Difference between revisions of "328--Week 7 Questions/Comments"
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I also really enjoyed reading the letters in "Anxious Mothers Write the Children's Bureau." I thought that it was really interesting that these women seemed to be fairly pro-active in seeking advice on child-rearing and health concerns for their children. It was also pretty amusing reading about the woman afraid that not giving in to her cravings would leave marks on her cravings. I wonder what the response would to that question in context with the time period. I also wonder how much things have changed since then. I know that we have a lot of medical advances, but I also hear of a lot of old wives tales surrounding childbirth. Also, I come from a fairly rural area and I can see how not living close to a good doctor could still be a problem in some areas. And to respond to Amanda's question about why they didn't move closer to a doctor, I think that it would depend on a lot of factors. Particularly, if the family lives in a rural area on a farm or something, it might be difficult to move the family. That's just one example that I could think of, and I'm sure that there are a dozen more. --Katie Nelson | I also really enjoyed reading the letters in "Anxious Mothers Write the Children's Bureau." I thought that it was really interesting that these women seemed to be fairly pro-active in seeking advice on child-rearing and health concerns for their children. It was also pretty amusing reading about the woman afraid that not giving in to her cravings would leave marks on her cravings. I wonder what the response would to that question in context with the time period. I also wonder how much things have changed since then. I know that we have a lot of medical advances, but I also hear of a lot of old wives tales surrounding childbirth. Also, I come from a fairly rural area and I can see how not living close to a good doctor could still be a problem in some areas. And to respond to Amanda's question about why they didn't move closer to a doctor, I think that it would depend on a lot of factors. Particularly, if the family lives in a rural area on a farm or something, it might be difficult to move the family. That's just one example that I could think of, and I'm sure that there are a dozen more. --Katie Nelson | ||
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| + | At the turn on the 20th century, women are discussed as becoming "modern" - in fact that is what the entire reading was about this week - the "new woman," the changing woman, but when it came to rural families, it seemed life was still pretty backward. One bad childbirth ended up crippling the last woman, while the first woman, Mrs. W.M, was still seeking advice on pre-natal care after delivering three boys, such as the tying of the naval cord. The establishment of the Children's Bureau of the Department of Labor marked a huge change in public health. Today, many expectant mothers rely on how-to books and pamphlets to guide them through their pregnancies, but are also carefully monitored by OBGYNs. At the turn of the century, most women it seemed were only guided my myths and if they were lucky, a midwife or doctor at the birth. Public health education certainly is revolutionary, and is a shame the department was shut down in 1929. I wonder what took its place. ~Juliann Boyles | ||
Interesting stuff. Puts the early 20th century into context from a healthcare standpoint. I believe the average life expectancy in 1900 was about 45 to 47 years of age. It has advanced 30 years during the past century. Motherhood and childbirth, especially in rural areas, was obviously much more like a 19th century experience than what we come to regard as a "normal experience" today. Certainly no textbooks such as "What to Expect When You Are Expecting," available to these ladies. Phil Novalski. | Interesting stuff. Puts the early 20th century into context from a healthcare standpoint. I believe the average life expectancy in 1900 was about 45 to 47 years of age. It has advanced 30 years during the past century. Motherhood and childbirth, especially in rural areas, was obviously much more like a 19th century experience than what we come to regard as a "normal experience" today. Certainly no textbooks such as "What to Expect When You Are Expecting," available to these ladies. Phil Novalski. | ||
