I have been out of circulation for a week as I have been visiting a daughter who has just had her first baby. With babies in mind, I have decided to post about 1950s babies and what they wore, how they were cared for, their prams and pushchairs etc.
Most baby clothes were hand sewn or knitted in the 50s, few people could afford to buy everything in the shops. There were no baby grows, so for warmth they wore knitted leggings as well as cardigans and hats and bootees on their feet. Baby girls’ hats were called bonnets, baby boys’ knitted hats were known as helmets.
The girls wore dresses – most had hand smocking on them – and boys wore rompers or romper suits.
Baby colours were mostly white, pink for girls, blue for boys but lemon and pale green were acceptable for both which was useful when knitting during pregnancy.
Nappies were towelling, fastened with enormous nappy pins and covered with rubber (later plastic) pants.
There were no buggies. Prams were huge and metal-bodied and did not come off the wheels. Pushchairs, too, were large and solid and not very transportable. For mobility, parents used a carry-cot which was smaller, lightweight and had folding wheels. A baby could, therefore, be taken in a car lying in its carry-cot, the wheels folded up in the boot.
Congratulations to all of you on a new baby. And I really loved this little travel back in time.
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Thank you for your kind comment! Meryl
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You’re very, happily welcome! Did you know that I know all of the words to every single 60’s song and torture my husband with this amazing (to me) talent whenever we have a very long drive to take? Our car has a station that plays songs of various decades! Wahooooey!
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So many changes since the 50’s and 60’s. I am reminded every time I see a young parent fastening their baby in a car seat… the change from when we just put them in their little bed or seat… and placed them in the back seat, and not fastened in at all. I shudder now when I think of it… ‘congratulations to your family on the birth of your new little one!’ Diane
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Thank you Diane. Meryl
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Hi, I love your blog and I have nominated you for a Liebster award. Visit the Liebster Award post on my site http://musinwithsusan.wordpress.com to find out more about how this works.
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Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words and for the nomination! I am checking your site now for details. Meryl
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