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Maternity Wards​

In this vintage image of a maternity ward, you can almost feel the nostalgic air of a simpler time when newborns were brought to their mums from the nursery every four hours for feeding. Fathers and visitors alike had to use a name card to peek at the little one through a glass nursery window—no direct contact until visiting hours were approved!

The serene setting, with nurses tending to new mothers, brings back memories of when hospital stays post-delivery were longer and the routines were a bit more formal.

Credit: Lori Dickson / Facebook

Who remembers these maternity ward days? Share your stories of when your little one arrived, or perhaps when you first met your sibling through a nursery window!

 

[Oaklegs]

Our youngest son Richard was born 51 years ago in Hornsby hospital on December the 17th and when I went to view him in that room where all the new born babies were kept together I stuck a big sign on the window that stated 'We wish all our breeders a very happy Christmas'. My wife was not amused though.

 

[Colette 3799]

When I had my boys, smoking was allowed on the ward. Visitors would smoke around the bed and pass the new born around, cigarette in hand. I’m horrified to think about it now.

 

[NotNats]

Now adays it's "Deliver Baby and go home in a few hours or you and baby share a room with other sick people. Gone are the days of giving the new mum a few days of rest & help before she faces everything again.

 

[June E]

I had my first baby in a hospital in the UK beds all in a row just like in the Carry On movies. An Aunt visited me not with a gift for the baby nor flowers for me but with a chicken sandwich Hubby would have given anything to see even one of our 4 born but it wasn’t allowed ! One hour a day visiting was all he got. When I got home the family Doc just walked in with a shout who it was!
Haven’t things changed ?

 

[Ebby]

I had my first baby in a hospital in the UK beds all in a row just like in the Carry On movies. An Aunt visited me not with a gift for the baby nor flowers for me but with a chicken sandwich Hubby would have given anything to see even one of our 4 born but it wasn’t allowed ! One hour a day visiting was all he got. When I got home the family Doc just walked in with a shout who it was!
Haven’t things changed ?

l had two home births but Sonja was born in St.Winifreds on the edge of the moors.lt was 5am and it had snowed all night we couldn't get up the steep hill and had to go another way.l just got there in time.l shared a room with other woman and all the babies were by our beds then taken into another room at night.l will never forget the beautiful sight the next day the thick snow on the trees

 

[Oaklegs]

We have had 4 children and the 2nd one born now 59 was a boy and he was born at home in the UK, I ran next door and as arranged with a good neighbour in the early hours I used their phone to call the doctor. When I told him who the midwife was he said she can handle the birth and he went back to bed. She was a very capable West Indian lady and she saved the baby from problems as his cord was around his neck. Later she wrapped up all the usual stuff associated with a birth and suggested that I burn it and our daughter who was 3 at the time says she remembers the bonfire at the bottom of the garden.