Royal Birth

[FredPuli43]

The press are having a grand time speculating whether her husband will be present when the Duchess gives birth and whether the prospective parents know the sex of the foetus. Where was your father when you were born? Mine was playing golf and Prince Philip was playing squash when Charles was born; I think that was the way then. And did your parents know the sex of the foetus before you were born?

[craft1948]

As I was born in 1948 I would say no. My daughter was born in 1970, at 2:30 am, as far as I'm aware her father was on a night shift.................

[Baldric]

I haven't got the slightest idea Fred, the bu99er never did show up, probably best he doesn't now if he's still going!

[Mass_Hysteria]

Haven't got a clue where my Father was when I was born or for most of the time afterwards.
I learn't from him, I WAS there for my daughter and always will be.

[ummmm]

It is not a foetus, it's an unborn baby!

My dad had just gone to work and as we had no mobile phones back then my mam couldn't phone him. I'm sure he would have been there if he could have been. I was born very very quickly.

[jno]

I don't think many people knew the sex of their babies - ultrasounds and suchlike were very rare and people resorted to predicting "Must be a boy, it moves a lot."

Even my mother wasn't there at my birth; she'd been given a general anaesthetic and woke up 6 hours later, and there I was. (I wasn't a caesarean, so I've no idea how they did this). I doubt she missed much, though.

[pixie373]

I can't speak for my parents. Rarely see my dad. But when i had mine, i knew what sex three of them were. One i didn't, because she had her legs crossed. Their dad waited outside when i had them, because i felt the last thing i wanted was an audience. He was more than happy with that. But unusual decision for the time, i think. The midwife didn't even make it to the third one. Had her in 17 minutes...

[Jeza]

When my first son was born his dad was at work. When my second son was born at 33 weeks his dad was indisposed. I'm not talking about Micmak here.

[WyeDyed]

Mine was in a hospital bed in British Guiana, I (and my mother) were in Northern Ireland.
And, no, they almost certainly didn't know my sex.

[ummmm]

Pixie...they timed my mum at 20 minutes. The time it took for the ambulance to arrive until my head was out. I was born in a wheelchair!

[FredPuli43]

Joan Rivers was asked whether she would be present when her daughter gave birth; a fashion in the US at the time; and replied that she didn't want to be present when her daughter was born, so no!

And it is a foetus , surely? Any baby unborn is a foetus whether or not it is capable of being born alive.

[pixie373]

Yes ummm. My partner got us to hospital in ten mins (luckily early -no traffic). He went to park car, midwife gave me room number, i had the baby and she wandered in some time after with the notes. The baby had bloodshot eyes from the speed. Think i did too.

[brandyrose]

Mine was in the pub!

My mother did not want a baby but she didn't know she was pregnant until the 8th month so she probably thought a trick was being played on her.

Nobody then knew the sex of the baby prior to birth as letting it be "the will of God" and all that. The hospital didn't show me to my mother for 8 days - she wasn't ready or I was a really ugly baby!

[Connemmara]

Fred re royal birth -it has to be a boy or girl - no choice in the matter - and does it matter. Surely when yous were all born you didn't know where you were or where your dad was either. Mums tell wee different stories.

[ummmm]

My little ones were born 92, 96 & 98.....and it was only in 98 that they were willing to tell us what sex it was.

[pixie373]

You had to wait 6 years to find out?!
that's the NHS for you.

[stokemaveric]

im not saying my brother was an ugly baby but his was the only pram around our neighbourhood with steel shutters on the hood....

[DJHawkes]

my dad would have been downstairs i think, i was born at home, we lived on a farm way up the top of the penines above Mytholmroyd and i already had an 18 month old sister. It was a 10 minute walk from where the doctor could drive to before the track got too rough for a car and also we had no telephone and so maybe my grandma came to stay with my mum until the birth, it's just made me realise I never did ask Mum about that.

[Robinia]

No idea where my dad was when I was born but he wasn't married to my mum at the time and almost 60 yrs ago that must have been scandalous. My sons were born in 73 and 75 and there were no scans, I thought the first one was going to be a girl...when I recently told my younger son that fact he said 'well it was close'.... :)

[anneasquith]

my dad was in the bedroom with mum when I was born, home birth ( undiagnosed breech ) ouch!!!!!!!!!!

[Barmaid]

No idea where my father was. He had to step up to the mark pretty quickly and become a full time dad though because my mother nearly died and was in hospital for months.

He "forgot" to register my birth as well. lol