Hospital births Scotland

[Martha 14]

I have been researching my Scottish family and my father and his 3 siblings (Keenan) were all born in hospital in Dundee between 1916 and 1927.  Also I know that my paternal grandmother and her sister were born in the Glasgow royal infirmary in 1890's (Mullan) whereas I have not come across any of my English family being born in hospital until the 1950's.  Were hospital births more common in Scotland at an earlier date? My dad's family were poor and I wondered if this is likely to be the reason? 

[carol8353]

I was born at home in 1953 in England,the doctor told my mum that she was far too healthy to go into hospital.

[conahy calling]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Inglis

  May be of interest, see 2nd paragraph

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_birth   

  see paragraph "home birth trends"

[RJ_Paton]

Although there was a rapid increase in the number of lying in hospitals during the 19th and early 20th centuries the vast majority of births were at still home rather than in hospital - even with the mix of Voluntary Hospitals and State funded Aid.

It's possible that your lady had complications which combined with poor living conditions meant that she needed hospital care rather than the more normal home birth.