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?

1966. First child. Born in hospital by crash c-section and lucky to have survived it, as I was an undiagnosed transverse lie (sideways on).

82 in hospital by c section after an xray showed i wouldnt fit out!!

94, hospital.

Home. 86

1966 at home. I came out with my cord around my neck so the doctor had to come out but my mum didn't go to hospital.

1970, second child, hospital, DH also born 1970, second child, but at home.

1964, hospital, c section. My mum had had a still birth the previous year so was considered high risk.

1971 - midwife's home
Sister - hospital
Brother - home

All in the same decade.

I was born in hospital in 1981. DH was born at home in 1969 which was apparently most controversial and the way they describe it, an ancient home birth mw had to be resurrected from many decades retirement to care for them and she made FIL properly help, like holding legs etc. Poor MIL had such a horrible time in hospital in 1973 that she refused to return. She gets a sort of shadow/ shudder if BIL’s birth is ever mentioned

1963, not 1973, that makes no sense!

My DB was born in 1968, my mum started labouring in a low tech nursing home type place, but he was stuck and so she was transferred to hospital for a forceps delivery. She and DB then returned to the home for the next 10 days.

My brother and i was born at home, 78/79
And my last child was born at home '15

Like a lot of older hospitals, DB and I were both born (in different hospitals) in former workhouses.

My mum has 6 kids, home birth in 1997, 2001 and 2013. None were planned, we just came quickly. With my littlest sister, mum had a contraction in bed, got up for a wee and had another contraction and on the last my sister was out. Walked in her room at 3am to her sat on the bathroom floor holding her new baby. Really beautiful moment.
With my son I went into labour at 7, was in hospital at 10 and gave birth at 3. Was only in the birthing pool for 30 mins and the midwife was having her lunch and only walked in when my sons head was coming out.
I’m gunna go for a home birth for my second baby if I have one!

5 of us. Born between 1962 and 1972 all in hospital even though mum says her labours were easy, short (longest 3 hours) with no pain relief, although 46 years from her last birth she might have rose tinted glasses!

At home. Third of 3. 1965. First born in hospital. Second born in hospital overseas.

Hospital (1958) but both my brothers were born at home in the 1960s.

1988- at home (not by choice ambulance didn’t make it in time) second child

At home. 1972. 4th child.
Mum couldn't get to hospital as it was January and there was a blizzard and the ambulance couldn't get through. We lived in rural Kent

1977- hospital birth, north London.

1993 - hospital. Mum birthed in theatre due to us being twins. She says there was a large group of medical students observing

1960's home birth and my dad was in the room.

1979 Christiana Hartley Maternity Hospital (Hartley's jam family funded the original building).

My mum was also "geriatric primigravida" at 31 and had had all sorts of problems having me including surgery for a suspected uterine tumour, which turned out to be me.

They were kept in for at least week then, as my mum was on the post natal ward with the mum of a girl I later went to school with who is five days older than me.

Wailingwoods
Argeles. That's awful! Clogging up a bed indeed. From my experience,the medical profession usually seem to be trying their utmost to discourage women from having home births.

92 in hospital :)