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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

What was the official feeding advice in the 1970s?

95 replies

stargirl1701 · 30/01/2015 18:57

This is a little TAAT.

What was the advice given to mums in the 1970s about feeding their babies? I was a baby then and my mum is dead so I can't ask her. MIL has been quite disapproving of me managing to ebf DD2 (23 weeks now). Is the advice/practice really that different?

Just interested, if anyone knows.

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Original poster
stargirl1701 · 30/01/2015 19:46

So the feeding advice was nothing to do with what the baby needed?

PILs do have a very traditional set up unlike my parents who loved the change the 60s brought. I grew up with Dad doing an equal share of cooking/housework.

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NickyEds · 30/01/2015 19:47

My MIL bf every 4 hours (never more never less!!) 10 minutes each side. She says that her babies "learnt" that that was when food came and fed better. Her eldest was weaned at 8 weeks Shock and they both had water in between feeds. She often talked of "spacing out feeds" when I was bf ds (more so with SIL who ebf) as though every 4 hours was the "perfect feeding schedule" that should be aimed for. I'm fairly certain she thinks babies today are pandered to. I try not to be too judgey about it all because she was just doing as she was advised at the time- just as we are now. Fast forward 30 odd years ds will, no doubt be saying something similar about me.

Original poster
stargirl1701 · 30/01/2015 19:49

No, no. I remember my mum saying the doctor had prescribed her a half pint of stout a day in the third trimester (with me) as she had low iron.

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blacktreaclecat · 30/01/2015 19:50

I was born in Kenya so doubt my mum got much advice.
I was FF from birth using imported formula and my feeds were timed- my dad remembers he had to do the "midnight" feed listening to brain of Britain on BBC world service.
I was weaned around 4 months, mainly on mashed avocado as they had an avocado tree in their garden.

Original poster
stargirl1701 · 30/01/2015 19:51

The thing is though, I would expect change. If my girls have babies in 20-30 years from now, I can't imagine the advice will be the same. I wouldn't expect them to do what I do.

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Mistlewoeandwhine · 30/01/2015 19:51

Oh yes - the old 'Stick them out in the garden for fresh air' routine here as well... My mother told me she put us at the bottom of the garden so she couldn't hear us crying! She had a stretchy net that went over the pram so no cats or eagles could make off with us...It's a wonder any of us survived into adulthood!

Original poster
stargirl1701 · 30/01/2015 19:53

Well, my babies both slept/sleep outside in the pram in the garden but I am outside too!

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Original poster
stargirl1701 · 30/01/2015 19:54

I guess I wish I had my Mum to ask.

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dannydyerismydad · 30/01/2015 19:55

I was born in the 70's. Hospitals then were still one long ward, and mums stayed in for a couple of weeks. Babies were brought from the hospital nursery to the mothers at feeding times.

My mum chose to breastfeed me. A screen was constructed around her bed so that "nobody else would get any silly ideas".

TheEagle · 30/01/2015 19:57

BF was certainly looked down on in Ireland at that time too - seen as something that only poorer women did.

Also the Catholic Church liked the idea that formula feeding could lead to a quicker return to fertility and more babies!!! (That's a bit of a wild assumption, not necessarily truth)

My MIL never fed any of her 6 children (born between 1964 and my DH was a late surprise in 1980).

I was born in 1980 a few weeks premature and my Mum was encouraged not to breastfeed me. I puked up formula constantly so at 2 weeks I went on to cow's milk!!!

My siblings were breastfed for about 3 months but my Mum kept getting mastitis - probably because of the 4 hour feeding schedule Confused

Original poster
stargirl1701 · 30/01/2015 19:59

I know my mum tried to bf me. She gave up after a week. I believe I was taken to the nursery and she only saw me to feed for a little while. She said I had no suck.

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Longdistance · 30/01/2015 20:02

Me and my db were born 76 and 73, and we were bottle fed. My DM was a bit Confused when she asked if I was bottle feeding and I said I was bf.

When she looked into it, she realised that bf wasn't just 'for hippies'. Yes, my DM did say that.

Apparently, DM used to give me and db rusks dipped in tea at 3mo Shock yes, full of sugar rusks, and caffeine tea. I did find a baby feeding label amongst some baby stuff like my hospital wrist band, and it advised to put sugar in the formula

Teladi · 30/01/2015 20:03

When I was pg a family friend was thrilled to hear I was planning to breastfeed. She told me happily about breastfeeding her own 2 DC, both born in the 70s. When they were born, she stayed in hospital for a week with each of them. She fed them every 4 hours and if they got a bit cross in between you could give them sugar water. Hmm To be fair to her, she was hugely supportive of me breastfeeding and was interested to hear how things had changed.

