Before there were HPTs...

Lottie&Paul · September 2014

I was talking to my mom and asked her if they had HPTs when she was TTC. She said no. She didn't know anything about temping (I still don't think she knows how it works, but she knows I take my temp daily and that it has something to do with TTC). She said she waited until it had been 2 mos since her last period (her cycles were long, so she figured that was 1-2 weeks late), and then she'd go to Planned Parenthood, and she'd get tested there. If it was positive, she'd make an appt with her gyno.
I thought that was interesting and thought maybe you all would too. After we had that discussion I looked it up and saw that the first HPT came out the year I was born (1976).

thewickedfairy · September 2014

Wow! That's crazy. I don't think I'd be able to handle that. I never bought an HPT with DS, because we weren't expecting to get pg that quickly. I noticed I had cried at something and that's what made me call a doc. With DD it was way different, and an HPT was necessary. I took one at 7 DPO, of course got a BFN, but then took another the day of AF and got a BFP. Now, DH refuses to buy them until AF is supposed to show up because he doesn't want me to obsess over it.

bfonz619 · September 2014

Wow, I can't imagine not having the convenience of being able to test whenever and where ever I wanted. This is pretty crazy and very interesting!

danascullyx · September 2014

@Lottie&Paul I'm a bicentennial baby too! Lots of cool things happened that year :P

tlc35 · September 2014

I looked that up a while back, and I can't imagine not being able to just buy a test and POAS. I was born in 1977 but I haven't asked my mom about it. She is not the anxious type and she was kinda ambivalent about getting pregnant so I'm sure it didn't bother her.

TheBorg7of9 · September 2014

https://www.randomhistory.com/1-50/018pregnancy.html

maybeemama · September 2014

I asked my mom the same thing, she said the HPTs were still kinda expensive when I was born (1984). But she knew she was pregnant because "mah boobs hurt like hell and I kept throwing up".

I hope I don't have pregnancies like hers, she was super barfy sick with all three of us.

PrimRoseMama · September 2014

https://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=48655

mandy522 · September 2014

Random fun fact - bbt temping was introduced by a catholic priest in the 50s. We had to take a couple to couple league class to get married in our church, and we covered the whole history. I also had to learn to chart on paper. Life is significantly easier with FF and HPTs.

KatzKiss · September 2014

My mom had to have the rabbit test to find out she was pregnant with me. Google it! That's how it was done then. Creepy.

ETA: Never mind. Just click on @PrimRoseMama‌'s linky.

TRP85 · September 2014

I told my mom that I am on prenatals and she said "what's that? they have those?".
My Doctor also told me all about charting on paper when she was TTC. I agree @mandy522, we have it way easier.

edit: I just googled the rabit test. Wow, just wow.

maybeemama · September 2014

KatzKiss said:
My mom had to have the rabbit test to find out she was pregnant with me. Google it! That's how it was done then. Creepy.

ETA: Never mind. Just click on @PrimRoseMama‌'s linky.

O. M. G.

DaikokuJess · September 2014

I'm trying to decide how I feel about this. On the one hand, if I had no choice but to wait and see, it might be less stressful... because there's no other option. On the other hand, every time I have an unusual cycle I might freak the fuck out thinking I'm KU and get disappointed. I think for me, having a modern understanding of TTGP is nice. Just think of how things might progress in another 30 years or so!

cheesecakerunner · September 2014

Too funny. This is one of those things I have been meaning to google when I'm bored at work but have been to busy Bumping to get to.

KingLED · September 2014

PrimRoseMama said:

https://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=48655

Someone needs to try this wheat/barley sex determination thing. I'm curious.

catwine · September 2014

I was born in 1990 so I think the tests were pretty similar to the ones out now. I think I'd prefer if there weren't HPT and the only way to determine if someone was pregnant was through a blood test.

LittleMrsW · September 2014

twinkbrite said:

No mention of peeing in bleach or on dandelions yet, eh?

Not yet. Wasn't there a poster awhile back asking if onion breath was a pregnancy symptom?

SpartanChick88 · September 2014

Finally! The onion thing explained!

kayway85 · September 2014

@lottie&paul - yey for Planned Parenthood!

Katelobster · September 2014

I have my granny's Better Homes & Gardens pregnancy and baby care book from 1948, and it asserts that if you miss two periods, it's "fairly certain" you're pregnant, but you should wait until you miss a third before going to the doctor, because there's "really no reason to know" before that.

hahaha.

It also suggests stewed prunes as a breakfast dish to help morning sickness.

Living in the 21st century is a great thing.

OrbitBaby · September 2014

My mom was talking about her finding out with me in 1980. She said that once she missed her periods, she went to the doctor and he knew because her ute was blue.

She also said it makes for a long pregnancy being able to find out so early these days. Yeah, big difference between knowing when you ovulated and trying to decide if you feel implantation compared to being oblivious for the first couple months!

mandy522 · September 2014

OrbitBaby said:
My mom was talking about her finding out with me in 1980. She said that once she missed her periods, she went to the doctor and he knew because her ute was blue.

She also said it makes for a long pregnancy being able to find out so early these days. Yeah, big difference between knowing when you ovulated and trying to decide if you feel implantation compared to being oblivious for the first couple months!

Her ute was blue?

OrbitBaby · September 2014

mandy522 said:

My mom was talking about her finding out with me in 1980. She said that once she missed her periods, she went to the doctor and he knew because her ute was blue.

She also said it makes for a long pregnancy being able to find out so early these days. Yeah, big difference between knowing when you ovulated and trying to decide if you feel implantation compared to being oblivious for the first couple months!
Her ute was blue?

Yeah, she said uterus, but if anything it would have been cervix. I am assuming that she forgot about the urine or blood test she took, cause it is not like this was during the middle ages.

Either way, I didn't question it because there is something creepy about talking to my mom about her supposed blue ute!

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