Monthly Nurse ?

[vallee]

in 1881 I have a woman described as a monthly nurse ??? what does that mean thanks

[Olde Crone]

A monthly nurse was a woman who went to look after mother and baby for the first month after birth.

OC

[Merry]

Or in my gran's case the monthly nurse arrived three weeks before the birth, but gran talked so much she couldn't get away - they had a lovely time!

[Olde Crone]

Merry

Haha!

Amazing isn't it..my daughter was out of bed in hours after a caesarian, and home in two days to get on with it herself! How times have changed.

OC

[vallee]

oh so would they have had any qualifications ??

[Olde Crone]

Not necessarily any professional qualifications, just good practical proven experience unless they worked for some posh agency like Norlands.

OC

[vallee]

thanks OC

[Merry]

Here's what one looked like in 1920. This is the lady that liked to listen lol, but she is with my auntie this time. I have a photo of her with mum too.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m13/merry_monty_montgomery/Betty.jpg

[vallee]

oh you are lucky Merry wish I had a photo like that
I am wondering if she was brought in to attend her husbands first wife who died having a baby because she married him within 2 years of that one dying

[Merry]

I think in theory they were supposed to arrive as the midwife left, so to speak. I suppose if the poor mum had died, but the child lived then they would need the nurse more than ever?

I used to think that all babies who lost their mum's needed a wet nurse in the past, but I think alternative milk was available much earlier than I previously imagined, though what it consisted of I don't know.

[Olde Crone]

Merry

Cow's milk administered drip by drip on a hopefully clean bit of rag.

I think glass feeding bottles were also available fairly early on, developed from bottles used to feed farm animal babies, lol!

OC

[FamilyHistoryAddict]

My great great grandmother appears on a census as a monthly nurse. I think the only qualification she had was that she'd had 14 children herself! :eek: :D

Cheers, FHA

[vallee]

how fascinating OC poor baby must have be desperate to get it quicker
FHA thats qualification in itself

[Merry]

I've just read in an 1847 newspaper that mothers suffering from consumption should not breastfeed, but should give 'artificial milk' made from two thirds cows milk and one third water with a little sugar added.

The same article (entitled 'Health and it's Preservation') suggests weaning babies at about 8 months. It says some mother continue to 'suckle their babies for as much as 20 months without any other sustinance, to the detriment of their health and that of the child.' The babies must have been starving by 20 months :eek: