Mom did know best.

So maybe mothers and grandmothers in the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s weren’t so far off base in emphasizing the importance of regular bowel movements even if that required enemas. Maybe we’ll see a return of the weekly enema.

"Prior research has shown how bowel movement frequency can have a big impact on gut ecosystem function," said Johannes Johnson-Martinez, the lead author of the study. "Specifically, if stool sticks around too long in the gut, microbes use up all of the available dietary fiber, which they ferment into beneficial short-chain fatty acids. After that, the ecosystem switches to fermentation of proteins, which produces several toxins that can make their way into the bloodstream."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240716122711.htm

Yes I just heard that. grandmother knows best.

I was born in 1951 when in a lot of families Mom was the administrator of the bowel routine schedule. Every three days if me or my brother were not “regular” enough to her liking, we got the enema routine, on all fours on a bath towel on the bathroom floor. We were pretty healthy kids and in those days even the Doctor asked how the bowel habits were doing. Got a couple of enemas at the Doctor check ups back then. Mom and Grandma often talked openly about it in those days. Yes they knew best and all though not every three days as I am very “regular” these days, a good enema session is still practiced at least once a week. Thank you Mom!

Our family pediatrician didn't need a study to prove that regular bowel movements kept kids healthy. His advice after any

home visit or office appointment was "keep his bowels open!"

Not that my mother ever needed a scientific study as a reason to administer a 'good cleanout' - which she did regularly.

Having a mother, and grandma next door, who seemed pretty obsessed with BM's, I was really resentful in my early years. The pediatrician and his nurse, were also very obsessed with my bowel habits and that included my older sister.

An enema, or even the threat of an enema, kept us both spending time on the toilet, ostensibly to fulfill expectations of the adults. Failure to have a daily BM, surely resulted in an enema. Skipping school or church also guaranteed a date with the enema bag.

My resentment, and perceived punishing aspect of enemas, stayed with me until I realized some very pleasurable outcums. By then, I had been secretly enjoying my dates with the various enema/douche equipment.

It was several years later, after myriad research and practices, that I came to realize the positives, and interactions with others, abolished any resentment that I was weird due to those childhood enemas.

In hindsight, mom and her mom probably knew best and was supported by my ornery pediatrician and his nurse who had a thing for enema use.

Our younger siblings didn't have many of the benefits due to the passing of those enema advocates.

I didn't get enemas on a regular basis, like once a week. But because I was prone to constipation, my mother would give me an enema if other measures didn't work.

Skipping school or church also guaranteed a date with the enema bag.

One of my school friends (female) said that she had prettier skin than her friends, was sick less often, and was slimmer. She didn't know if getting regular enemas had anything to do with it.a girl) told me years later that if she didn't go to school due to minor ailments, her mother would give her enemas. Her mother said that enemas were good for ailments and discouraged simulations. Her first enema was administered in the morning around eight o'clock. Two at noon, around twelve. My friend said that it discouraged her from resorting to illness so as not to go to school.

Another friend (female) said that her mother gave her regular enemas during her adolescence. Her mother thought it was necessary at this time. The girl didn't like it, but she had no choice. Her mother gave her an enema once a week, on Saturday. The girl said that she had prettier skin than her friends, was sick less often, and was slimmer. She didn't know if getting regular enemas had anything to do with it.

@Reman I forgot about the play-sick enemas I would get if I claimed I was sick so I could stay home from school. Those were extra soapy and caused severe cramps. Made me feel miserable. I would get 2 of those with no rinse so they would keep cramping (and I would keep pooping) for hours. Mom would say if you're going to stay home sick, you might as well feel sick.

Maybe once a month or less, I got a good rinse. Illness or seizures added an extra reason.

I never got enemas on a regular schedule, such as every Saturday, or whatever, but when mom (or sometimes grandma) noticed things were not right such as not wanting to play with my sister or the neighbor kids, if they determined I had not pooped recently, they would suggest, "An enema will make you feel better." And they were usually right. They just seemed to know when an enema was appropriate.

When my siblings and I were growing up, mom didn’t give us enemas on a regular schedule. She gave us enemas when needed, which was usually two or three times a month. When we stayed with grandma for four to six weeks during the summer, she and our aunts were a little different. There wasn’t a set schedule per se, however we usually got an enema at least once a week, usually on Saturday during evening bath time.

I'm not sure she really knew how, a neighbor helped. They had to hold me down. As a baby have no idea. I'm sure they had no idea of the fetish she started leaving the enema bag hanging in thr shower.

My Mom was certainly overly concerned with my bowel habits when I was a kid in the 50's and 60's. I'd be asked almost every day if I'd pooped and if I told her no, or she even suspected that I hadn't, she'd give me a laxative at bedtime and if that didn't work as soon as I woke up in the morning she'd escalate my treatment to a suppository and if necessary a soapsuds enema. It seemed that everyone on her side of the family got the same attention paid to their bowel habits and many of my cousins were given a regular weekly dose of laxative to ensure they stayed regular and I know they were all given soapsuds enemas whenever my aunts felt they needed them.

Well I am sure like most kids back in the 50's got their share of enemas . Because most moms didn't take their kids to the doctor for every little thing . Also even if they did doctors back then knew enemas would help with a lot of things . An moms were also given enemas by their moms growing up to back then . An was trained by their mom the right way to take care of their kids to . I as a kid back in the 50's also I guess started getting a good enema every saturday morning . After having my wet night diaper taken off . I guess my mom knew when I hadn't pooped for a couple of days . An she knew I needed a good enema each week .

