Good Housekeeping Baby Book (c) 1969

[minkajane]

Thought you all would appreciate this. I found this book at Goodwill. These are exact quotes from the book with a couple of my comments and explainations tossed in. And we wonder why we get such strange advice from the previous generation about babies and pregnancy!

WARNING - long! Three posts.

Exercise

“…swimming may be harmful.”

Smoking and Liquor

“If you’re a heavy smoker, doctors advise that you cut down to a great extent, but you needn't quit entirely unless your doctor recommends it."

“Ask your doctor whether or not you may drink on occasion.” No negative affects towards the fetus are mentioned, simply the fact that it adds calories without adding nourishment.

Sex

“Refrain from intercourse altogether during the last six weeks of pregnancy.”

Weight Gain

“Excess weight may cause complications during your pregnancy, at the time of delivery, and is terribly hard to lose afterwards! The up-to-date doctor therefore ‘weighs in’ his patients when they come for their regular examinations, and in most cases insists that they don’t gain more than 20 pounds all told. Doctors are usually real sticklers about weight gain, so take his advise seriously or you’ll be taking a scolding instead. This means that without eating any more, and generally less than you did before, you must include all the food elements your baby needs for normal development.”

Nutrition

“A poor prenatal diet also can affect your ability to nurse the baby.”

“You should have a quart of milk a day.”

“Reject food that’s highly spiced or seasoned.”

“If you haven’t already done so, you should form the habit of going to the toilet every morning after breakfast and staying there for some time.” Supposedly this prevents constipation.

Strict menus and guidelines are included for what a pregnant woman should eat each day.

Preparing to Breastfeed

“The nipples should be washed every morning, with mild soap and water. Then dash cold water over them lightly to toughen them.”

(When colostrums begins to leak) “If the fluid stays on the nipples, it may make them sore. They should be washed often with tepid boiled water.”

Working During Pregnancy

“If your appearance is important in your work, you’ll want to quit, or to arrange to work at home after that.”

“Don’t plan to return to work until your baby is at least 6 weeks old, and not then if you are nursing him.”

Prenatal Testing

“…your doctor will check on your pelvic measurements. This is to determine whether your pelvis…is of adequate size for the baby to pass through.”

“Although you may be reluctant to spend the money on any special tests, your doctor has your best interests in mind when he suggests them. Don’t hesitate to follow his recommendations.”

Anesthesia During Delivery

“Each doctor has many things to consider before deciding which anesthetic to give his patient. Remember whatever your doctor decides to do, he does because it is best for you and your baby. When the time comes, just relax and do what he tells you to do.”

“If the anesthetic is of the inhalation type, such as nitrous oxide-oxygen, you will be unconscious, or nearly so, from then on.”

Morning Sickness

(After recommending a special high-carb diet to curb nausea) “When the nausea is overcome…you may cut out the excess carbohydrates and lose some of the weight gained on the diet to overcome morning sickness. In this way, while you may gain a lot at first, you’ll be able to keep your weight within bounds…”

Baby’s Room

“Should you have just one bedroom, plan to put him in it for his naps. When you go to bed, wheel or carry his bassinet out into the room next to yours if it’s warm enough.”

Delivery of the Placenta

“Once the detachment has occurred, your doctor will express it by firmly pressing on your abdomen.”

“This happens anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes after the birth.”

[minkajane]

Labor

“When you recognize the signs of labor beginning, do not eat any solid foods. A full stomach at the time of delivery materially increases the hazards of whatever anesthetic you may receive. Once you think you are in labor, drink only clear liquids such as water, weak coffee, or tea.”

“When you arrive at the hospital, you’ll be taken to the ‘Prep’ room. There you’ll be prepared for delivery and examined by your doctor.”

“Some hospitals permit the husband to remain with his wife during labor. Others to not.”

“…many doctors feel that you will relax more and rest better if your husband is not present.”

Birth

“This second stage of labor lasts from 30 minutes to two hours for a first baby, and five to 30 minutes in subsequent deliveries.”

