregnancy. My lowest adult weight ever!

Second time round, in 1973 three different doctors gave me three different due dates spanning two months!!! So I asked for a scan, as I had been told one of the local hospitals had one. They needed a reason so I said I needed to know the due date because my mother was coming to stay as soon as the baby was born and as she was still working she needed to know in order to book leave. It worked and they confirmed the date that I had worked out for myself.

mcem thank you for the flowers . Once the abortion act came in there were so fewer babies to be adopted. I used to phone the social worker and ask if there were any . She said a big part of her life had changed because of the act. Long before car seats for babies she used to take her elderly mum with her to collect the babies and her mum got to sit in the front seat of the car holding them .
My DD was still in nappies when we got our first baby and she used to perch herself on the arm of my chair with a book for us to read while I fed the babies . Neither of my DC seemed to be put out having strange children in the house and from the start they knew the babies would be leaving to go their their own mummies. Only problem was when I fell out with DD she would say she was going to go to her real mummy and she now tells me she even imagined how lovely and glamerous her really mummy was.

Mine were 72 & 79, I remember the enema, I ran to the toilet, fortunately it was in the same room as the bath, I thought I was ‘empty’ till I put one foot in the bath and had to run back. Both my labours and births were a doddle thank goodness. Both were in lovely British Military Hospitals in Germany.

Re pregnancy rest for unmarried women, don’t forget the Brook Advisory Clinics, which gave confidential advice and pregnancy testing to all women, married or not. Might be a useful fact to include in your novel.

Slightly off topic but does anyone else remember the family planning clinic and the Dutch Cap aka diaphragm. I was measured for mine then had to practice inserting it in front of the nurse. Mine was so well lubricated it shot out of my fingers and across the room. Oh the joys.

Thank goodness I was on the pill!!

Much easier to insert MOnica

Someone I knew, with 6 children, said she tried the cap, by the time she had it in position her hubby was fast asleep!

In the small northern town I lived in in l968 the family planning clinic would not prescribe the pill unless you could give them proof of the forthcoming marriage.

My first child was born in 1965 before I was married. I was sent to a mother and baby home in London where we kept our babies for 6 weeks. I would say there were about 20 mothers at any one time.

Out of the roughly 20-30 mothers during the 6 weeks I was there (post birth) I was the only one who kept her baby. All the mothers without exception would have liked to keep their babies. The reasons they couldn't were various, the social climate, lack of funds, parental pressure and others. The women came from a variety of social backgrounds and educational levels. They were not all young and there were a couple there that were nearing 40. Unless you had family help it was almost impossible to keep a child if you were single.

I also remember the adoption agencies were very picky. The one that dealt with us was the C of E. The social worker came to inspect all the babies. I always remember she said to me 'She might be difficult to adopt as she hasn't got much hair'. That stupid, heartless comment finally made up my mind for me.

Whenever it is my daughter's birthday I always think about the other women who had their babies around that time and wonder if any have made contact and how their lives have worked out.. For better or worse I am so glad times have changed.

In 1966 there was a 'No Pill unless you are married rule' so it was condoms for the honeymoon and straight to the GP after. She told me that the Pill was really designed for women to space out their pregnancies not to avoid pregnancies altogether. She eventually agreed to prescribe for 6 months only because I was only 19. Then I had to make an appointment with a different GP every 6 months, as each would only supply 6 months worth at a time.

I remember that it was counted as a double prescription (Estrogen & Progesterone) so it was double the charge every time.