Another post (about stupid things patients say) made me think about this, I don't know if it's been posted before. But I have an elderly family member who says these things (and will not hear otherwise):
1) Having a baby at 7 months is better than having it at 8 months. My doctor told me something happens in the 8th month and if the process is disturbed it's bad for the baby. (I told her I've learned that every day in the womb is better for the baby, but she insists that's not the case).
2) Her breastmilk turned "to water" when her daughter was 3 months old and it was no longer good for her to breastfeed (I mentioned that babies go through a growth spurt at that time, but she insists, her Dr told her the breastmilk turned to water).
Makes you wonder about these docs back then huh? I know they probably did the best with their knowlege, but some people won't accept any new advice, if their doctor said it in 1940 it must be true huh? Any other favorite wives tales?
I can understand the basis of the belief that cats "suck the breath out of babies." I once took in a stray cat and awakened to find it sitting on my severely sunburned chest, with its face directly in front of mine. I believe it was there for the warmth of my skin - and babies feel warm . . .
When I Was Married I Had A Doozy Of A Mother In Law Who Delighted Me With A Lot Of Old Wive's Tales Including The Bit About Reaching Over My Head Causing The Cord To Wrap Around The Baby's Neck.the Best One Was When She Had Poison Ivy On Her Hand And One Day My Husband And I Saw Her Dipping Her Hand Into A Bowl Of Urine Because Someone She Golfed With Told Her That Was The Only Cure.
My mother used to rub Vicks on my chest and pin a hanky to my nightgown when I was sick.
Old country doc had me soak an infected toe in Lysol water. I don't know if they still make Lysol in the small brown bottle anymore, but it was a staple in our medicine cabinet.
Just a few weeks ago, we had a patient with hand trauma. During surgery, a foley catheter was placed, resulting in some prostate trauma as well. He came to us with bloody urine. The wife was so freaked out about it that she came to the nurses station and asked me if her husband was going to get prostate cancer. I asked her why she thought that and she said 'My doctor told me if you get a bruised breast, you'll get breast cancer. So, since you bruised his prostate, does that mean he'll get prostate cancer?'
My husbands family has no medical type people in it and it amazes me the things they come up with for old wives tales!
When my sister in law had her second baby they gave him a taste of peanut butter when he was still just a newborn. He made an ugly face and fussed for quite a while afterwords. Everybody rolled their eyes and said matter of factly that the baby was allergic to peanut butter because my sister in law ate too much peanut butter while she was pregnant. When I asked why they thought that my husband shrugged and said that he was sure a doctor told them sometime.
My Mom jokes about it says it must be true because my brother and I aren't allergic to peanut butter and she didn't eat any when she was pregnant (she HATES peanut butter!)
After going through my ob & peds classes last year my theory is they gave hime peanut butter to early, it was the first solid food he ever had and he was too young to be starting solid foods, Mom and Dad were eating peanut butter so they thought they would see if he liked it!
The other ones I like from them are the smoking of ear aches, if you have an ear ache blow smoke in your ear and it will go away, also if you have lots of ear wax they get those ear wax candles that you stick in your ear then light the other end on fire and it will suck all your ear wax out! I had kids at the adolescent treatment facility I used to work at stick a piece of paper in their ear and light it on fire and blow out the flame so the smoke could take away their ear ache.
Another is that alcohol is not bad for babies, it cures colds and any aches and pains they might have, a little whiskey in the baby bottle and a fussy baby settles right down!
I have a nursing instructor at school who still carries a bottle of vicks vaporub in her pocket when she is sick, she said that since she was a little girl her mom used it when they were sick and she gets all worried if she has a sniffle and doesn't have her vicks.
I always heard on the cat and the baby stories that it came from the cat getting in the crib with the baby and putting their nose close to their mouth to smell the milk the baby had been drinking so it looked like the cat was sucking the breath out.
Great thread! I love these stories, its fun to try to figure out what the original logic was behind it all!
Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.
lol .. my mother always told me to pack baking soda on the sunburned area then get in a vinegar bath... i have used this many times and it has worked every time...somehow it cools the skin and reduces the redness and pain..
ok, this one is a little gross. i had heard a long time ago from my grandmother that the best way to cure an earache was to pour a little bit of "pee" in it!!!
for sunburn, my mom swears by putting either used tea bags or vinegar on it (so not only are you in pain, but you stink like crazy too ).
Thank you for the great link! Interesting about the newborn hair and heartburn. My old Slovak Grandma in law was worried when I went to the zoo while pregnant,took my DH aside and told him to keep me away from the monkey cages or the baby would look like one!
My mom, first generation German, told me to drink good dark beer after delivery "to make milk for the baby". Maybe relaxation causes letdown reflex?
Don't know, I was scared to try it. Makes you wonder how many things we think we know today will be "old wives tales" to our grandkids.
I do use the warm olive oil for a sore ear, and you know, it works! LOL
I have heard 'Don't raise your arms above your head if you're pregnant' too...I was never pregnant but my grandmother told my sister that ALL the time!
My grandma also told me that I'd get worms from chewing on my hair (I did that all the time when I was a kid!).
My dad said that his mom put Karo syrup in his bottle when he was a kid.
When I got stung by bees as a kid, my dad would take tobacco out of his cigarettes, spit on it, and put it on the sting after he'd removed the stinger...he'd then wrap a Band-Aid around it.
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edowhitetop
20 Posts
I can understand the basis of the belief that cats "suck the breath out of babies." I once took in a stray cat and awakened to find it sitting on my severely sunburned chest, with its face directly in front of mine. I believe it was there for the warmth of my skin - and babies feel warm . . .