Pregnancy advice in 1979?

[catsofa]

I'm pregnant and my mum is no longer with us, so I'm going to miss out on hearing about her own pregnancy with me.

I'd like to read/hear about what advice was given to pregnant women at the time in the UK, 1978/79. Was anyone here pregnant then? Know anywhere I could find any old books or information?

[shockedballoon]

I was born in '75 and my mum also was told to drink stout to keep iron levels up!
She was told to go into hospital to be induced on her due date. She still has no idea why, there were no complications, just went along with it as the doctor said so. I hadn't even dropped yet and I was only 5lb 12oz. Labour took ages and she was told to lie on her back and was popped in stirrups.
I was whisked away to the nursery, to my mum's protests, as they had to 'give my mum a rest'. She wanted to breastfeed and after a few hours waddled down to the nursery ward to be given short-shrift by the matron that visiting hours where over! She went sobbing back to the maternity ward who apparently seemed a bit perplexed that she both wanted to see her baby and breastfeed and after much discussion a breast pump was unearthed. She got discharged as fast as she could!

[Memphisbelly]

My mum was told to drink stout and eat raw liver for her iron levels. They say no liver at all now.
My nan was pregnant in the mid 70's, she was 47.... She went to the doctors over and over even with a big bump saying she was pregnant and she needed midwife referal, the doctor refused and offered her councelling for coming to terms with the menopause apparently a big round belly was normal as it was 'middle aged spread' it was only when the belly moved did the doctor refer her.

[ZadokTheBeast]

My mother tells me the advice when my sister was born was to feed the baby on watered down condensed milk (69). Anyone else heard that?

[MrsWinnibago]

I was born in a Maternity Hospital in Wales in 1972. The beds all had an ashtray by their side and every night, one of the nurses did a chippy run for tea.

All the babies went to the nursery at night so the Mothers could sleep. Mum stayed in for 2 weeks...normal resting time.

She had a plastic moses basket thing for me...and they all smoked around me at home.

She had low iron and was told to drink guiness and have liver.

[ginslinger]

I had DS1 in 1978 - I was lucky and was able to breastfeed. There were few restrictions on diet and a lot of pregnant women i knew smoked. Drinking wasn't frowned upon but there was far less drinking at home in those days and i didn't have the money to go out. I was shaved but no enema.

[ginslinger]

My baby stayed with me on the ward and i was in hospital for 4 das

[catsofa]

Wow these are brilliant, thanks for sharing!

God I could murder a Guinness. Red wine has much more iron in it that Guinness, I wonder why people weren't told to drink that instead?

Keeping a magazine is a good idea, I think I'll do that. So much of everything is in electronic form now, it'd be nice to have some paper stuff. Since my mum died I've been finding all my old school reports and birthday cards I made her when I was little, and her school reports from the 1960s, and photos of her when she was pregnant and all kinds of things, it's amazing.

Nothing can make up for her not being here, but I'm enjoying trying to imagine what it might have all been like for her.

[catsofa]

It is an absolute miracle that any of you are alive BTW

[scottishmummy]

My mum smoked throughout pg,says gp told her to drink guiness for iron

[chouxfleur]

I was born in 1978 and it sounds like my mum was quite advanced for the seventies.

Her bible was "Let's have Healthy Children" by Adelle Davis (first published1951) which encouraged breastfeeding, baby led weaning and not starting solids before 6 months.

In fact, due to that book, my mum took folic acid supplements when she was pregnant, and when she told her doctor he chastised her for being a foolish girl and told her to stop meddling in things she didn't understand and stop taking them at once!

My mum was encouraged to breast feed 3 minutes on one side before swapping to the other, which I believe was the norm then as it was supposed to stimulate milk production.

[squizita]

My mum was a "geriatric mother" at TWENTY SEVEN!
But she is sometimes at tales of babies in different rooms, condensed milk and smoking. She says the Drs all knew these were wrong in 78 (mind you this was in a London teaching hospital so they probably knew their stuff ... she turned down the local maternity hospital as it was small, run down and had a poor hygiene rep).
She did have one main midwife throughout... A NUN!

Her NCT and health visitor both told her front sleeping was the big new anti sidS thing. .. and she was mocked for listening to the older generation and back sleeping!
When I told her about back sleeping, new mattress, foot of cot she had an epic "I told them so!" Rant.

[PicandMinx]

My DM had my youngest DB in 1979. She was 41 at the time and he was her fifth DC. She was encouraged to drink stout everyday.

She was induced, flat on her back in stirrups, episiotomy (before being fully dilated), enema, shaved and left on her own to give birth! My DB was put in a nursery and given to DM to feed every four hours. She stayed in hospital for a week.

[Serenitysutton]

These are great. Mum asked the other day whether is started iron tablets yet. Apparently everyone was put on them in her day.

Much later but my youngest sister was late 80s and she was induced as the consultant was off on holiday and wanted my mum "done"

[Lucy61]

My mum drove herself to hospital and drove home too. I was wrapped in a blanket and placed on the front seat next to her. When she got home Dad had just got back from work and asked where she had been!
I was breast fed.

[Corabell]

I was born in 79.

Mum was 27 and referred to as an elderly first time mother.

She was induced on due date and I was born with forceps. Dad was there at my birth.

She didn't have an epidural as the hospital she have birth in didn't have that facility.

Mum breastfed me on demand, co slept and didn't wean me until 6 months - ignoring a lot of what people did at that time.

I was put to sleep on my front, as recommended.

She used terry nappies and had to wash them in the twin tub.

She stayed in hospital for at least a week and one of the nurses asked mum for some breast milk for babies in special care so mum pumped some and have it to the nurse to give them - no screening or health checks required!

