Monthly Nurse ?
 

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

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

OC

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!

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

oh so would they have had any qualifications ??

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

OC

thanks OC

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/m...mery/Betty.jpg

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

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.