When did hospital birth become the norm for large town and small cities?

[~Megan~]

specifically for the poor. I'm trying to guess if my grandfather was born at home or not.

I know my grandmother, who lived in the country, and all of her siblings except the last set which were twins were born at home. Grandma said that the twins were born in a small clinic in a nearby larger town because her mother was over 40 and they suspected twins.
She was the oldest daughter and witnesses several of her mother's births. Grandma is gone now so I can't ask her more about it, unfortunately.

[Kidzaplenty]

Not really sure if it was univeral or what. I think it was more spread out over the entire country. And if I remember right, I believe it was sometime between the 40's and 50's that it became fairly standard. But I could be totally wrong.

[paquerette]

My mom & siblings, ranging from '55 to '63, were all born in the hospital. Their small-town doctor attended at the small-city hospital 20 miles away. Knowing my grandparents, I don't think they were likely to choose hospital birth unless it was quite the norm then and there. They hated and distrusted doctors for the most part.

[~Megan~]

So grandpa was born in a suburb of Nashville in 1934. What are the chances? His family was exceedingly poor as well.

[mommathea]

I'm not sure what year my gma was born but she was a hospital baby. It had to be in the 30s?. Small town, and very poor

[laohaire]

From what I understand, your grandfather was probably fairly likely to have been born in a hospital - poor women were more likely in the earlier days of hospital deliveries to have used a hospital than not-so-poor women. Next most likely scenario would probably have been something like a UC, i.e. no professional attendent.

I read a booklet my grandmother kept from 1942-ish, when she had her only bio daughter (who, sadly, died as a baby). The booklet covered the question of whether to give birth at home or in the hospital, and it didn't really sell one over the other or mention safety as an issue (just personal choice and comfort). It did assume that a home birth would be attended by a doctor. And I think that by the late 40's the tide had turned so most women went to the hospital. I think in the 30's mostly poor urban women went to the hospital.

[paquerette]

The book Cheaper By the Dozen deals with this a bit. I don't remember if it was in the movie. Most of the babies were born at home, but hospital birth was the new thing toward the end, and she decided to try it. She hated it so much she went right home. It takes place in the 20's through 40's. Sorry, it's been a long time since I read it so I can't recall the details very well. It's a good read, anyway.

[CherryBomb]

Well, my mom was the 4th of 7 born in the KY hills in '59, at home. Delivered by a granny midwife for 10 bucks! They moved to a city though and the last 3 were born in hospitals.

My babysitter when I was a kid had been born at home, too. She was probably born in the 30s, possibly late 20s.

[applejuice]

Hospital births became the norm for upper class women after WWI because there were plenty of empty beds after the soldiers died or went home and after the Spanish flu epidemic blew over.

After WWII, with all of the empty beds from the soldiers and the baby boom, many more women went to the hospital to have their babies. The advances in medicine made about 1940 with penicillin and blood transfusions for fighting men in the field that made childbirth safer and lowered the maternal mortality.

However, it was not universal hospitalization of parturient women that brought down the maternal mortality, it was the antibiotics and blood transfusions, events which do not necessarily have to take place at a hospital.

Women now flock to the hospital because they do not know better. Their hospital plans and government aid send them there, so that is that!

My Father was born at home in 1914. His older sister came home from school and saw her mom resting in bed with my dad. It was my aunt's birthday and she thought that her mom had a new doll for her. NO, just a new brother! Ohio.

My maternal grandmother was born in 1905, the first of fraternal twins, and the seven daughter of eleven girls! Her twin sister and her were named for the midwife who delivered them.

My mom was born in a hospital in 1933, a forceps delivery. Her mother was a nurse, as were all of her Aunts. Boston.

[SophieAnn]

I was at my grandmother's birthday party this year (I think her 75th), when out of nowhere she proudly announced to the room that she was born at home - with a huge grin on her face!

Pretty sure she was born in Ontario, likely rural.

Now I'm curious about the rest of my grandparents. I'll have to ask them!

To the OP: is it possible there might be records about your grandfather's birth somewhere? Maybe someone has a baby book, or family bible?

[~Megan~]

Originally Posted by SophieAnn

To the OP: is it possible there might be records about your grandfather's birth somewhere? Maybe someone has a baby book, or family bible?