[Bellyrub1980]

I was born in 1980 so mum would have been pregnant in 79. She said things were very different in that they simply didn't know as much!

She feels they were either kept in the dark about many of the facts around pregnancy or much less was understood in general back then. She has been fascinated by all the things we know nowadays, such as the stages of development inside the womb, how big the baby is compared to a vegetable etc. I invited her to the 4d scan and she thought it was incredible. I guess we just take that kind of thing for granted.

Infact, I think we just take being in control and being informed for granted now. It sounds like, back then, women just accepted they had no control, their belly grew bigger and they hoped for the best. We've had many conversations about how ignorance is probably best when it comes to many pregnancy related issues. Maybe we know too much... Especially about the things that can go wrong.

There were no routine scans.sshe thinks complex cases were able to access scans by at 1980 (at the latest) in this area because her friends with twins had one.

There were no rules about what to eat/drink/do when pregnant. Or at least there were none she can remember. She is constantly telling me not to feel so guilty about things like sleeping positions, she thinks it's all a bit strange.

Mum was also allowed to go over by 4 weeks with 2 pregnancies. She also insists she was advised to eat liver cooked rare because she was anaemic!

Things were much less regimented.

The thing I find even more interesting is how dramatically different the fathers role is now compared to 30 years ago throughout pregnancy and beyond.

[PenguinsIsSleepDeprived]

My mum rants about front sleeping too. She was nagged to do it and apparently I screamed the house down when she tried, so she gave up and put me on my back. She says she knew it made sense and sometimes used to prop us on our side. The big worry was choking on vomit I think. She feels vindicated just like Squizita's mum.

[PenguinsIsSleepDeprived]

Oh, and I first got given baby rice at 11 weeks (think Ihad doubled my birth weight, or something).

[Bellyrub1980]

Ah yeah! Terry nappies and sleeping babies on their front!! New borns seperately the nursery from day one with no baby monitors. A strict 'let the baby cry for a bit so they learn' type philosophy. Umpteen cot bumpers, blanket and cuddly toys in the cot!

(Having said that, she also knew quite a few women who's children died of SIDS through the 60's and 70's, which is obviously very different nowadays)

[Chottie]

I had DD in 1977. She was born in a small maternity home and it was lovely. I was in for 10 days after she was born. My delivery was SVD and I breast fed her for 9 months with no problems.

My DP was there at the delivery and yes I was shaved and given an enema too. Everyday after the 2.00 pm feed the whole ward did pelvic floor exercises and had a rest with the curtains closed. There was no open visiting, which actually worked really well. I came home feeling rested and able to cope. There were nappy changing, feeding and bathing demos for all mums.

The babies were kept in the nursery overnight and the nurses came and got you when your baby needed feeding. This meant the whole ward was not disturbed and I actually got some sleep.

We all had 6 week appointments on the same day and there was a little reunion arranged which was lovely. The register came to the hospital to register all the births which made life very easy.

[Chottie]

YY to sleeping on their fronts, I BF on demand, no strict routines and I never, let my DCs cry. 1977 SE London, perhaps it was different advice in different parts of the country?

[MissWimpyDimple]

Isn't it funny how the experiences of the actual 70s mothers on this thread are quite different to those of the second hand one of posters mothers!

I do know that in 1971 my mum was told that my DB was too small to breast feed and was given an injection to stop her milk. In 1974 my dad was there when I was born, but he insisted and it wasn't the norm.

[NickNackNooToYou]

Really interesting thread.

I was born in '74 and my Mum basically did whatever the doctor said, she had a nightmare. Apparently she couldn't sit down for 6 weeks

When I was pregnant my experience was far more inline with my DGM, raspberry leaf tea, home birth, BF etc

DM rarely talks about my birth

[Knottyknitter]

I've had a lot of 1978 advice recently (born jan 79; now expecting dc1) ...

Mum had kept her books, and frankly they're hilarious.

Agree with pp that smoking told to keep a minimum, but not to worry too much, alcohol, well, just try not to get too trolleyed too often. Always in terms of making mum feel bad, not badness for baby.

Food wise, no real restrictions at all, although diets in general less broad than now. So she doesn't understand why I won't eat soft cheese, pate etc (although these are mentioned in her books, just weren't on her radar then, I think)

A lot more "take to bed an and do what your doctor says" She worked on 1st sept then left as had a small bleed. I was born 4 months later. I currently have about 4 months to go, and she can't quite believe I still feel fine, and am planning to carry on with work to 37 weeks if all goes well. She's very anti us buying anything for the baby "just in case" as she's pretty sure I'm damaging the baby by keeping calm and carrying on, which is driving me potty.

Bottle feeding all the way as I was in scbu. Baby looks thirsty in between, then give boiled water (and gobsmacked that dsil doesn't give her bf dd water in a bottle at all!!!) Front sleeping, and to transport a baby home from scbu? Loose carrycot on back seat of car!


It's a wonder I've survived to reproduce; but I get the impression us kids of he seventies were made of pretty strong stuff! Our doc probably are too, but not up for testing it out tbh!

[squizita]

But the thing was Belly a lot of stuff (separate nursery, no scans) weren't universal at all. My mum had 2 scans and was told to keep us in her room and not try controlled crying for several months.
It just seems to depend where you were.

Being told to try breastfeeding was the norm in her hospital too. She got some stick when she couldn't BF a premi (she was told to BF ... not actually told how).

Mind you she voluntarily went back to terries as 70S pampers were v expensive and useless!
I have been recommended the too... by my NCT as a good cheap bolster to reusable nappies!

It just seems in those days the doctor or midwife qualified then never had to change/picked stuff up on the job. So if they were in a state of the art massive maternity hospital in a big city they might have a very different approach to a local small hospital with the same team since the 50S!