Is this just an old wives tale? 50's baby routine. My partner thinks I'm stupid to believe mums used to do this..

[NinaJade666]

So I've heard from lots of people that 'back in the day' (specifically the 50's) that new mums were advised to get baby into a strict routine, which involved parking babies in their pram at the end of the garden and bringing them in every 3 or 4 hours for a feed. Crying or not.

My partner says don't be an idiot and believe that, that's just an old wives tale. QUOTE - "They never would have done that. Put baby as far away as possible from mum? In the garden alone? They weren't stupid back then you know."

Anyone know if their parents or grandparents did this or were advised to?
Any links anyone can provide to 'prove' I'm right? Or wrong?

TIA

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

There was a program on tv a few months back maybe more that investigated the different types of parenting. It included the old fashioned strict routine that did involve putting the baby in its pram in the garden at a set time.

[Damnautocorrect]

Yes babies were put in the garden to sleep, my mum did it with me in the 80's and does it with my nephew. It weirdly works, he's out like a light whilst watching the birds and trees.

[ImNotBloody14]

It happened. Not by all mums- lots had brains

Are you going to do this op?

[Titsalinabumsquash]

My MIL tells me to do this with DS3 every time I see her. Although I have n problem with him being in the garden, I won't leave him to cry.

[phantomhairpuller]

Definitely not an old wives tale. My nan did this with all 5 of hers apparently. And there's nowt wrong with any of them.

Not sure I'd be able to do it mind you

[ImNotBloody14]

Just to clarify- putting them out to sleep= good ( i did it) letting them stay for 4 hours whilst crying= bad. Crying babies are telling you they need something.

[ubik]

I was left out in the garden, my mum had a cat net over the pram. I don't think I was left to cry for long periods but the fresh air must have done me good.

[MadamNoo]

absolutely they did. in fact PILs have an aerial photo of their house in the 70s with DH in pram alone at the bottom of the garden.
also my grannie (93) remembers crouching on the stairs listening to crying baby and wanting desperately to go to it, but not 'allowed' becasue feed wasn't due. she went on to be a founder of the NCT and totally rejected the prevailing methods!

[NinaJade666]

No. Most definitely not. Not the forced strict routine part. It's my opinion that if baby cries then mum/dad should respond. Sure if my daughter fell asleep in her pushchair while we were out and about, and was still asleep when we got back I wouldn't have a problem leaving her in the garden or hall (in full eye or earshot of course) till she woke up.

[CloudOfStarlings]

Definitely not an old wives' tale... My dh's grandma definitely did this in the 50s, baby was left to cry for however long, sometimes in the garden sometimes not I believe...but feeds were strictly every 4 hours and no less

[Damnautocorrect]

Just to clarify my mum didn't / doesnt do the crying bit just the garden bit!

[notso]

My paternal Grandma was always telling me about how her babies were always permanently breast feeding so I don't think she left them to cry. She had home water births in the bath too to great disapproval of the midwives

[burberryqueen]

yes i think my mum used to park me outside for hours, not sure about the screaming tho' - she used to leave me outside the front door in my pram, there was a flight of steps going down to the road, once my older brother who hated me released the brake, that was his first murder attempt, there would be more to come.....

[Metalhead]

I know someone who timed their baby's feeds and wouldn't give them the scheduled bottle more than 15 minutes early because it wasn't due another feed yet... and this was just a couple of years ago! (Though I don't think they ever left them in the garden to cry...)

[CheungFun]

My mum left me in my pram in the back garden in all weathers in the 80's. She did have a rough routine of bottles every 4 hours, but she would give me one early or late if she thought that was what I wanted.

She and her friends did leave the babies in their cots crying whilst they went outside the back door to have a 'sanity stick' aka cigarette and then went back to the baby to try again to stop them crying.

[flossyflo]

Yes! My MIL talks about being encouraged to get babies out in the pram in the garden and getting into a routine however don't think it was strictly adhered to. Think getting them outside was all about getting them tired and enough vit d.

[MrsMummyP]

No the BBC ran an article on parenting 'gurus' recently. Sir Frederick Truby King advocated a strict feeding schedule and leaving children outdoors www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22397457
My grandma is horrified that I am feeding on demand (ebf baby). Lots of 'What? She's hungry again?!' questions.

[AuntieStella]

I've got the Illingworth book from the 1950s.

Yes, babies were to be put to nap in prams in gardens.

But they were also to be breastfed, and picked up and comforted whenever crying.

[Mintyy]

I would happily have put my dd out in the garden if the layout of our house would have allowed it.

[JuliaScurr]

I was left in the garden until found blue sucking a PILLOW CASE by my Nan. Pram/garden = OK. Pillow case = possibly deranged

[steppemum]

my mum often laughs that at nap time she would put me i a pram under the tree at the end of the garden. I would lie and coo at the shadows and leaves and fall asleep. She would come and get me later.

She couldn't hear me if I cried, and one day it got to bedtime and she realised I was still there (youngest of three)

She was (and is) an amazing mum and grandma, and is very child centred, so I have never worked this one out.

[Mummyfizzy]

In the 1950s my Grandma used to leave my auntie outside in her pram for hours and they lived in a third floor flat! I asked my Grandma about it and she said, 'Oh I didn't put her outside when she was very little, I waited until she was 2 or 3 months old.' So that would have been December then! In Bradford! She also told me if it was raining she put her in the garage instead. She thinks it's terrible I don't do this with my 8mo dd and is always asking me about when do I do my housework. Rarely