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The Kingston Nursing Association have expressed a
willingness to support the Clinic, and the midwives practising
in the Borough have been approached, and on the
whole they favour the scheme.
The Kingston and District Hospital (Poor Law) have
maternity wards, and take paying cases at £3 3s. per week.
Kingston-upon-Thames only being half an hour's journey
from London, it is possible to send cases to hospital
for specialist opinion if necessary.
It is proposed to hold the meetings on the first Tuesday
in each month at 10 a.m.
The Clinic was opened on Tuesday, December 1st,
1925, but unfortunately the three expectant mothers who
proposed attending did not arrive owing to the extremely
bad weather. Any report, therefore, on the working of the
Clinic must be reserved till next year.
The Unmarried Mother.
The care of unmarried mothers and their illegitimate
children is undertaken by the Kingston, Surbiton and District
Voluntary Society, which is affiliated to the Southwark
Diocesan Association for Rescue and Preventive Work.
The Local Branch Shelter is at No. 45, Fairfield South.
Unmarried expectant mothers are admitted to the home
about two or three months before full term, or later if
desired.
If possible they contribute towards their own support,
and assist by doing domestic work while in the home.
They are transferred for confinement to the Kingston
and District Hospital or other Maternity Home, returning
after the puerperium with the infant to the "Shelter" for
a further period of residence until the infant is three months
old.
The infant is then placed with a foster mother, and the
parent is found a suitable situation in domestic service.
The Sister-in-Charge of the Shelter continues to supervise
the welfare of the infant, and the mother is always
welcomed to the home. It is noteworthy that an average
of 120 visits per month are being made by the mothers to
the home.