“Your doctor may perform an episiotomy. This means that he makes a cut in the lady parts to avoid any irregular tears which might be difficult to repair later.”

There is no need to be concerned about a forceps delivery. […] There is no danger to the child.”

Visitors

“Many hospitals allow only husbands to visit the maternity floor. If your hospital has this regulation, remember it’s for the protection of you and the baby.”

Breastfeeding

“…your hospital may furnish a day’s supply of formula. Take it home even if the baby is breast fed. Excitement of going home and the confusion of visitors may lessen breast milk for that day.”

(During menstruation) “Sometime breast milk is not as plentiful during these periods, or the baby may seem restless. If this occurs, give him a bottle for a few feedings. It is good to accustom him to an occasional bottle, anyway, after the first month or so even though he is entirely breast-fed.”

“Naturally, you’ll take care to keep your breasts and nipples clean, as infected breasts or infections for your baby may result from carelessness. Wiping the nipples with soap, warm water, and sterile cotton once a day is sufficient. Between nursings sterile, absorbent nursing pads or a freshly laundered white handkerchief may be placed over the nipples…”

“Two to five minutes is long enough for each nursing period the first few days.”

“Studies indicate a nursing baby will get 75 percent of all the milk that he’s going to get out of the breast after five minutes of nursing. Considering this, it’s probably not necessary to let the baby nurse longer than 15 or 20 minutes on one breast and 5 or 10 minutes on the second breast. Prolonged periods of nursing should be avoided because it’s a waste of time and, at first, will make the breast quite sore and painful.”

Weaning

“When you decide to discontinue nursing, or when you no longer have enough milk, get in touch with your doctor. He’ll prescribe medication to dry up your milk and will also give you a formula for Baby.”

“The earliest age at which you would want to wean the baby completely from the breast or bottle would be about nine months.”

Formula Feeding

Recipes are included for making formula from whole milk and evaporated milk.

“Doctors differ over when to change the baby from formula to homogenized milk. Your doctor may suggest you do it now [4-5 months], or wait until the 5^th or 6^th months.”

“Many doctors find it best to change the baby from formula to homogenized milk at this age [5-8 months] rather than earlier.”

Circumcision (This is the entire section)

“If your doctor elects to circumcise your boy, it will probably be done between the 1^st and 4^th day. In circumcision, the movable fold of skin which covers the end of the member is clipped away. There are several reasons for this.

“The first, and most obvious, is that it is an aid to cleanliness. The second reason is that it has been shown that men will not develop cancer of the member if they have been circumcised at birth. Third, the incidence of cancer of the cervix of women whose husbands have been circumcised is less than those whose husbands have not been circumcised. Finally, as your son grows older, he will want to be like other boys, most of whom will have been circumcised.

However, some doctors are opposed to circumcision. This is usually because the incidence of cancer of the member or cervix affects relatively few persons and, therefore, he feels surgery on every baby is unwarranted.

If a circumcision is not performed, your doctor will give you the necessary instructions for cleansing under the foreskin.”

Care of the member (This is the entire section)

"Care for the circumcision is quite simple. Generally, a bandage or gauze pad won’t stay in place and is really unnecessary. If the wound has a tendency to stick to the diaper, apply a little vaseline to the cut edge.

“During the first two or three weeks, it’s important not to forcibly pull back the foreskin, because the cut edges of the wound might pull apart. However, after three weeks, retract the foreskin with each bath to prevent it from adhering to the head of the member.

“If the baby is not circumcised, your doctor may tell you to retract the foreskin with each bath. Be sure you pull it forward again after washing the head of the member. If you can’t pull the foreskin forward again, and the member begins to swell, call the doctor immediately.”

[minkajane]

Sleep

“If he’s still crying hard after ten or fifteen minutes, he may just want to be held for a few minutes and comforted. But then put him right back down and leave him there. Constant holding, jostling, walking the floor, and bouncing may turn him into a demanding little fellow who has to be held to be happy.”

“Rocking, walking the floor, or taking him in to bed with you (which is a dangerous habit) may soon become a nightly event – one you’ll wish you’d never started!”

