Was your mom old fashioned because of rectal temperatures?

Do you consider your mom "oldschool", or "old fashioned" because she was a strong believer in temperature being taken the old fashioned way... rectally?

Even if you did not complain because you found it a no big thing to fuss about, or if you didn't dare to resist to your strict mother, have you ever thought about it as a kid? I mean, especially if your were switched to oral as late as a teenager, (and to add the humiliation, your friends or other relatives were switched way sooner and younger than you) have you ever wondered that you have to endure the rectal temp takings because:

A.) your mom was raised that way, meaning her mother (your grandma) also did this to her

B.) or you always heard from her that "rectal temperature is the most accurate".

C.) she was overprotective,and thought even if you were old enough to hold the thermometer in your mouth or under your armpit, you are still a little boy/girl in her eyes

No, it was normal in the 1950s and 1960s

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Mothers back in the day before digitals ( quick measures) and non invasive devices took rectal temperatures for necessity when their children were sick.

If a child or teen has that done today, and is caught off guard be it at home or in a medical setting with their mother present, for whatever reason taking a rectal might be questioned, or it might not. Depends.

I was born mid 1970s and in those days it was perfectly commonplace for adults in France to take their own temperature rectally, as my parents did! Hospital expected able, adult patients to insert the thermometer. For younger patients, under a certain age that I'm unsure of, the parent or nurse would insert the thermometer, of course.

There were of course some families that used other methods; I think it was the case for my wife's!

I would say B and C for me

Oh yes I forgot answering. B!! I recall asking mom about other methods (because in popular culture, sick people have the thermometer in the mouth) and she told me other methods than in the bottom were unreliable!!

Mom stop taking rectals when I was little, but once when I was in high school, I got a respiratory infection with severe cough and fever. A nurse came to the house and took my rectal temp and gave me a painful shot in the butt. Mom followed, taking it rectally until I was better.

For me it was probably none of these things. She just listened to whatever the pediatrician told her. The office always took rectal temperatures and parents were advised to do the same. Everyone I knew who went to my pediatrician went through the same thing. The only difference was in the office you were lying on a table, and at home it was over your parent’s lap.

@OverRainbow It's true that if a thermometer takes 1 to 3 minutes to register, it's difficult or impossible to use on a small child except rectally!! A thermometer that takes a few seconds may be usable tin the mouth if the child is old enough to understand having to close mouth for these few seconds. Infrared etc are even easier.

It's a bit like suppositories… there is an age in little children when they refuse oral medications, pull the dropper out of their mouth, spit it out, and it's way easier to insert a suppository when changing diapers.

My parents believed that rectal temperature was more accurate.

Yes my mother took my rectal temp all ways it was only accurate way before modern digital

I don't recall receiving a rectal temp after age 5 from mom but surely at the doctor's she was all to receptive to having mine taken like that with her watching. "You have to listen to what the nurse says. You have to get undressed and let her take your temperature!"

She just listened to whatever the pediatrician told her. The office always took rectal temperatures and parents were advised to do the same. Everyone I knew who went to my pediatrician went through the same thing.

Thank you Fontana, I knew I forgot one point in my original post, that would be:

D.) because the pediatrician advise your mother that always take rectal temperature, even at older age

Do you remember how this was explained to your mother at the pediatrician office by the doctor or nurse? For example, what was her/his words about rectal temperature taking, ever referred to the mandatory age, maybe highlight the fact that rectal temperature is the most accurate way, or referring the fact that how much older kids hate it etc.

but surely at the doctor's she was all to receptive to having mine taken like that with her watching

And thank you too Nick321, can you please add more detail the chatting between your mother and the pediatrician/nurse about rectal temperature taking at older age? Either your mom, or the pediatrician/nurse mentioned that older kids resisting much about this method, or have you heard when they told to your mother about the exact age till rectal temps are mandatory? And what was your reaction to this, of course.

So yes my mother was not old fashioned with her insistence on rectal for accuracy because that was how things were done in French hospitals at the time.

Now I'll answer another question. Is she old fashioned now? I had a look into the pharmaceutical cabinet in my parents' apartment and they seemed to have the same kind of thermometers that they had back when I was growing up, perhaps the same ones, which were used rectally. I did not see one of these newfangled infrared models. I thus think they still do rectal, which is now old fashioned.

Mom obsessively took our rectal temperatures because our older brother died from complications from pneumonia. She was traumatized by it, of course, and as a result, whenever we had the sniffles etc mom was quick to grab the rectal thermometer and take our temperature.

I don't think my mother even had a thermometer of any kind in her household when she was growing up. I think she picked it up in the United States. She probably just thought it was the safer method for kids. Also, rectal temperature taking was the norm for children in the 1960s and 70s. My temperature was taken rectally at home until I was nine. After that, my mother stopped obsessing about my temperature and I never even had my oral temperature taken at home, only in the doctor's office.

I was born in the sixties and temps were still taken rectally. My bio mother took my temp rectally as did my dad’s nanny after they divorced. When my dad remarried my step sisters pediatrician was taking temps orally so I started having my temp taken by my step mother orally. When I was hospitalized for pneumonia at 14 though the nurses in the hospital all took temps rectally. They would go from bed to bed in the ward and take all of our temps. I was one of the older kids there and it was more embarrassing.

