Littlemummy.com

Has parenting advice changed?
Great Nan (mother of 3)
I was always to allow my baby to cry because it helps to expand their lungs. We didn’t really get parenting advice though, we just learned from our own mothers. For example, we always wrapped them up tight.
Nan (mother of 4)
There wasn’t really any advice, I just muddled through. Any advice I did get came from mum and my gran. I know there is a lot of different advice now on how to put a baby down …

How long were you in hospital?
Great Nan (mother of 3)
Well, I wasn’t in hospital but I had to stay in bed for nine days (with a natural birth) and I was allowed up on the tenth day.
Nan (mother of 4)
Seven days was standard practise in my day although by the time I had my last child I was allowed home much quicker.
Mum (mother of 2)
10 days after a caesarean was standard practise.
Me (mother of 1)
I had Erin by caesarean and left hospital after 36 hours. I can’t believe the difference …

Did you have any pain relief during childbirth?
Great Nan (mother of 3)
I only had gas & air with my last baby. There weren’t really any pain relief options before that. If there were I would have definitely taken them
Nan (mother of 4)
I had gas & air with them all and an epidural with my last baby. If i’d had more pain relief options I would have taken them
Mum (mother of 2)
I had gas & air and pethidine with Erica before having an emergency …

What kind of birth/s did you have and was your partner there?
Great Nan (mother of 3)
I had all my children naturally. I delivered two at home and one in hospital. My husband was there up until the point of delivery when he was sent out by the midwife – this was standard practise back then.
Nan (mother of 4)
I had all four of my children naturally. I had my third child at home but the rest were in hospital. Partners weren’t allowed at the birth, but I …

There are five generations in my family. Hilda, my great nan, Christine, my nan, Lisa, my mum, myself [Erica], and my daughter Erin.

I had the idea of comparing notes on antenatal care, childbirth, pain relief etc from a magazine I read.

Did you attend antenatal classes?

Great Nan (mother of 3)
No, there were none available. I did have to pay two pay two shillings a week for my midwife though. It added up to a weeks wage and we didn’t have much money then. That was before the NHS.

Nan …

First Visitors
I had a planned caesarean as I have crohn’s disease, so we had grandparents-to-be waiting at the end of the phone. Or that’s what we thought! Turns out they got too excited waiting at home and decided to come up to the hospital ‘just in case’ (just in case what? – I don’t know).
Erin is first grandchild on both sides and first great grandchild and first great great grandchild – yip that’s five generations. So you could say there was a litte ‘extra’ excitement surrounding her birth. …

I am bottle-feeding Erin.
What judgements have you made about me? Maybe you haven’t made any, are you bottle-feeding too? Or maybe you think I am a bad mother. Selfish. Don’t love my baby. More interested in being able to drink and eat what I want. Too lazy to get up in the night to do all the feeds.
Actually I have Crohn’s and the medication I am on would actually harm Erin if I breastfed her.
Why do I feel the need to defend myself every time someone mentions feeding? Surely it …