Quick Boil Some Water [electronic resource] : The Story of Childbirth in Our Grandmothers' Day

First-person stories of childbirth from our grandmothers'era. We hear stories of overworked midwives and short-staffed hospitals, however childbirth has never been easier.Our grandmothers gave birth when there were no washing machines, few hot water boilers and heating came from coal carried from the backyard.Quick Boil Some Water lets women who gave birth during the war, the period immediately afterwards, the 1950s and the'60s, tell their own stories. Many women begin with,'I've never told anyone this.'Just like today, magazines were a powerful influence. Young mothers were advised to look good by using their lace curtains to make a dainty little brassiere and to rub away leg hair with a pumice stone. First person accounts of childbirth during the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Today, we hear stories of over-worked midwives and short-staffed hospitals, but the truth is that childbirth has never been easier. For our grandmothers, pregnancy was a journey into the unknown. Rather than ponder which pushchair to buy or fret over towelling versus disposable nappies, they worried about what lay ahead. Home births were often lonely affairs with the midwife or doctor only visiting when birth was imminent. During hospital births, medical staff rarely gave explanations and would push and prod with little offer of pain relief let alone sympathy. Standard care in labour was the O.B.E. - Oil, Bath and Enema. Nursing staff gave firm rules on how long to stay in bed, how to lie in bed and even when to go to the toilet. And life didn't get much easier after giving birth. Taking care of a home and baby was hard work when there were few washing machines, no disposable nappies and heating came from coal carried in from the back yard. Childbirth during the war and after years - homes had no phones, few cars and little heating. Many women begin their story with, ""I've never told anyone this."" A look at childbirth in the 1940s, '50s and '60s using first-person accounts and examining the lives of women through popular magazines of the time A brief history of childbirth, The war years, the post-war years, the recovery years, the years of change.