大象传媒

The clothing coupons given to each person were not enough to buy baby
clothes. So once a mother knew she was pregnant, she was able to
obtain extra coupons so that she could purchase nappies and some baby clothes. All I could buy with my coupons were nappies and three Viyella nightgowns. The rest of the necessary clothing was either borrowed, knitted or hand-sewn. My mother made a very cosy sleeping bag from an old blanket, and another blanket was converted into a pram cover.

New prams were unobtainable and we scanned the local newspapers for
second-hand prams. I did manage to obtain a new carry-cot and baby bath, but the play-pen was second-hand.

Pregnant women were given an extra milk allowance and the baby was
given a milk allowance when it was born. The baby also had a ration for orange juice and cod-liver oil to provide the vitamins necessary for good health. Every week, mother and baby visited the baby clinic to check the baby's weight and to collect any orange juice and cod-liver oil that were due. When the baby was weaned, there were no ready-prepared foods in tins or jars, and so most foods had to be sieved by hand.

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