Did you have babies in the 60's?

Teetime

Djen you beat me and I thought DC3 was speedy at 40 minutes!
(no midwife or any help for us either, just DH on his lunch-break)

That's very sad, Teetime. The sixties were not good times for single mums.

Lovely pics, Indinana - what a beautiful dress.

ninathena - that's a coincidence. Yes, I thought it was All Saints but was not sure, so didn't mention it. I had my DS there on 17 June 1969. I'd moved north by the time I had my daughter.

I had a baby in 1969- I was sixteen and unmarried and I was TOLD the baby had to be adopted by my mother as she would not support me. One day I might just be able to talk about the horror of it all, the unmarried mothers home where we skivvied ten hours a day, the poor treatment by the GP and midwives, the bullying by Barnados, rejection by education authorities and the difficulties of starting another life after.

Didn't drop her, but it came close!

I loved those silky dresses. They were inexpensive to buy too.

https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/201510/medium-21265-indigo-in-kates-dress.jpg%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/201510/medium-743118-indigo-in-kates-dress-2.jpg%3C/span%3E

As well as the wincyette nighties, my daughter also used to dress her dolls in two of her baby dresses. I dug them out, washed them and mended them where seams had come apart and gave them to my daughter for her baby girl. Here she is in them. She has worn the long-sleeved one a few times and people have complimented her on the beautiful dress, which always makes for a lovely conversation about its origins

I think you can have a home delivery now, Tricia, if he comes the same way my second did in 1969. Twenty minutes from start to finish, while waiting for the midwife to turn up. I was supposed to be in hospital, but the two ambulance men could not move me off the bed.
My husband delivered him, as the experienced ambulance man was outside phoning the midwife.

NotTooOld both mine were born in All Saints hospital Chatham.

I had my first baby in 1969 and I used terry nappies with fabric liners. Nighties with tie backs and vests with tape fasteners. No baby gros when DD was born, my sister bought her first one when she was 6 months old, I think she bought it in Germany or could have been USA. Never had a changing mat, babies were changed on my knee. I knit all the little cardigans, mitts and bootees, only dresses were shop bought.
I did not have a washer so everything was washed by hand.
In 1971, when second child was born, we had a Mothercare shop in town and I was able to buy a pram and baby clothes. I was able to buy a twin tub by the time I had the second baby which was brilliant because he seemed to get through at least a dozen nappies a day.
Nowadays it is a doddle by comparison, they were hard times.

I always changed brother and sister on my knee. DC and DGC I have done occasionally when necessary!

Only once, Jings? Did you drop it?

I used to change DC1 on my knee if we were out anywhere (and she was a wriggler)! Still is.

'62, '63 &nd '66.
The last, our daughter, was born in Singapore. While in labour I shared a room with two Ghurka ladies who wore their full regalia throughout, and never made a peep! I felt such a wimp, even though it was a relatively easy and quick birth.
First was a nightmare, he nearly died, but TG he turned out ok.
Second born at home and I almost enjoyed it - the midwife was there a lot of the time, and my doctor came for the actual delivery.
I don't think you can have a home delivery now?

I changed a baby once on my knee.

I used my Baby Burco to boil the Xmas puddings.

I've loved reading all these posts which have brought back so many memories. My youngest brother and sister were born 1960 and 1965 and as the oldest I took over much of their care. I think my mother had had enough after 6 children!! As a result I had my DC fairly late in my life in 1977, 1979 and 1982. I still used the terry nappies though as disposables were expensive and useless!!

My MiL bought me a Mothercare pram that could convert to a carrycot for my first and boy did that pram take some beating! I used to walk about two miles each way for my shopping with baby, toddler on a pram seat and 4 year old on reins in all weathers. The pile of shopping went on a tray underneath (with odd bags slung on my arm and the handle!) Once the pram collapsed and a wheel rolled away on a zebra crossing! A friendly pedestrian picked up the wheel and by good fortune we were near an Ironmonger's so I pushed it there on three wheels and he fixed it up with a new bit (no idea what!) It cost about 5p and the pram lasted then for as long as we needed it!

