My mum has collected the most amazing stash of stuff over the years and every time I go home she has a new pile of things for me to look through and decide if I want, before she chucks them out. When I saw the 'You and Your Baby' magazine issued by the British Medical Association in 1971, I couldn't resist the simpering, smock clad, spider-leg-mascara-eyed lady on the front and shoved it straight in my handbag.
In 1971, the British Medical Associaiton advised that if you were under 5 ft in height you should have your baby in a hospital; if you had the baby at home, the husband should sleep in another room for the first two weeks; you shouldn't drink a lot of alcohol - "at the most one or two sherries or two glasses of beer a day"; and when you first find out you are pregnant and go to see your doctor "you will almost certainly have a chest x-ray to make sure there is nothing wrong... A chest x-ray is prefectly harmless from the point of view of you and your baby. So please don't worry about it at all."
Amazing to read about maternity benefits in 1971 (£5 a week allowance and you still get 7 pints of free milk a week as you did then) and I love that Peter Rabbit is still going strong.
But my favourite had to be the advert on the back page...
Oh, that is fantastic.
I wonder what the chest x-ray was all about?
Posted by: Keet | March 23, 2009 at 08:17 PM
Love it! too awesome!!
Posted by: Theresa | March 26, 2009 at 10:52 PM
the chest xray would be to check for TB
Posted by: Minnie | March 27, 2009 at 10:57 PM
She's past the first trimester. I'd be having a spot, too. Raises IQ. Or maybe that's wine.
Posted by: Mati | March 28, 2009 at 05:27 PM
Is there a way you can scan in a high-res version of that "Guinness for both of you" photo? I'd LOVE to print it out and use it to wrap presents for a baby shower!
Posted by: Kate | March 30, 2009 at 08:26 PM