Baby care in the 60's and 70's

[Zofloraqueen27]

I am a regular lurker on MN and really enjoy reading about how different life is today from when my babies were born. I am a devoted grandma (and to be a great (!) grandma in August).

Having a baby today seems so much more involved now. I am amazed when I read "the baby will only sleep on me", "cluster feeding" and having your baby constantly attached to you with slings.. and what is this "co sleeping"? You brought your baby home from hospital (where most were born) after a four/five restful day stay where babies were taken to a nursery after last 10pm feed to give new mums a nights sleep.

Once home you immediately carried on the feeding regime started in hospital of feeds at 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm. Babies were settled for the night and you hoped they would sleep through to 6am feed. Obviously feeding during the night if the baby woke up, otherwise it was back to the 6am onwards regime. Most babies were bottle fed then.

After feeding, changing and a cuddle babies were put back into their cot to await next feed. Obviously as they grew older and became more awake and interesting they were put into bouncy chairs but otherwise mums would put babies back to sleep. This way babies learned cot means rest/sleep.Cluster feeding was an unknown concept then and generally babies followed four hourly feeds. My health visitor advised me to start giving baby rice or a Farley's Rusk along with bottle feed when the baby got to 10lbs...my sons were all 9.5lbs born so weaning started around six weeks then.

Baby gros were a revelation by the time my second son was born and babies stayed in them day and night until about six months old -easy to wash and no unnecessary dressing babies up (much less laundry) as today. I see tiny babies dressed as mini adults now. It seems mums today have a much harder time of it - never putting a baby down to rest and be quiet, always having to be comforted by carrying around.

We managed with far less baby equipment too - though we did not have the luxury (or expense!) of disposable nappies. The way we raise our children varies from generation to generation following trends and fashions but I have to say it seemed a lot easier when I had mine. I wonder what the trends will be when babies of today become parents and today's mum watch in wonder.

I too had my babies in the 60s (4 of them). The first 2 in hospital, the last 2 at home. The hospital kept us in for 10 days, and you were given the babies to feed every 4 hours and they were in the nursery at night. I breastfed them all; they were all over 8lbs, and went 3 to 4 hours between feeds from the start, even the home-birth ones, and even though I was feeding on demand which was a new idea at that time. And no they didn't cry when put down to sleep. They slept outside in their pram during the day not at the bottom of the garden, but within sight and hearing of me.
Co-sleeping was frowned upon, and as most homes were not centrally heated, there was no worry about the baby getting too hot,the reverse in fact. I sometimes wonder when people on here complain about babies and toddlers constantly waking at night whether their houses are too warm.
I still have my paper-back Dr. Spock, very tattered now.

I understand what you saying!

Until I joined mums net I had never heard of Velcro babies or varying around in sling etc.

I'm 36 now and my children are 14,12,10 and 2 and I actually used the same method my mum and my older sisters did and that was routine, our children were fed at 10,2&6 and put down to sleep in own bed from day one and all 4 of mine and all 10 of my nieces and nephews have slept through from 5/6 weeks and all continued to sleep, and all were easy babies!

In fact my niece who 21 is currently using this method for her baby

I'm not saying this is the right way but for me routine is they way to go and the way I choose to parent, if some else would rather co/sleep, feed on demand or use a sling etc then that's there choice

I never left mine to cry though I did put the pram in the garden on fine days I always went to them if they cried. I do think modern methods are much better. I joined mumsnat when dd was first pregnant 11 years ago so I could learn the updated ways of doing things.
I did follow Spock though in many things.

@minifingerz I have taken various courses with the Assosciation of Breastfeeding Mothers.

I advocate feeding on demand for a newborn until 6-8 weeks when we work to establish more of a routine, designed by the parents working to a 4 hourly routine.

I always advise that baby sleeps in with one or both parents in a bedside cot until 6 months. However, most mothers have to go back to demanding jobs and ask for advise in putting baby in their on room once they are sleeping 11-7. I then advise to have baby in a room as close as possible, to sleep with both bedroom doors open, for mum to sleep closest to the door so she can still pick up on baby's breathing pattern and tell them they must get an angelcare monitor.

Any other questions?! I've done all the appropriate training and I do refresher courses regularly.

Sorry should of said I never done the leaving to cry/ignoring etc

Just followed a feeding/sleep routine that was adjusted as baby got older, also 4 hourly Feds were not from day one and once baby was few weeks old and able to stretch out more

callaird you don't seem to know very much about breastfeeding you mention "various courses" are you actually qualified in that area?

I've done a breastfeeding counsellor training course.
I'm currently doing a supporting mother and baby course. Does that qualify me?
I've also done a mother support course. Which I had to do to do the counselling course, that's why I said various. I think 3 counts as various.

I must admit by no 3 blow having him in my room. He went next door when I came home from hospital. I
The crib was in our room but

callaird so you are qualified?

Sorry but YABU for stating all that as fact. Some of us were around then and I can tell you that my mother adopted a very different style to yours and had all home births and breastfed. Your experiences are not universal so please don't tell younger women here that they were.