Moresproutsplease · 30/01/2015 20:03

My eldest DC was born in the 70s. Breast feeding was frowned on in hospital, probably because it was easier for nurses to give a bottle - and the four hour feeding was I'm sure to suit their schedules and shift times.

Out of 16 new mums in my ward only two of us bf our babies and we had to have the curtain pulled around our beds in case anyone saw us Hmm

Four hourly feeds with a bottle to top up was the rule, with a strict ten minutes each side. And all the babies were taken to the nursery at night and during mums' nap time after lunch - and given a bottle of sugared water if they cried. We were in hospital for at least five days and there were so many rules and regulations we didn't feel as if our babies belonged to us Sad

No wonder I didn't succeed with bf.

Solids were recommended from '12 weeks or 12 pounds, whichever came first'. Farex, rusks (often dissolved into formula in a bottle) were first weaning foods, followed by soft egg yolk or Heinz beef and bone broth.

Orange juice and rose hip syrup were given at four weeks or so to 'space out feeds'

Strange times.

TheEagle · 30/01/2015 20:04

Hugs for you stargirl, it must be hard being a Mum without your own Mum around to talk things through with.

My Mum definitely doesn't agree with all our parenting choices - she thinks we're too soft - but it's nice to talk to her about things all the same.

My family were much more accepting of my BFing DS than DH's family were. I fed him till he was 13mo and then he weaned because I'm pregnant.

No-one I know IRL believes I'll be "able" to breastfeed twins!

usualsuspect333 · 30/01/2015 20:06

My eldest was born in the 70s. BF was encouraged. Demand feeding was the norm.

Original poster
stargirl1701 · 30/01/2015 20:06

Thanks, Eagle.

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usualsuspect333 · 30/01/2015 20:07

My mum BF all of us in the 50s and 60s.

Original poster
stargirl1701 · 30/01/2015 20:08

Congrats too! Wine Twins! Wow! Do you know if they are identical? A mum at my local LLL had twins at the same time I had DD2. She has learned lots of new wraps with her sling!

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MythicalKings · 30/01/2015 20:08

1 DC late 70s the next 1980. Advice was breast feed on demand for as long as you (or they) want. Baby rice at 6 months if they seemed hungry.

TheEagle · 30/01/2015 20:11

We don't know yet if they're identical - they have separate placentas and separate sacs so there's only a small chance they'll be identical.

I'm watching a lot of YouTube videos about tandem feeding twins Smile

DayLillie · 30/01/2015 20:14

I had twins - I just fed one, then the other, with a lot of rocking in car seats in between - then started on the nappies. They were really good feeders. I gave up on tandem feeding because I used to get a massive let-down on both sides that made my eyes water, then the milk came too fast and they would fall off and I couldn't keep hold of them.........Hmm
They were much better than feeding DS1 though.

You will do it! Congratulations. Best thing ever Grin

3littlefrogs · 30/01/2015 20:15

I qualified as a midwife in the 70s.
First time mums stayed in hospital for 7 to 10 days.
Second and subsequent babies 48 hours.
Midwives visited at home until the tenth day, but could continue until 6 weeks if necessary.
Breast feeding was encouraged on demand, but time on the breast was limited to 2 minutes each side on day 1 and gradually built up to 10 minutes each side by about day 4.
We now know that this is not really a good idea, but that is what we did then. The rationale was to try and prevent sore nipples.
Mixed feeding was entirely maternal choice and babies were often given a feed of SMA or C&G at night, in the nursery, so that mum could sleep.

Sore nipples = hand expressing.
We had 2 huge electric breast pumps affectionately known as "Daisy", these were usually reserved for mums whose babies were in SCBU.

Formula feeding was on a 4 hourly schedule unless the baby was small for dates or premature.
Weaning was baby rice from 4 months, pureed vegetables from about 5 months, gradually moving on to white meat/fish, but not red meat until one year.
Baby led weaning was unheard of - as an expression or a concept.

We had to observe babies every day for weight, temperature, nappy contents and signs of dehydration.

Sometimes babies would be given weak dextrose solution if they looked a bit "dry" or if they were jaundiced. in fact they were always given extra fluids if jaundiced to help to excrete the bilirubin.

DayLillie · 30/01/2015 20:16

Oh - and keep a note of who you have fed and when - you lose track.

Original poster
stargirl1701 · 30/01/2015 20:16

Interestingly, of the twins at the group, one had a TT and one fed brilliantly from the start. Mum was pressured by HV to top up. It has taken 16 weeks to get it cut Angry

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