Were you born at home or in a hospital?

[Spangles1963V]

And what year was it? I was chatting to some friends a few days ago and I was surprised to find that I was the only one born at home. This was in 1963. Three of my friends are the oldest child,whereas I was the youngest,which explained why they were born in hospital. Back in the early to mid 60s,it was common practice to have your first baby in hospital,then subsequent ones at home,providing there were no health issues or problems with the first birth. Another of my friends said she was born in hospital even though she was the youngest,but then she was born in the late 70s. I remember my DM saying that she didn't want any of her babies at home,she'd rather be safe in hospital,but the doctor wouldn't hear of it! Said she was fit and healthy so it had to be a home birth. I also recall her saying that the midwife who delivered me wouldn't let her sit or lay down while she was in labour,insisted she keep upright and moving around. This seems contrary to what I've heard about a lot of deliveries,where the mother was told to stay flat on her back when she would rather be upright. Any MNers got any stories about when they were born?

Me 1977 hospital, brothers 1975, 1985 also hospital. Husband and his brothers same years roughly all hospital.

DS 2004 hospital
DS2 2006 Home (he’s the only child I know who was born at home)

In hospital 1980.

One of my Grandma's had all her four babies at home in the bath in the mid 50's-early 60's.
Other Grandma had all hers in hospital. One newborn was left in hospital for a week over Christmas so Gran could go home and do Christmas for Grandpa, her DM, MIL, three aunts and her other children!

Home. 1970.

1982 hospital induction

1946 private nursing home. No NHS in those days.

77, hospital, first born

Both my parents were born in hospitals in 54 and 56. One grandmother had medical issues which required, and the other went into labour early. I don't know if any aunts/uncles were born at home.

My 3rd and 4th dc were born at home by choice as my labours were all fast. I found it way more relaxing than the stress of getting to hospital on time (and loved the bacon butties DH made me afterwards!).

Born in 1983, 6 weeks premature in hospital.

Me 1969 and dh 1965 and all of our siblings were born at a maternity hospital. All of our parents and siblings 1930 - 1955 were born at home.

Hospital in 1968. sister at home in 1969 but she arrived in 20 minutes so no time to get to hospital.

1981. Ambulance.

78 in hospital. First born. V. difficult delivery, breech with forceps (yikes)

61 and born in hospital beacuse my mom had kidney problems with all her pregnancies (5 of us) in 1956

1982, hospital.

Home, 1958. My sister (1956) was born in hospital.

My first and third children were born in hospital, second at home (1980s). No3 should have been a home birth too, but things didn't go quite to plan. I had to argue like mad for home births; they weren't fashionable or accepted amongst doctors - there was real medicalisation of birth in those days.

1977, maternity hospital as were my siblings (I'm the eldest)

Both my parents were born in 1949 in nursing homes so clearly home birth not a tradition where I come from.

My DC were born on a labour & delivery ward in hospital. I'm not allowed a sniff of even a birthing centre as I have a very minor blood condition. I do however have a fabulous local hospital which means both births had minimal intervention. Given that one of them was a compound presentation, and I ended up in theatre afterwards, I was quite glad I was in hospital. Don't think that would have been a fun ambulance journey.

my three 1975 1st born hospital, 1978 2nd born at home, 1982 3rd born hospital

Home, 1965, but over here hospital births have only become normal in the last 15 years or so.

Soundsystem -Oh yes I remember the long hospital stays back in the early 80s. I had my DD in 1983 and was told that I would have to stay in for 10 days! . I discharged myself after 7 days despite dire warnings from the ward sister because a) I felt perfectly well and b) I had hardly had a wink of sleep in a week because of the other babies crying. I remember my DM being incredulous that they didn't take them away to 'the nursery' at night . I think in hindsight,this was probably why my DM wanted to have all 3 of us kids in hospital rather than at home,as it meant she got the night times undisturbed! When my DD had her DD in 2006,she was only in for 4 days despite having had an emergency caesarian. How practices have changed in the last 50 years.

I was born 89 in hospital.
My mother and her sibling were born at home 69 and 62

Born in 67,third child, born at home. Df had to go and rescue the midwife who only had a push bike and was stuck in the snow on Christmas Day. Dm had five home births only going into hospital for the sixth child in 73.

1968, hospital, twin.

Coldilox -You couldn't wait then?!

1963 hospital. DB 1965 also hospital but DM was rhesus -ve.

DH born at home 1959.

My gran had my mum and her twin (undiagnosed) in a tiny Catholic hospital in Cornwall, staffed entirely by scary nuns and a student nurse who she reckons was about 17. She said nun sat in the corner and slept , had to be woken up when the young student realised there was a second one coming! There's an hour and a half between them so must have been quite concerning at the time.

1979 - back seat of my dads car, en route to the local birthing centre
1982- my younger brother was born on the steps of the same birthing centre.
1984 - my sister was born at home. Apparently my parents stopped taking the risk of not arriving in time