Mother and baby advice from 1960 - ask away!

[TerpsichoreanMuse]

I've been clearing out my father's house (he's sold it) and I've found the baby manuals given to my mother when I was born in 1960.

There are four: the "Glaxo Mother and Baby" book, "From Milk to Mixed Diet" (a guide to modern baby feeding), "Relaxation and exercise for natural childbirth" (1959) and "You and your baby," published by the BMA.

If anyone would like any advice (only 60 years out-of-date!) on this topic, please ask and I shall attempt to answer.

Webuiltthisbuffet - what an excellent auto-correct! Partum (which my phone doesn't think is a word, it seems.)

Wow, pink disease, which I quoted earlier as a risk from using toothing powders, is actually mercury poisoning! I hope my mother preferred gin.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrodynia

I love the “daily motion” scheduled in firmly for 8.30 each morning

In ''Scouting for Boys' Baden-Powell emphasises the importance of a daily bowel movement, only he called it 'the daily rear'.

My mother was also convinced of the need for me to be 'regular'. As a child I was a very faddy eater, and probably didn't eat enough to need a poo every day. I remember being given California Syrup of Figs, and on one dreadful occasion liquorice powder.

I don't know what's more shocking. Feeding a baby canned soup (hello salt police) or calling a baby Simon grin.

[glances at DP]

There's nothing wrong with that.

Does he eat a lot of soup?

@ShirleyPhallus

I don't know what's more shocking. Feeding a baby canned soup (hello salt police) or calling a baby Simon grin.

[glances at DP]

There's nothing wrong with that.

Does he eat a lot of soup?

I couldn't possibly say.

It would be...outing.

@NeverDropYourMoonCup so THAT’S what all these outting hobbies are. Extreme soup eating.

Seems like a souper hobby to have

8:30 a.m. Daily motion

Good grief!
Joe Wicks looks good for his age.

I have a baby book from the 1970s and it has the classic line" when mother wakes " and proceeds with a daily schedule ! What Mother of a young baby wakes up naturally! Very few !

who' s doing all the cooking and cleaning?

Grandma came to stay. At least she did in our house.

@Etulosba

who' s doing all the cooking and cleaning?

Grandma came to stay. At least she did in our house.

I was born in 1962 (third child). My eldest brother was born in hospital, my other brother and I were born at home (exactly 2 years between each child). With the home births, my mother was given a daily home help provided by the state to help out with chores etc. I think she came daily for a couple of hours. Meanwhile I was in the pram in the garden (in MARCH), apparently happy as Larry.

From what I have gathered from my mother, I was kept in the garden from birth until I started school at five. Apparently, I was "as brown as a berry".

Shock horror!

A baby cannot go to sleep if his feet are cold – a hot water bottle placed between the blankets, not next to his skin, will remedy this.

I’m pleased to see this. I told DH a while ago that I think cold feet keep me awake and that I often nod off quickly when I have insomnia if I put warm socks on.

This is fascinating. I love this stuff. I've also got the aforementioned Dream Babies book. (One lot of parenting advice, Victorian I think, was daily, ice cold baths, while singing lustily to drown out the screams.)

What does it say about reflux/colic/excessively crying babies?

Does it say how to put babies down to sleep?

No mention of ‘Clinic Orange’

Highly sweetened orange juice with vitamins in. I can just about remember the bottle

Highly sweetened orange juice with vitamins in. I can just about remember the bottle

Or that milk powder in the blue and white tins.

@TerpsichoreanMuse

weepingwillow22 There's a timetable for the one year old.

6-7 a.m. Wake. Drink of fruit juice and water.
7:30 a.m. Wash and dress.
8 a.m. Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Daily motion
8.45 - 10 a.m. Play indoors or in garden
10 - 12 noon. Sleep outside when possible
12 noon. Dinner. (If the family dinner-time is usually 1pm 4-oz milk should be given at 10am.)
1 - 2 p.m. Play indoors or in garden
2 - 4 p.m. Out in pram. (Should sleep during this airing as long as possible.)
4 p.m. Tea, followed by play.
5:30 p.m. Bath
6 p.m. Drink of milk. Bed.

Is 7-7.30am the scheduled slot for the tantrum?

I love the phrasing about “airing” your child (2-4pm).

Does it mention drinking pints of Guinness for anaemia? My mum told me they used to give it to expectant/new mothers in hospital.
She says she had to go into hospital when she had me, because she has size 3 feet.

Amazing. I'm nominating for Classics.

Anything about resuming "conjugal relations" with your husband after the birth?

I think one of my favourite pieces of information on this thread has to be the recommendation of eating eggs during labour. Blugh! Surely no one has ever done that!

@MrsSlocombesPussy I had DS in 2000 and had Guinness recommended for anaemia. I still love it now!

As a baby, I was also given syrup of figs for constipation, and a concoction of phenergan and brandy to make me sleep.

Very jealous of the stylish maternity clothes. My mum made all my maternity dresses (I was only 20 and skint) but she used the patterns she had used to make her own in the 70s and 80s when she had me and my sister. I looked... interesting.

Wonder if it was tempting to leave a sleeping baby in!!

I was born in the early 60s. Apparently my mum put me out in the garden in my pram in the middle of the winter when there was snow on the ground . Apparently she could tell I was warm enough as there was steam coming off me

I was also potty trained really early and dry at night by 18 months . I'm not sure how much that is true or whether my mum just forgot over time .

Al1langdownthecleghole

How many cigarettes should I smoke to stay slim?

For a fortnight or so after that the husband will have to sleep in another room, to make sure that the mother and baby get all the sleep and rest they need.

What an imposition for him!