ABSTRACT
Our results showed that 60 per cent of all legitimate births were home births; hospitals took 27 per cent, Nottingham's one maternity hospital 11 per cent, and the remaining 2 per cent were taken by private nursing homes. If, however, we consider first births alone, only 26 per cent take place at home, and the maternity hospital takes a much higher percentage (40 per cent). Unless there are special reasons for hospitalization being desirable, it is not easy in Nottingham to book a National Health hospital bed for second or third births. There are considerable class differences shown here, and these will be discussed later.l
Of course, the mother's attitude to childbirth will also depend upon what happens during the course of her particular confinement. Inevitably some births are more difficult than others, and complications do occur. Unfortunately also, some doctors and nurses still treat the natural childbirth movement with amusement and even contempt, thus undoing much of the moralebuilding which has been patiently achieved through relaxation classes.