I never had a changing mat, didn`t even know they existed, I changed all mine on my knee. We didn`t even have hot water or an inside toilet in our first house, so definitely no washing machine. We did buy a Baby Burco just after baby number one was born, but had a catastrophe and it burnt out, so never bothered again until we moved into our new house in late 1965, and we had a small Hoover washing machine and a separate spin dryer.
When my 3rd daughter ws born in 1967, it was New Year`s Day. There were 4 babies born in that hospital on that day, our local paper came to take my photo with the baby, the Manchester Evening News wrote a paragraph, no photo, then the Bolton Evening News wanted all the mothers with their babies for a photo, but there were only 3 of us on it. When we asked why, we were told it was because the other girl wasn`t married!
As several people have said, babies were put outside in their prams, never a thought of them being kidnapped or harmed in any way. Likewise as to leaving them outside shops, although I did leave baby 4 outside the shop and went home without him on one occasion. Luckily, it was just round the corner, and Mrs. Barton, the shopkeeper, said, "We`ve been watching him, wondering how long before you`d notice!"

Similar memories for me too, the changing mat from Mothercare was white with orange flowers all over it.The baby box was grey and white, and DH still keeps bits and bobs in it in the workshop.The little white wincyette nighties with embroidered flowers on and yes, babygros from Mothercare as well.
I never minded the nappies, and enjoyed pegging them out on the line and also changing the baby, a little kind service you could do for them, a clean bottom and nappy.By the time baby number 3 appeared, I wasn't quite as keen on it though.

Mine all went out in their prams except in rain or fog!

I remember the Health Visitor saying 'put a warm baby in a warm pram and she'll stay warm if properly wrapped up'

I had my first baby (DS) in Chatham hospital in 1969. I was in hospital for 10 days. There were five or six of us young mums in a small ward and every afternoon the physio came round to take us through our post natal exercises before we had to lie on our beds for a compulsory hour's nap. The babies were kept in the nursery and only brought to us at feeding time - definitely no feeding on demand in those days!

It was a bit of a coup to have a boy and we mothers-of-boys felt a bit sorry for the mothers-of-girls, I've no idea why and was very pleased to get a girl second time around. We definitely had babygros and changing mats, courtesy of lovely Mothercare, and I also had a smart cream pram from the same shop. I loved putting DS, all clean and fresh, outside in the pram for a nap in the fresh air. My DD thinks that's terrible and when I once left my baby GD outside in her pram for five minutes DD rushed out and brought her in again. Naughty grandma.

Disposable nappies were in the shops in 1969 but I couldn't afford them so had to make do with terries, nappy liners and rubber pants that went hard and scratched the baby's legs. The nappies were soaked in Milton in a bucket with a lid and smelled terrible. I did have a twin tub to boil them up in and I remember using big wooden tongs to lift them from one tub to the other.

My ex wanted the baby to be dressed like a young Prince Charles but I resisted and made him little shorts which he wore with t-shirts. Happy days!

The little nighties were lovely, I wish I had kept some for the dollies!

Those wincyette nighties were so lovely, I had several with different embroidered motifs on the front even though I didn't have my first baby until 1980. And those little vests with cap sleeves...sigh

In 1971 (when I was 30), DS1 had babygros and fluffy zip-up car suits and we had flushable linings for the nappies so the faeces could be flushed away hygienically. The car was an Austin Traveller so we could let the back seat down and the baby travelled in the body of the big pram with the wheels shoved in behind. When he was about 6months we got one of those 'egg' car seats (Britax?) and carried a pushchair in the boot. He was a very agreeable baby most of the time, but a horrible traveller - until he was 17 and learnt to drive . We were living in a rented cottage in Devon until he was 5 months. There was a twin tub washer which was great but when we moved to our own house in Nottingham, I said that I hadn't worked all those years not to have an automatic. The first of many!

I had a baby box from Mothercare, a bit like a large tool box, to take all the toiletries, spare nappies and clothes etc. When DC3 arrived I needed a new one as the first one had a crack in the lid, but it was similar in design and nowadays I keep spare haberdashery items in it.