Https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/enema-benefits#intro

Every Saturday my mother would give me a soap suds enema. I remember the red enema bag completely filled and high above me. I had to kneel face down bottom up. I would protest but I knew I would have to take the whole bag. In addition to the weekly enema, any time I went to the doctor I got another enema. I learned never to admit to having a stomach ache as that was also an extra enema. The red enema bag and tubing was always hanging on the bathroom door. So Mom could quickly prepare the soapy emema I knew I was going to get. After about age 12 (guess), I would be told to give myself the enema. I didn't like soap suds enemas because Mom could really make an enema that would produce cramps. Today I like the cramps they produce.

If I was sick or constipated my mother would give me a soapsuds enema followed by a tap water enema. Suppositories were never used.

The first few times they were given as a surprise.

Popeye, I seldom was surprised when mom or grandma decided I needed an enema. In fact, their orders were "go lay down in the tub while I get your enema ready". I knew to take off all my clothes and lay there in anticipation as the red enema bag was filled and made ready for the invasion.

Mom just seemed to know when an enema was appropriate. What I remember is my early protests were not so much that I didn't need an enema, but how much I had to take. As I got older and realized that I actually sort of liked those enemas, my protest was more about timing, such as can it wait until after this tv show is over? I had to protest some, but not too much. I didn't want to talk her out of it because I really wanted the enema, just maybe not now. When I was about twelve, I got caught giving myself an enema when mom came home from shopping earlier than expected. That was the end of her suggesting that she give me an enema. Then it was something like, "You sure are crabby today. Do you need to give yourself an enema?" Knowing that I knew how to do it without her help she stopped offering to give it to me.

Cheryl, like you I believe mom developed her instincts regarding enema use from her mom (my grandma). While I believed I was quite sneaky when I self indulged, both probably suspected the enema bag got more frequent use when they weren't around. My older sister wasn't a stranger when it came to enemas. She was much more open than I, and would prompt mom or grandma to give me one if I had been teasing her.

It was much later when I interrupted mom prepping my sister for a test. The enema bag had failed and I had run into the bathroom to pee. I saw the enema bag laying in the tub and mom had tried to stop me from entering. I made a snide comment about my sister and was told to go buy a new enema bag. Mom handed me 20 bucks, and when I protested, she said "you know what to buy, you guys wore this one out". It was likely the most direct indication that mom knew that I had been self indulging over the years.

@sse4fun said,

I saw the enema bag laying in the tub and mom had tried to stop me from entering. I made a snide comment about my sister and was told to go buy a new enema bag. Mom handed me 20 bucks, and when I protested, she said "you know what to buy, you guys wore this one out". It was likely the most direct indication that mom knew that I had been self indulging over the years.

And @Cheryl77177 said,

When I was about twelve, I got caught giving myself an enema when mom came home from shopping earlier than expected. That was the end of her suggesting that she give me an enema. Then it was something like, "You sure are crabby today. Do you need to give yourself an enema?" Knowing that I knew how to do it without her help she stopped offering to give it to me.

The above comments are interesting, though not quite the same as my siblings and I experienced. They were along the same lines, but different. Being our grandmother was a retired Registered Nurse and a firm believer in enemas for both kids and adults. To that end, when her two younger daughters reached their preteens years, she taught them personal hygiene along with how to care for young children. Afterwards, they were responsible for themselves, when it came to enemas. Plus, she gave them the responsibility of doing our evening bath including enemas and the occasional spanking. She did this to give them practical experience under her supervision. Once they were responsible for doing our enemas at bath time, it didn’t take us long to realize, they like us enjoyed enemas. So, whenever we heard them protesting about giving us an enema, it didn’t take long to figure out what they were up too. To that end, both girls liked to play around as they explored, and that included enemas that weren’t really necessary. Enemas when needed were one thing, but enemas when not needed were something else again. However, it was something my siblings and I didn’t mind, because like the girls, we enjoyed it when they played around with unnecessary enemas. At the time, my siblings and I didn't think twice about it, but looking back now. I'm sure grandma knew exactly what the girls were up too. Besides, when we reached our preteens, like her two daughters, she taught us personal hygiene and enemas became our responsibility. Though not entirely. There were circumstances when the girls still gave us enemas. And like the girls, we gave each other enemas afterwards.

Mom on the other hand, didn’t like getting enemas herself. However, she never had an issue giving us enemas when needed. We pretty much knew when she would give us an enema. However, there were times when out of the blue, she would give us an enema for no apparent reason. For example: On rainy days when we had to play inside, she would just out of the blue tell us, “Go to your bedroom and get ready. I think y’all could use a good enema.” The funny thing was, she may have given us an enema a day or two before that that were actually needed. Another interesting fact about her out of the blue enemas, was everything took longer, with the exception of our hold time. There wasn’t one.

Then, when we were sick, and the doctor called to make a house call. Once seen, the doctor's usual prescription was daily enemas until the illness passed. If we were at home, mom took care of the enemas. But if we were at grandmas, the girls took care of the daily enemas and used it as an excuse to do daily enemas themselves.

"You have to train your colon to be punctual." This sentence from my mother still rings in my ears today.

From an early age I had an aversion to having to go to strange, mainly public, toilets. I refrained from going to the toilet when I needed to, and in doing so I ended up with one or two constipations.

Mother somehow had a seventh sense. "You didn't go to the toilet yesterday or today. If nothing happens in the next hour, the red bulb will get back to work and will help your colon get back on track."

I hated being made to poop like that.

But at some point it was fun to feel these red rubber bulbs in the anus.

@Adrian6 said,

From an early age I had an aversion to having to go to strange, mainly public, toilets. I refrained from going to the toilet when I needed to…

I think that’s common with most kids. When my siblings and I were growing up, we hated using the bathroom at school. So, consequently we ended up get an enema two or three times a month. Years later, after I was married and had kids. Like us, our two hated using the bathroom at school, and so did my brothers two girls. Many years later when my brother had grandkids, like us, they too hate using the facilities at school.