@Ger-Harren, The doctor, or sometimes nurse, in the post exam office would always tell my mom or dad, when I was sick, to take my temperature every 4 hours by rectum. Nothing more was ever explained. My parents, as well as the doctor’s office did it that way through my high school years.

No I grew up in the 60s and 70s and it was normal for kids. to get their temperatures taken rectally

Not to be critical but the term “ old fashion” as far as rectal temperature taking is concerned IMO does not really have standing as it is a practice still used in homes and medical venues as indicated, usual practice or due to medical dictates.

As for the term “ common”, that is up for debate. Given there are newer non invasive methods and to some degree the mindset of the procedure (RT) not considered appropriate, based on circumstances and factors; to say the procedure is not “ common” may well have strong standing.

Technically the method has been used since the “ rectal” thermometer came to be and started being used. BTW, anybody have a historical comment on that?

And another phrase often heard that does not have standing is “ for babies and old people”.

Many between babies and old people no doubt have had their temperature taken rectally.

Personally I prefer the RT and still have it taken that way when I can., or when I take it myself.

Probably you might say that my parents were old fashioned taking my temp only rectally during my childhood and teenage years while more and more avoid the rectal temp measurement, even to find out if their toddlers might be ill. When I asked my parents to that topic they said, that this method was standard procedure when they were young and they still believe in it, but more and more people don't care about accurate information, so same thing with the body temperature

I wouldn’t say old fashion back then 70,s early 80’s for me. Mom made the switch around 7 to oral thermometer. Unless we were sick coughing vomiting. Then she got the other thermometer back out. The pediatrician office was little different they took rectal temperatures until about 12 before they made the switch. Always hated going hearing nurse say let’s get your pants off and get you on your tummy. Then she would pull your underwear down and slid the thermometer in your butthole and hold it between her fingers. If you had a fever you could count on get a suppository. The last time I had my temperature taking in my butt as a teenager I was 15. The Doctor wrote a prescription for phenergan suppositories mom gave me two of them. You know if you was going to pediatrician office or emergency room you was getting something in your butt

I had my temperature taken rectally through my entire childhood. That's how it was during the time when I grew up (1970s). Many moms weren't necessarily old fashioned as much as they did what was was done to them, and followed what the doctor did at the pediatrician. Also, there's another thread on here about Dr. Spock. I remember that book and it was common in households during that time. Dr. Spock was an advocate of rectal temperatures and his influence was applied.

For me exactly like @slipyourunderwearoff described. Growing up in the 70’s-80’s I think in many families RT was a standard procedure. In our family no other method was used even at later age. I got my last RT at age of 14 when I left the house, but for my sister mom did till 16-17.

Having RT taken by grandma and aunty I almost sure that mom and her sister was raised this way, so my fist guess is answer (A).

We had an old-fashioned family doctor who prescribed suppositories for almost all problems, and I heard a few times talking with mom or aunty that RT is recommended in any age, along with rectal medicine administration. I don’t think that mom was overprotective, she may just follow the tradition or the doctor recommendations. However I do not agree that RT is an old-fashioned method. Still used in many households. Now we have fast and accurate digital thermometers which reducing the procedure to a few seconds.

What was modern at one point becomes old-fashioned later.

@Jacana - It is true very much.

I was born in the middle 1950’s, and rectal temperature taking was the norm, especially for children who were too young to keep a thermometer under their tongue. In my family, it stopped when you were capable of an oral temperature, which was about age 5. I was very surprised to hear about my classmates having their temperature taken rectally, with some even in their teens. I thought that was beyond weird, and as a teen especially. After being told that it was for accuracy, I still didn’t get it. Then as an adult, I discovered that it was common practice in Europe for all ages. I still believe that the oral route is sufficient in most cases. I’ve heard that they don’t take temperature rectally in Europe anymore.

@JJM Yes, common practice, but the patient does the insertion! Nor a nurse of parent! I too find it beyond weird that some of your classmates had the thermometer inserted into their behind by their parents in teen age! (But, hey, it happened to @Nurse_Phillips in hospital… go figure!)

Why would an adult insert a thermometer into the bottom of an able-bodied, sane 9, 12 or even 14 year old who's perfectly able to aim for the little hole? Hey, these kids wipe themselves, and girls that age perhaps use tampons!

@Jacana I’m going to guess it’s an (American) nurse thing. Even now when I go to the doctor and they’re taking a temp she literally puts the probe in my mouth vs handing it to me. I don’t think that’s unusual either.

@Nurse_Phillips Yes, I recall people telling me that if you deal with a US health professional, he or she will do all actions, however intimate—if you need a suppository the nurse will give it; in a French hospital, if you're an able-bodied, sane, adult, the nurse will hand the suppository to you.

And indeed I recall that when I visited a clinic in the US, some kind of aide put the probe into my mouth. Come to think of it, in a French hospital the nurse will put the infrared device into your ear. I think the difference here is that a French nurse will avoid doing something intimate himself/herself if it can be avoided, to preserve the patient's dignity.

I've read about ultrasound technicians / midwives / physicians asking female patients to insert the wand vaginally instead of doing it on their behalf, but I don't recall which country they were talking about.