I had both mine in the '70s - my DS in '72 and DD in '74, but my experiences on both occasions were very similar to the OP - long stay in hospital, babies in the nursery at night so we got a good night's sleep.
I did have a changing mat and babygros, though, as well as little cotton wincyette nightdresses with embroidered ducks - I've still got the nighties because DD used to dress her dolls in them and they somehow got put away with her dolls in a cupboard for future use by grandchildren . I can remember the changing mat, from Mothercare, white with big blue splashy flowers on it. Identical design to the ones in use today. And I remember the first things I bought from Mothercare when I was about 4 months pregnant - 3 babygros, 3 nightdresses, 3 pure wool crossover vests (they used to tie with ribbons at the front) and a packet of nappy liners. I got change from £5. My parents bought the cot from Salters in Southend. It was considered 'top of the range' at the time and cost £11 + another £4 for their best spring interior mattress. That same cot is now in our spare bedroom, having been lovingly restored by DH for our little GD when she stays. I had a coach built pram with a shopping tray underneath, and when DD arrived 14 months after DS, I bought a little pram seat that fixed to the top of the pram for DS. Thank heavens we lived in Essex at the time, no hills to push that pram with two children and, invariably, lots of shopping and other stuff in the shopping tray!
I too had a Baby Burco for the terry nappies, though we did have a twin tub before long. When DD was 18 months old our dog had puppies, the sale of which enabled us to buy a tumble drier. Oh what sheer luxury that was!
I didn't drive in those days, so for ease of getting on and off the bus, I bought one of the early MacLaren Baby Buggies - do you remember them? Ours was a green and white striped one - they also came in red and white, and blue and white.

I didn't have my first until '87 but two things that carried on then were...
She was transported in a carry cot on the backseat. I wasn't allowed to carry her to the car on discharge a nurse did that.

I had our first baby in 1963, and the second in 1966. Because I was under 30 , and fit and healthy I had to give birth at home. The midwife was a bit of a tartar, and a smoker, no Health and Safety rules crossed our doorway. Our dear next door neighbours wouldn't go out until they knew my son had safely arrived, and the Dr had come to stitch me up ?? When our daughter was born, I felt unwell and think I had a fluey cold. DH and midwife retired to the dining room to listen to classical music, while I " got on with it", and she was born to one of Brahm's violin concertos. Bless her, when she arrived, she slept for over 12 hours and so I got a rest. I don't remember having a changing mat as such, just a towel to pad out the top of a small cabinet that housed all the gubbins needed for a baby. I used terry nappies and muslin liners, with those awful plastic pants that went hard around the legs. My washing machine was a gas boiler affair with a paddle agitator on the lid. It did a lovely boil and the whites were snowy. Emptying it was a bit of a palaver, as you had to have a bucket under the tap and keep on filling the bucket until the water was all gone. One day I got distracted and the water ended up all over the kitchen floor and made it's way into the dining room. It all got mopped up with the weeks dirty washing!! My pram was second hand from my DSIL. It was a grey coach built Marmet? and we had a new hood and apron made for it. It was lovely to push and had loads of room for baby, toddler and shopping. Babies were put outside to sleep whatever the weather really, and the trees and birds lulled them to sleep. I remember the Cherub vests and pretty warm, embroidered nighties that tied around their waists. Babies were left safely in their prams outside shops, and slept all the way home, only popping open their eyes as soon as we reached home and I was looking forward to a cup of tea. We had a carry cot that had wheels, which we used for transport, and the carry cot was put on the back seat of a car, not ours, no straps etc. we also had a very heavy Silver Cross push chair that did fold down a bit, so you could take it on a bus, but it was so heavy and bulky. I just remember that it was a struggle to get baby, toddler and push chair onto the bus, that I envy the umbrella strollers that came along much later. Third baby came along in 1975, and as I was an older Mum, I had him in hospital, and although I had two others, because there was such a gap, he felt like an only child , being bossed around by his siblings. But he grew up to talk a good fight ??