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Sorrento Hospital Nursing Home

My oldest daughter Lindsay was born here on St.David's Day, 1st March 1957 and after leaving here eight days after giving birth I continued to contribute daily to Sorrento's Milk Bank for premature babies. Milk was contained in a mini- fridge provided by the hospital and left out on our front door step for collection every morning and I was paid 3pence for every pint that was donated.
 
well pat thats the first time i have heard of donating milk for the prem babies...what a splendid idea and made a change from the milkman delivering your milk to your step:)

lyn
 
Have just seen this posting and if I may would like to add a couple of snippets. My sister Eileen Ansell was born here in 1947 and myself Kathleen Ansell in 1951. My late husband Peter Essex was also born here on 4th July 1948 at 3 minutes to midnight. Try as she did his mother desperately tried to hang on because 1 minute after midnight on 5th July 1948 the NHS was launched and she wouldn't have had to pay. Unfortunately my late husband had other ideas and so pay she did.
 
I was very proud of the fact that I was born in Sorrento, I was 14 when we passed the building in Moseley and my Mother told me I was born there ..... needless to say all my children were born there. I was told they were special cos they were babies of a Sorrento baby, and my eldest Granddaughter just missed being born there as it closed three days before she was born. We all had to travel to The Women's but as the staff had just transferred it was like being back in Moseley. By the time the next Grand child was born it had all changed ....
 
My friend's first born child was sadly stillborn in the Sorrento in 1979, does anyone have any idea what would have happened to the babies, someone said they would have been cremated but my friend was never given any information and still wonders about it now.
 
hello scarlet such a sensitive subject especially as this happened to your friend in modern times...but without wishing to upset do you know if the baby was full term ?..did your friend receive a still born certificate? if so i would have thought a funeral was an option which obviously was not the case...if not full term i have no idea what would have happened and would not like to make a guess...i am just wondering if the records for sorrento still exist..sorry i cant be of more help but maybe other members would know more

lyn
 
Astoness said:
hello scarlet such a sensitive subject especially as this happened to your friend in modern times...but without wishing to upset do you know if the baby was full term ?..did your friend receive a still born certificate? if so i would have thought a funeral was an option which obviously was not the case...if not full term i have no idea what would have happened and would not like to make a guess...i am just wondering if the records for sorrento still exist..sorry i cant be of more help but maybe other members would know more

lyn
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Thanks for replying Lyn. The baby was full term, I don't know if a still born certificate was given, I'll be seeing my friend soon and if she seems to want to talk I'll see what I can find out. I could try to find out where the records are, I never thought of that. I think she'd love to know what became of the baby but has never found it easy to talk about.
 
totally understand how your friend feels scarlet...i am now in a position to contact a midwife who was working at sorento in the 1970s...i have messaged her to see if she can advise..if she gets back to me i will contact you most likely via our private message system

lyn
 
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I've merged several threads to form this one thread on the Sorrento. Reading through this thread it obviously means a lot to many, many people. So here are a couple of photos I've found.

I've also added a missing image to post #38. Viv.

image.jpg

image.jpeg
 
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Can I throw my hat into the ring - I too was born in Sorrento on 14 November 1948 and my birth was on the front page of the Birmingham Evening Dispatch on 15th November as were dozens of other Brummie babies under the heading Birmingham "Royal babies" wait for the name. Yes I share that date of birth with Prince Charles. Would love to know what those other babies are doing now.
 
Wondering if anyone knew/knows Pauline Duane who used to work at Sorrento 70’s/80’s possibly to its closure in 93...
 
Vivienne14 said:
I've merged several threads to form this one thread on the Sorrento. Reading through this thread it obviously means a lot to many, many people. So here are a couple of photos I've found.

I've also added a missing image to post #38. Viv.

View attachment 115288

View attachment 115289
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Yes, the conditions in 1969-70 were dire. Always dodgy getting over to the Nurses Home as you were acosted by men looking for "good time ladies" (it was on Balsall Heath Road) Mums did give breast milk to the Milk Bank. I believe it was the first in the country and developed by "Miss Whittington" the Matron. The cots were "Sorrento" cots, which were then accepted by many Maternity Hospitals as the "norm" We also had a separate block for TB patients. The first baby to survive, born at 29 weeks, was transferred from Stoke and was discharged on the 3rd November 1969 when she should have been full term.
 
I was born there in 1933 Google roads shows it as an apartment building now?? But a Sorrento park near by????
 
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Rod said:
Post

Has it now been swallowed up by Birmingham Maternity Hospital? I had a quick look on the net, there doesnt seem much about it, although I didnt do any thorough searching. I can remember Carl Chinn having someone on his show, so maybe if you dropped him a line? you could email him perhaps?

Apparantly Carl Chinns latest magazine has a picture or pictures of the Sorrento? He talked about it today, I missed the relevent part of the show. I did hear him mention Miss Hallam the women who was responsible for delivering many babies during the fifties I think. I would definately contact Carl, he was born at the Sorrento, so he would be able to give you some info.
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I was born 24/12/1953 at Sorrento and would like to he from anyone who has knowledge of staff etc at this time.
 
my nephew was born there in 1985 i can remember going to visit him the day he was born

lyn
 
kenaldis said:
Does anybody know where the records went for the Sorrento after the closure and can I obtain information from them?

Regards

Ken
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Hi I'm wondering if anyone can help me I was born in sorrento maternity hospital on February 19 1988 and iv found out they there were another 5 people born on the same day also we all got learning disabilities but I'm trying to trace them as I dont know any names
 
For anyone born or delivered their children at the Sorrento, this gives a picture of a caring and cosy 1950s small hospital. Ten day stay for mother’s ! The mothers seem very young too. Viv.

2934C800-3305-4241-BAE2-0180BBFCCC29.jpeg1978F762-487A-4A94-883B-97F4FB310D25.jpegC4B4BD3E-7D1A-4F78-A14C-7E18B40A5203.jpegSource: British Newspaper Archive
 
Fashionz said:
So, is there some special reason for us to have been born at Sorrento Hospital?
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will have to be checked but as far as i am aware no....there were a few large houses turned into maternity hospitals such as heathfield road and lawnswood..impression i got was that if the purpose built hospitals were full up moms to be were fitted in to the smaller hospitals where spaces were available

lyn
 
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In the 1950s many women were still giving birth at home. My brother and I were both born at home. Going to a maternity hospital to give birth, I believe, wasn’t necessarily the first option in those days. I think delivering in a hospital was more a case of unsuitable home circumstances or conditions. The NHS hadn’t been long in existence too so I guess there must have been very limited places still. Maybe we have former midwives on here who can enlighten us. Viv.
 
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