I Found A "How To Raise A Baby" Book From 100 Years Ago And The Advice Is NOT Good

BuzzFeed
·5 min read

Parenting advice is wild because there is so much of it coming from so many different directions. As a first-time mom myself, I can't help but feel like I'm doing things wrong. Well, I'm not doing things as wrong as this parenting book from 1926, which has such bad advice that I couldn't help but do my own research to refute it.

The image is a book cover titled
The image is a book cover titled

McFadden Publishing

1."Some mothers, in an attempt to soothe the child allow thumb sucking or the use of 'pacifiers.' This is most objectionable; constant thumb sucking often causes deformity of mouth and jaw and crooked teeth."

A baby with a mohawk hairstyle, lying on their stomach, looks upwards while sucking their thumb

2."It is now considered advisable to give cod liver oil, a preventative of rickets in proper amount to all infants before the end of the first month, preferably by the end of the second week."

A vintage Welfare Foods Service poster featuring a baby sleeping with a toy and promoting cod liver oil and orange juice bottles in a crib

3."Rules for the mother preceding birth: She should not attend plays, read books or frequent company which may destroy the peace of her mind or get her in an over-excited condition."

A nurse in a uniform and cap checks on several women lying on mats on the floor in a seemingly medical or care facility setting

4."The most satisfactory bed is of enameled iron or brass. It is easily kept...The sides should be lined, especially for a new-born babe."

A woman holds a child while standing near a crib. A man in a suit stands in the doorway, looking towards them

5."Mother and child are both exhausted after the birth, and both require a long, restful, unmolested sleep. Usually, for the first twelve to twenty-four hours, the newborn infant sleeps peacefully and continuously, and on no account should it be aroused, not even to be displayed by a proud parent to an expectant group of relatives."

A woman lies in a hospital bed, looking lovingly at a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket, resting beside her

6."The most satisfactory and safest treatment [for constipation] over any length of time is afforded by injections of hot water or camomile tea. Glycerine and soap enemas, when continued, are irritating to the bowel. One should always wait two days before resorting to an enema. The injection should be given with a bulb syringe, which holds about two ounces."

A black and white photo of a baby lying in a bassinet, wearing a diaper and looking upwards while crying

7."The little one's best position during sleeping or waking hours is on his abdomen, with head turned so the cheek rests on the pillow, though there is no special objection to lying on his side."

A woman stands by a window with a baby in a wire cage attached outside the building

8."A baby, during the first few weeks of life, should have two or three movements of the bowels every day."

A woman in a vintage dress attends to a baby on a changing table, while another baby is balanced on a shelf. A framed picture of a cat is on the wall

9."One sure way to build up the vital resistance and overcome the tendency to contract smallpox, or any other contagious or infectious disease, is to train the child to have regular daily movements of the bowels."

A baby in a diaper is sitting on the floor, holding a phone receiver in one hand and looking to the side with a surprised expression

10."Many authorities require a breast pump, but such instruments are likely to be too powerful and may cause injury."

An illustration depicts a woman in a long dress sitting in a chair and listening to an early form of a telephone device connected to the wall

11."Never let the youngster form the habit of going to sleep with the nipple in his mouth."

A mother lovingly breastfeeds her newborn baby while seated on a bed, wrapped in a blanket and wearing a shawl

12."If any pus appears, the eyes should be carefully wiped every hour with a solution of 10 grains of boric acid to an ounce of water. Should the lids have the tendency to stick together, a little Vaseline should be rubbed into them each night."

A room filled with multiple bassinets, each containing a newborn baby

13."At a rough estimate, it might be said that for several weeks babies can use from 18 to 22 hours out of every 24 hours very profitably in sleeping, or about 9/10ths of the time."

Muhammad Ali kisses a newborn baby while an unidentified woman smiles nearby in a hospital room. Both adults are wearing white hospital gowns

14."Babies do not need to be cuddled, and should not be; and it is best to keep them from an upright position as much as possible."

Julie Andrews smiles while cradling a newborn in her arms. She is wearing a light sweater. The background features a vase with flowers

What's the most outlandish piece of parenting advice you've gotten? Tell us in the comments below!

Latest Stories