My Birth

St Mary's Hospital 

I was born on the 24th June 1955 at St Mary's hospital in Melton Mowbray To say I am lucky to be here is an understatement! Mum told me that she had her waters broken but after 3 days in labour and injections in alternate legs every hour - administered as if the nurse was throwing a dart - there was no sign of me coming out. I was well and truly stuck. I was in distress and suddenly there was a room full of Dr's and midwives. After a quick deliberation it was decided to cut her to get me out (why they didn't give her a caesarean at this point is beyond me!) but there was still a problem. The umbilical cord that nourished me throughout the nine months of gestation threatened to take me before I drew my first breath! It was wrapped around my scrawny neck but eventually I was freed from its clutches and saved. It was touch and go for a few days though. My mum said I looked like a wax doll for the first 3 days and even had me baptised just in case I didn't make it. She told me the vicar had been gardening and he turned up in his wellington boots to perform my baptism...........that's how serious the situation was. I was named Annette Hughes-the name Annette came from a posh girl who visited her Gran in the village! What a worrying time for my poor mum. I did survive though and I'm still here almost (in 8 days time) 56 years later!
Mum told me that being an unmarried mother was a real sin in those days and one of the nurses that looked after her was very 'off'' with her at first, but after seeing how much mum had suffered giving birth to me and how worried she was about my chances of survival, the nurse began to show mum kindness.
Even after my birth mum had to have injections, this time they were iron injections. She said her leg was black with bruising. How she could love me after all that suffering I don't know, but love me she did-even though I must have been a very ugly baby because mum told me I had no hair and no eyelashes or eyebrows for months. No wonder the earliest photo I have of me is when I'm aged 18 months. Even then I was still practically bald!

Only photo of me as a baby (ish)

Friday's child is loving and giving