Sunbathing

“At first, he shouldn’t be left in the direct sunlight for more than a few minutes. As he becomes more and more accustomed to the sunshine, you can increase his period in the sun to 30 or 40 minutes daily.”

Solids

“Cereal: 3 months

Fruit: 3 ½ - 4 months

Vegetables: 4 months

Meat: 5 months

Egg Yolk: 6 months”

“Cereal can be started quite readily at 3 months.”

“Some doctors prefer to wait and start fruit at 5 months. They’ve been delayed until now because these doctors feel that if fruits are the first solid given, babies tend to refuse other solids when introduced.”

A list is given of foods which a 12-18 month old child should not be given, including (among other things) hot fresh breads and rolls, griddle cakes, ready-to-serve cereals, eggplant, green corn, cucumbers, radishes, condiments, spices, ice cream, berries or melon, figs, dates, rhubarb, and fresh fruits, except those mentioned previously.

Playing

“Three months is a good age at which to begin playpen periods. […] if he gets accustomed to his pen at this early age, he won’t object to being put in it when he’s older.”

Vaccines

“Acquaint yourself with the immunization programs, but your doctor will decide when and what to give your baby.”

Toilet Training

“Some mothers boast that their child was trained to have his bowel movement in the potty by the time he was 1 year old. Actually this means that the baby had a fairly regular bowel movement, and the mother was trained to catch it in the potty.”

Other Observations

There is only one picture of a nursing baby (the breast is not visible in any way). All other pictures include bottles, and most feeding instructions assume the baby is bottle-fed.

A pictorial section on boys shows them playing outdoors and building things, while the section on girls shows them playing with dolls and playing house.

[LauraF, RN, ASN, CNA, LPN, RN]

Wow! I got some good laughs out of that. Several times I saw "Your doctor will decide what is best." Boy have things changed.

[danissa, LPN, LVN]

Labor

"When you recognize the signs of labor beginning, do not eat any solid foods. A full stomach at the time of delivery materially increases the hazards of whatever anesthetic you may receive. Once you think you are in labor, drink only clear liquids such as water, weak coffee, or tea."

havent been in labour room for around five years, but im sure this still happens!only water though! your posts had me in stitches, great stuff!!!:chuckle

[CHATSDALE]

while you are laughing remember that this was the advise your poor mother received..stand up and cheer that medicine has changed for the better

[danissa, LPN, LVN]

while you are laughing remember that this was the advise your poor mother received..stand up and cheer that medicine has changed for the better

I DO , and I feel that I can laugh, I WAS BORN in 1969!! Still here so I guess my mother did a great job, Despite the advice from the books!!!!!

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

Hmmm, so women who resisted the advice in those years were radical and dangerous hippies, just like women today who insist on not vaxxing and homebirth.

[PeachPie]

Were women kind of encouraged to smoke and drink in those days because the idea was not to have big babies?

[MamaTheNurse, BSN, RN]

oh my goodness - I almost put my neck out of joint shaking my head over this stuff!!! LOL

when I did my first L&D rotation in nursing school in the early 90's, my mom asked if they still shaved women and made them get an enema - I was like "Mom, please, get into the '90s!" - no wonder she asked that, she didn't know any better................

the line about forceps really hit home - I was delivered in 1968 by an idiot doc who was not skillful in his forceps delivery method - I was bruised (my mom says she cried when she first saw me because I looked like I was beat up) and although I didn't have nerve damage, there was some muscle damage and I ended up with a lazy eye on one side, directly attributed to the forceps.......

[aKyRN81]

Were women kind of encouraged to smoke and drink in those days because the idea was not to have big babies?

Actually, they felt that withdrawal symptoms were worse for the baby than indulging!

I know this firsthand because my OB told me in 1970, all of the posts are just how it was!!!

[Silkybo]

when I was born in 1969, my dad tried to follow my mom into the delivery room. The nurse barred his way, saying "you can't go in there, you aren't sterile!" my dad replied "damn right I'm not, how do you think she got that way?"