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The changing face of having babies
When I found out I was pregnant at the grand old age of 44, I thought there wasn't much new information to learn. I was an old hand, after all. I'd had two children in my twenties. Surely nothing had changed - or had it?
Well, some things hadn't. A pregnancy still lasted around nine months and morning sickness was an unpleasant part of the experience. But the advice given to pregnant ladies had definitely changed over the years.
Back in the 1980s, the midwife told me to eat lots of liver. 'It's full of iron and very good for you,' she said. Nobody was concerned about the possible harmful effects of vitamin B then or seemed aware that liver had high levels. The midwife also told me to drink beer for the same reason. In fact I was never told to steer clear of alcohol. These days most women give up alcohol completely, or at least limit their intake to the odd drink. In the 1980s, drinking just didn't seem to be an issue.
Things like salmonella and listeria were talked about, but they were not perceived as a danger to unborn babies, so I could eat soft-boiled eggs, seafood, soft cheese and pate to my heart's content. And I did.
Maybe my attitude was different in those days. I took my pregnancies very much for granted. They were simply events that happened to most women, so I didn't read around the subject that much.
I had many long, hot baths to help me relax. Now I know that very hot water can lead to a miscarriage. I even went skiing when I was six months pregnant - both times - with the full approval of my doctor too. I didn't go skiing this time. I'd already suffered a miscarriage and endured fertility problems, so I didn't want to take any risks. This pregnancy was far too precious.
This time around because of my age, my miscarriage, and the fact that I was expecting twins, I received special care. I had my first scan at six weeks, but I know that in some areas most women don't get a scan until around 20 weeks, as I did in my last two pregnancies. Back then the scanners weren't that good, I wasn't told the sex as it wasn't clear. In fact very few women knew the sex of their baby in advance.
Today we have Nuchal transluscency scans, though unfortunately they are not available on the NHS in all areas, to test for Down's Syndrome and other disorders. These are much more sophisticated than the test for amniocentesis, which was all that was available then.
However, in the 1980s I saw a midwife more regularly. My first appointment was booked almost as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Today, the first appointment does not generally take place until after 12 weeks.
When I had my babies in the 1980s protocol was a little different in the labour wards. I can't really compare the birth experiences too much as this time I had a C-section and my babies were in the special care unit, but it all seems much more hectic today. The midwives are too busy to spend much time with the mothers and babies and most mums are sent home the day after their baby is born. When I had my first baby I stayed in hospital for six days.
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Created: 20/04/2004 Updated: 28/04/2004
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