Parenting in the past - what were they thinking?!

[maGicGift]

For example... alcohol in baby's bottle to help him sleep, leaving baby in the back garden/front porch for nap time (so parents can't here him cry) feeding baby condensed milk in a bottle instead of formula.

It's amazing how advise changes so quickly - do you have any more funny/strange past parenting stories? Those above were from my Mum/Gran

A lady I knew had her forst baby in the 40s .....her milk wouldnt 'come in' so her mum sent the son in law to the shop for condensed milk ......he returned with ........another mum who breastfed the baby!!!!

My Nanna said she had a miscarriage at home and the dr came and burnt everything on the open fire.

good grief.thats ghastly

My mum's GP had to declare that her home was 'unfit' for her to give birth in so that she could have a hospital place (for her first baby).

I was weaned onto Farley's rusks and milk (presumably formula) at 2 days in hospital. And put on a diet at 6 weeks.

My mother was moved from a private room onto the ward in the hope that she might pick up some hints from the more experienced mums as she was clearly clueless. She went on to develop PND, not surprisingly.

My nanny didn't believe in water getting near a baby's skin so I was cleaned with baby lotion.

My father took my mother on holiday as soon as she got home from hospital (after 10 days). Leaving me at home with the nanny.

A more sobering story. Some hospital maternity units solved the issue of babies crying at night by drugging them. I only know this because of a horrific story I heard from a pharmacist friend. One night the formula was made up 10 time stronger than it should have been. She was very grateful that she hadn't been working that night. No-one ever admitted to it.