Love a babygro! I think the marketers started calling them sleep suits so people would buy more baby clothes.

I think 4 hour feeding schedules sound impossible unless you are FF or have a very accommodating baby. DD was more like 4 hours on the boob half an hour off for the first few months.

I was a 70s baby. My mum breastfed on demand, slept in the same room as us, made a sling so that I could be carried all the time...pretty much the only differences were that I was weaned earlier and slept on my front. It worked for her and it worked for me - once established I found breastfeeding a million times easier than sterilizing bottles etc. I have plenty of friends who found the reverse. We are all different and always have been.

My uncle also nearly died as a baby because my grandmother was desperately trying to stick to feeding four hourly as she was told. He is fine. I don't think she ever really recovered so no, those guidelines didn't make it easier for everyone.

Wow Callaird, I'm glad you haven't supported me or given me breastfeeding advice. The advice about babies sleeping in the same room isn't so that parents can pick up on the baby's breathing pattern, it's so that the baby can hear the parents! One of the main factors in the SIDS risk is that babies can't always rouse themselves so it's good for them to stir because of hearing a parent, ie the risk decreases when they sleep less soundly.

Ds2 who is 8 was 4lb at birth and wasnt allowed to leave the hospital untill he fed every 4 hours. He was on speciap weight gain fomrmula to. Soon as ingot him home i fed him on demand and he gained weight quicker. So the four hourly feed is ornwas still pushed in hospital fairly recently

Are you on Gransnet? Is this based on that ridiculous AP thread there?

Science moved us on to know better and so do better.

Ok, I misspoke, I meant so that parents and baby's breathing become synced and regulated. I advise the baby is still within hearing of their parents and vice versa.

I'm sorry but I was replying inbetween working with 15 week old triplets so rushed my reply. My apologies.

I like the Post. It's got interesting observations in it, I'm sure not to cause any offence, just observations! My baby is now on a 4 hourly routine but he is 6 months! The first few weeks were probably hourly feeds if I was lucky!
I wonder if there was more support around then generally? We live hours from family and our town is full of commuters. Baby led weaning!?!! My mother cannot see the point in that!

"I've done a breastfeeding counsellor training course"

None of the organisations who train breastfeeding counsellors, i.e. ABM, NCT, La Leche League recommend scheduling feeds. They all recommend breastfeeding on demand. As do all reputable organisations and individuals involved in the care of breastfeeding mothers and babies.

"advise the baby is still within hearing of their parents and vice versa."

NHS advise that babies under 6 months should have all their sleeps in the same room as adults.

What do you suggest - own room with the door open/monitor tuned in?

"I advocate feeding on demand for a newborn until 6-8 weeks when we work to establish more of a routine, designed by the parents working to a 4 hourly routine. "

Sorry - but no one who is properly trained would recommend a 4 hourly routine for an 8 week old breastfed baby. It's dangerous as well as inhumane.

What happened to treating babies like human beings and allowing them to eat and drink according to hunger and thirst?

I bet you don't go 4 hours during the day between meals without a sip of water or a small snack, and unlike a baby you're not going through a period of exceptionally fast growth.

It seems to me that your role is to stop babies behaving like babies so they don't inconvenience their rich and important parents.

Rusks at 10lb i had 5 babies all born over 10lb. One of them was 12lb. Would they really have been given rusk from birth?

I was born in the 70s and my mum breastfed me on demand.

Science has moved on. For example we know now how damaging weaning at such an early age is. There are a lot less cot deaths due to improved knowledge.

You were lucky OP. But babies are better off these days to be fair.

I know all that. However the families I work for want their babies to sleep through. I always advise them to demand feed and won't work for parents who won't demand feed until at least 6 weeks, usually 8-10 weeks. These people pay my mortgage and bills.

The lady I am helping at the moment has 15 week old triplets who have been fed on demand, her husband is in the forces, she has no family locally, moved south when her husband was relocated, she is making herself ill and putting herself and the babies in danger due to her lack of sleep. She cannot afford my help so I am doing it at a reduced rate as she is a friend of a friend. What would you suggest she does?

I have spoken to ABM about what to do if the mothers want a routine and they have said you can only advise them, which I do.

"You were lucky OP. But babies are better off these days to be fair."

Some of them are.

The irony is that it's the babies of the rich and privileged now who seem to be most likely to be on the receiving end of rigid, outdated parent-led feeding practices.

Find me a pre-school or a primary school where children are expected to go from 8am to 12noon without a drink.

Why is it inhumane to deny a toddler or a primary aged child a mid-morning drink but fine to not just allow but encourage a 12 week old to do this?

I never go from feeding on demand to 4 hourly straight away, we work towards 4 hourly gradually. We don't let them scream for 2 hours before feeding.

And yes I go 5-6 hours without eating. I do drink water throughout the day, I don't drink tea or coffee or fizzy drinks, maybe sparkling water. I tend not to snack as it makes me feel hungry.