...to wonder when fathers started to be present at their child's birth?

[ComposHat]

For no other reason than I'm curious.

I was born in the very early eighties and in common with most of my friends born in the late 70s/early 80s, my father was present at the birth.

Obviously when my parents were born in the 1950s my grandfathers didn't go anywhere near.

So does anyone know it became the norm for fathers to be at the birth?

Ma had me in hospital in the early 70s and I think it was very unusual for fathers to be at births then. In fact my Ma was amazed that he said he would be there (although I think fortified by Gin) and Grannie sat outside! He also made the birth of my younger sis in 73.

My sis was born in 76 and I was born in 80, dad wasn't present for either. It was quite unusual then apparently. 4 weeks ago I had my DD and her dad wasn't there either although he could have been (a) if he wasn't scared of hospitals and (b) if I hadn't shot the baby out quite so quickly! Although to play devil's advocate I think I coped better because my birth partner was a woman!

I was born in 62 and my DF was with my DM, just as well really as no one else was.

I was actually quite happy with the idea of DP not being present when DS was born in 96. However, it was the norm, so I didnt get much choice!

What an interesting thread! I've often wondered about this. I was a '79 homebirth in an E. Mids village and my Dad was literally hands-on. When my brother was born in central London in '68, my Dad wasn't even at the hospital.

I've not had DCs yet, but I can't imagine not sharing the experience with DP. That said, I equally feel that I would need my Mum there. But conversely, the thought of the two of them both present is somehow unthinkable

When my elder sib was born in 63, my parents had attended an NCT course in trendy Hampstead (but they lived in a room that they rented in a flat in Hendon!). My dad was sent to his work by the obstetrician, and was called back after some hours. He had to be quite insistent to actually get into the labour room, and even so they chucked him out again when mum started 2nd stage.

When my younger sib was born in 73, my dad was with my mum all the way through.

I think the seventies too. My dad was there for my birth in 77. Going back a couple of centuries Prince Albert attended most of Queen Victoria's confinements (labours in modern parlance). I think that was unuusal though.

My dad was there to see me born in 1979 and my brother in 1981.they are divorced now and he often relishes the chance to remind her of how she shat the bed during birth and how he thought she'd spilled malteasers.

No wonder they are divorced.

I was born in 62 and my dad wasn't in the room (even though it was a homebirth).

His second wife had children in 78, 80 and 83 and he was present for all of them.

I'm the oldest of my siblings (born in '75) & my dad was there for all our births - amongst my friends of a similar age all our dads were there (weirdly we had the conversation at a recent birthday party). My dh's older brother is 42 & his dad was there for his birth but not allowed when his sister was born 4 years earlier.

Much more surprisingly my grandad was present when my mum was born in 1952! It was intentional & I'm not really sure how they managed it - it was definitely not the done thing then. Grandma is formidable & has pretty much always got exactly what she wanted

My DD was born in 1973 and DS 1976 (his birthday is on Thursday this week) in both cases they didn't encourage fathers to be present at the birth and this was at quite a modern maternity unit which unfortunately is now closed but that is another story. In those days you stayed in hospital for a week following the birth and quite strict visiting hours.

I was born in 69 in the US and not only was my dad not there, my mom was more or less unconscious. Same with my MIL in 1974 in Northern Ireland with my husband.

These were not c-sections, BTW.

My grandma had all homebirths and my grandad was at every one. The last one was so fast and furious she pulled the front of his coat! She laboured alone or with her mum and sisters for most of the births and grandad went in at the end. She said the midwife got on her nerves! She had 6 children, all healthy, between 1934 and 1946. This was in a very close Irish community in industrial Lancashire. The midwife was English but the GP was Irish and he delivered quite a few babies and did all the antenatal, what there was of it.

My uncle was astonished to be disturbed in a meeting to be told my aunt had given birth to their first child. "Unprecedented" was the word he used. In 1970!

My dad was present for my birth (1973, Sth Yorkshire)

characidae that is interesting about your grandfather! Out of interest was that birth at home or in a hospital? Might have been easier for your grandmother to stand her ground!

my dad was present for my birth 1971 - however my FIL wasn't for DH also 1971 - one large city - with a fair amount of middle class etc, other north wales!

I was born in 1972, my dad was there but it certainly wasnt the 'done' thing then. I don't know any of my friends of similar ages whose dads were present. He was only there by accident - about 2am midwife said I was still hours away and left my mum on her own in a side room, having told my dad to go home and come back next morning. Mum cried to my dad not to leave her - not like her to cry but she was slightly high on strong pain relief . So he stayed and about 2 hours later after my mum said 'Oh I think my stomachs fallen out' (still slightly high...!) which in fact was the rather undramatic moment of my birth :)

My father wasn't allowed in for my brother & me ('71 & '73) but was there in 1975 at my sisters birth. All NZ born.

My Dad was not present at my birth (1968, north of England) but his name was mud with the hospital staff who expected him to be there. he was known as 'the father who did not stay' for the duration of my mum's hospitak stay (7 days).

I was born in 1963 in Oxford. Don't know if my father was there or not. He was there for my sister's home birth, also in Oxford, three years later.

i was born 1977 and dad wasn't there and neither were any of my friends dad's from the same year, or either in the early 80's. DP born 81, no dad either.

I was born in 1967, planned homebirth and the midwife would not allow dad in the room. He tells a lovely story of sitting at the kitchen table with the neighbour and hearing my first cry from upstairs - he buried the placenta in the garden. Small town in Scotland.

My mum chose a homebirth for me because they were so vile to her in hospital with big sis. She says that dads being at the birth was the catalyst for treating mums with more consideration - prior to that they spoke to you like you were a stupid little girl.

1975 1st DS my husband was present, 1978 DH downstairs looking after DS1 as my DD was a home birth, 1982 DH present for birth of DS2