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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

I asked my grandmother what she had known about birth before having a baby and she said....

188 replies

Pruners · 15/02/2008 08:46

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UniversallyChallenged · 15/02/2008 08:50

A friend of mine thought till she was in labour that the baby came out of your belly button - had no idea it came out same way as it went in !! She had a few shocks in store poor lady

whomovedmychocolate · 15/02/2008 08:53

Don't be silly Pruners. Why on earth would you need to know anything about childbirth. The stork takes care of all that surely

I was in a childbirth education class with a 17 year old who fainted when the placenta was mentioned - she had no idea there was such a thing and when they showed a picture of one was horrified at the idea of it growing in her.

whomovedmychocolate · 15/02/2008 08:54

That was meant to be a obviously

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Pruners · 15/02/2008 09:02

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christmaspixie · 15/02/2008 09:03

Ooh I asked my Nan (in her eighties) about her experiences of childbirth the other day (I'm 32 weeks with my second) she said with her first two when the contractions started the two doctors came round to her house, made her sniff ethanol, and when she came round - ta da- there was the baby. She had no idea about the labour till she had a natural birth with her 3rd....she said to me ' and yes I REMEMBER that one!!!' Implying it was a massive shock after the other 2. Why can't they just knock us out like that now? Would be much easier

whomovedmychocolate · 15/02/2008 09:07

Pruners - I did biology at school not too long ago and the placenta wasn't mentioned - actually nor were any of the icky bits, except for a video of natural childbirth, featuring a very hairy woman with a head appearing between her legs. The teacher at this point legged it outside for a fag and came back afterwards and said: 'any questions, no, well if you keep yourselves nice you'll never have to go through that'

It was a girls school I hasten to add!

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Pruners · 15/02/2008 09:10

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stleger · 15/02/2008 09:10

We have a mad old lady with a column in a local paper who 'underwent twilight sleep' five times. She also writes scarily anti-breastfeeding articles.

Inthebungalow · 15/02/2008 09:10

My gran told me about her births once, well the baby she lost at term, what they did in those days were awful.

They came to the house when she was in labour, she passed out they took the sleeping baby and she never saw it or never had the courage to ask where they had taken her

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Pruners · 15/02/2008 09:12

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shabster · 15/02/2008 09:13

I think that my mum 'knitted' me and my brother!! The only sex education she had from my Gran was 'this will happen every month now and make sure you dont go near boys'.

When I had my DTS's 26 years ago - she just stood looking at me like this whilst I whittered on about episiostomies (wrong spelling I think) etc etc.

She kept saying 'OMG thats why I felt poorly after I had you' LOL

She has also just found out about 'Lesbians (you have to just mouth the word not say it out loud) My mum is sooooooo funny without even knowing it.

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Pruners · 15/02/2008 09:14

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TheFallenMadonna · 15/02/2008 09:18

I can assure you that the role of the placenta is now in the National Curriculum. And I used to use a clip from a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall programme where some woman made pate from her placenta to illustrate my lessons. It always went down well.

shabster · 15/02/2008 09:18

bungalow - I have heard that kind of story before - thank God that we are all taught more nowadays and speak up for ourselves.

My great aunt (102 when she died) had two stillborn girls - she was told by the midwife 'have you got an old bit of newspaper - I'll wrap baby in it and someone will come later and take it away'

Mind you this would have been about 1890 - she saw 3 of my 4DS and used to be fascinated cause I would question the doctors if I wasn't happy about diagnosis etc.

TheFallenMadonna · 15/02/2008 09:19

The clip - I never went as far as the pate. Although that seemed to go down well in the film. But then I suppose it would be quite rude to say yuck if the woman offering you the food literally made it herself...

TheFallenMadonna · 15/02/2008 09:23

Oh gosh, sorry. Inappropriate levity. Must read the whole thread.

themildmanneredjanitor · 15/02/2008 09:25

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BettySpaghetti · 15/02/2008 09:26

UniversallyChallenged -please tell me you are joking when you said "A friend of mine thought till she was in labour that the baby came out of your belly button - had no idea it came out same way as it went in !!"

Thats what I used to believe but I was about 6 at the time.

peanutbear · 15/02/2008 09:31

My nan told me never to let a man near me in that way as all it caused was pain

She had 2 births but only one survived my dad

When I told her I was pregnant she nearly killed exDH she said no man should put anyone through that pain
and told me that now I had one never to try again!!!

She would be shocked to find three of them running round now

My maternal grandmother had 9 she said it was like shelling peas my mum says much the same so I must get my birthing skills from my other nan !!!!!!!!

UniversallyChallenged · 15/02/2008 10:29

No BS am absolutely not joking - the poor woman!! I was pretty shocked too when she told me and thought she was joking. Think she said she was only 16/17 with her first.

Seems me and MMJ know someone who thought the same

My mum was too embarrassed to talk sex ed to me, only went "ahem,I suppose you know what to do?" on my wedding day - bless her - and was mightily relieved when i confirmed i was "fine thanks"

dizzydixies · 15/02/2008 16:58

my gran didn't have a clue although she and my papa married in April and my mum was born in Nov - hmmmmmmm she went on to have another 3 girls after that but always swore the first time was a complete surprise to her

dh's gran had 13 all but one survived, but 13 FFS

BorgLady · 15/02/2008 19:24

I was talking to my gran about this today! She didn't go into gory details but she said afterwards her doctor sent her a gift in the hospital ... 500 cigarettes and a case of port!

MrsMattie · 15/02/2008 19:27

My grandmother had 12 children. She had her first child at 17 and her last at 44. She was strong as a bloody ox. Apparently, after her seventh child, she stopped calling out the 'midwife' (in 1930s-50s rural Ireland, I think it was more likely an experienced older female neighbour), and gave birth pretty much on her own, with just a friend there for tea and sympathy. Amazing woman.

dizzydixies · 15/02/2008 19:33

Mrsmattie I think your gran and our granny molly were birthing partners - the irish just seem to do it with minimal fuss don't they

needless to say I won't be following in her footsteps!

3Ddonut · 15/02/2008 19:39

My Mum told me a tale about a lady who was in the delivery suite with her in the late seventies, she went to the toilet and locked the door and the mw's could hear her labouring. they were knocking on the door and saying 'I think you should let us in now, it sounds as though your baby's nearly here' she replies 'no, it's fine, my line hasn't opened yet' she actually thought that the negra linea (sp?) opened up and out came baby!!!

I can't bear those stories of women having a still born baby and it being 'swept away' it's so horrifying on so many levels, why did no-one think that it wasn't right? So very traumatic.