Think back to the 1960s: It was definitely a different time, that’s for sure.
But all things considered, 1968 wasn’t really that long ago -- which is why you’re going to laugh out loud when you see these hospital guidelines apparently provided by Cabarrus Memorial Hospital, discovered by a woman who posted the instructions to Facebook. Her post has been shared about 10,000 times since March 2019.
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My mom was going through her things and we saw this, it's rules in regards to just having a baby. It gave me a chuckle....
Posted by Micala Gabrielle Henson on Friday, March 29, 2019
These days, doctors say to do plenty of parental bonding, immediate skin-to-skin, if possible, and a whole host of recommendations that might have seemed outright crazy in 1968. So we’ll show you what the hospital advised then, and compare it to now. Enjoy the ride!
What they said then:
“Babies are on display at (the) nursery window from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and 7 to 7:45 p.m. Please do not ask to see baby at any other time.”
What they say now:
(Wait a sec, you just carried that baby for nine whole months and you can't ask to see her?)
In 2019, it’s all about rooming in -- meaning, keeping the baby in the same room as the new parents. Some hospitals are even phasing out nurseries entirely. It's controversial, but the consensus seems to be that new moms and dads should stay with their little ones out the gate.
What they said then:
“Baby will come to mother for feeding (at) 9 to 10 a.m., 1 to 2 p.m., 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. (and) 9 to 10 p.m. No visitor is allowed on floor or in room during nursing periods, including father.”
What they say now:
If you’re breastfeeding, babies feed on demand -- meaning whenever they seem hungry, you offer to nurse them. There’s definitely no prescribed schedule, and the infant’s in the room with you already, so there’s no waiting for your child to be dropped off to feed. Also, we’re laughing at the horror of a visitor -- or the baby’s father! -- potentially being on the floor while a new mother is breastfeeding. These days, anyone can be around, so long as the mom’s comfortable. Worth mentioning: a newborn’s stomach is the size of a marble, and the baby’s learning to nurse just as much as the new mother is learning how to effectively feed her baby. It doesn’t take much milk to fill that tiny stomach, but some babies want to eat around the clock those first few weeks. This schedule seems mean!
What they said then:
“Do not smoke while baby is in the room.”
What they say now:
Do we even need to be having this discussion?
At least this is a solid recommendation!
What they said then:
“During first 24 hours, allow baby to nurse 5 minutes only. On second and third days, allow baby to nurse approximately 7 minutes. On fourth and fifth days, allow baby to nurse approximately 10 to 15 minutes. If baby nurses longer, it may cause the nipple to become sore.”
What they say now:
Let your baby nurse as much as possible! Some hospitals even make you fill out a log to ensure your baby’s getting calories often enough. Other hospitals encourage waking your baby to feed overnight, until he or she is back up to birth weight. (It’s normal for infants to lose a pound or so at first, but then you have to get them back up to birth weight).
You’d never think of cutting a feeding short, and yeah, things can definitely get sore, but that’s not really the priority here, is it?
What they said then -- and this is really in all caps:
“DO NOT EAT CHOCOLATE CANDY, RAW APPLE, CABBAGE, NUTS, STRAWBERRIES, CHERRIES, ONIONS, OR GREEN COCONUT CAKE.”
What they say now:
Quick pause. “Green coconut cake?” Was the dessert having a real moment in 1968? What was so bad about it? Also, strawberries? Cherries? What’s the verdict on those? We have so many questions.
New moms are told to eat pretty normally these days, and you’re typically not advised to cut out any foods unless your baby seems to be bothered. Sure, spicy foods might irritate some newborns, or dairy might not sit well with others -- but unless you know that that’s an issue for your baby, you’re told to proceed as normal. Nutritious, balanced meals are recommended, and you can even top off your dinner with a tasty piece of green coconut cake.
Share this story with another new parent for a laugh or two, will you?