No he doesn't. I could ask him but I think I did before and he couldn't remember. His mother and sisters are all passed on so I can't ask them either.

[applejuice]

Originally Posted by SophieAnn

I was at my grandmother's birthday party this year (I think her 75th), when out of nowhere she proudly announced to the room that she was born at home - with a huge grin on her face!

Pretty sure she was born in Ontario, likely rural.

Now I'm curious about the rest of my grandparents. I'll have to ask them!

To the OP: is it possible there might be records about your grandfather's birth somewhere? Maybe someone has a baby book, or family bible?

Your Grandmother was born about 1933, then?

The Dionne quintuplets were born in the same part of the world, AT HOME, in 1934, and all of them survived the birth at the hands of a midwife, supervised by the doctor who eventually took custody of them. He told Mrs. Dionne not to become too attached to them since they would probably not live. But they did. The rest is history. There are two of them still living.

[SophieAnn]

Originally Posted by applejuice

Your Grandmother was born about 1933, then?

The Dionne quintuplets were born in the same part of the world, AT HOME, in 1934, and all of them survived the birth at the hands of a midwife, supervised by the doctor who eventually took custody of them. He told Mrs. Dionne not to become too attached to them since they would probably not live. But they did. The rest is history. There are two of them still living.

Yeah, I'm thinking about 1933 or so (maybe it was actually earlier). Both my grandfathers are turning 80 this year, so they were both born in 1928. One grandpa grew up mennonite (german) in Saskatchewan, so I'd say it's highly likely he was born at home... but I'll have to ask.

I hadn't read much about the Dionne quintuplets. That's awesome to hear they were born at home! What a great story - I'll have to look into it more!

Sounds like the defining time was WWII then in North America - that after the war most births were in hospital.

[courtenay_e]

My grandfather was born at home, in 1917, in rural Ireland (which was just about as primitive as you could get until the sixties/seventies, when the house got indoor plumbing and electricity...), at 32 weeks or so. They kept him alive by warming him with body heat, nursing him, and when my great grandma couldn't be with him (he was the youngest of nine), by heating bricks and putting them with him in the cradle, by the fire.

Do you know the TOWN in which he was born? It might be that, if there was a registrar and/or if they were connected with a church, you may find some records in one of those two offices...?

[swissmiss2584]

My father was born in 1944 and he was born in a shack with a doctor attending. This was in the sticks of Va. I believe it depended on where they lived and how far they were from a hospital. I know my mom was born in a hospital in 1955.

I believe my Nana and her brothers and sisters were born at home in the hills of NC during the late 20's and 30's. I should ask my mom to be sure. I have heard stories of my great grandma delivering babies.

[JesseMomme]

As far as my own family goes, I think the last to be born at home were all grandparents before or during WWI, in very rural areas.

I had heard one story about a great-aunt (from my mother's side) who was born early and kept alive inside a shoe box next to an open stove! She lived well into her 80's or 90's, I heard.

I recently learned that my best friend's father was born in the very house my father grew up in (and still lives there with my grandmother), in the early 50's! The house is in what I would consider to be a small town/villiage back then.

[calpurnia]

Originally Posted by JesseMomme

I had heard one story about a great-aunt (from my mother's side) who was born early and kept alive inside a shoe box next to an open stove! She lived well into her 80's or 90's, I heard.

That reminds me of my great-great aunt whose twin daughters died shortly after birth - they were so small the two of them fit into a shoebox.

[BetsyS]

My grandmother was born at home in 1930. Her brother was born in the hospital in 1938. Both were delivered by the same doctor. Small town south Georgia, so probably similar to the suburbs of nashville.

Oh, it should be added that my family is white. At the time (and well into the late 50s), black babies in the same town were almost all delivered by granny midwives, at home.

[MyBoysBlue]

I really depends on where. My Dad was born only 20 KM from where my Mom was born. My Dad was on a farm my mom lived in town. My Dad was born at home in 1955 and My Mom's Brother born the same year as my Dad was born in the hospital.

[applejuice]

When I was born at home in 1954, most people simply assumed that my parents did not have the $ to pay for a hospital delivery.

In those days, a woman would deliver and stay for a week, resting well, in the hospital. Hospital delivery was not that expensive and few insurance plans covered it. Nowadays, it is more expensive and women are checked out within 3 days, regardless if they need more rest or not.

Most women rest best at home.