Putting Vaseline onto the rectal thermometer before insertion

During the time when my temperature was taken rectally, I never recall my mom dipping the rectal thermometer into the Vaseline before the insertion.

Members, what was the purpose of dipping the rectal thermometer into the Vaseline before inserting the rectal thermometer into the person's rectum?

No matter if was by a nurse at a doctor's office or at a hospital or at home. What was that purpose?

During the time when my temperature was taken rectally, I never recall my mom dipping the rectal thermometer into the Vaseline before the insertion.

Members, what was the purpose of dipping the rectal thermometer into the Vaseline before inserting the rectal thermometer into the person's rectum?

No matter if was by a nurse at a doctor's office or at a hospital or at home. What was that purpose?

You have done rectal temps on yourself. Isn't the answer obvious?

You need SOMETHING either on the thermometer or on your anus.

Lubing the thermometer is seen as less invasive than lubing the anus, plus it is cleaner for the health care provider.

Seriously, rectal temps in a doctor's office or hospital? You need to be unresponsive or unconscious for them to do it that way.

Mom always took our RT's before starting our first enema, but I do not recall her ever lubing the thermometer. I won't say it never happened, but I recall that she always opted for a Vaselined finger up our anuses. That way, one lubing served for our RT, and our first enema.

You may not need to use Vaseline on the thermometer as an adult, but as a child or teen, it might be painful without it. I almost never lube the thermometer, when taking my temperature. If I do, it's only for variety.

I have just learned from a nurse that lubricating the rectal thermometer for taking rectal temperatures prevents pain at the time of insertion mostly for infants and toddlers. I have also learned that back in the day that rectal temperatures were mainly used for all ages back when mercury thermometers were used. That is something that I did not know.

I think the question was why the rectal thermometer was dipped into the Vaseline jar, instead of it being applied by the finger. In house, the thermometer was always dipped into the Vaseline jar. it had a lot of pits in it from dipping, but the jar was never used for any other purpose.

To Gabi's point, at home the thermometer was dipped into the glass jar of Vaseline, and it was solely for that purpose, as it was kept in the medicine closet with the thermometer. There would be anxious moments as my mother shook down the thermometer and dipped it for insertion while I was on my tummy on her bed. At the pediatrician's office, once it was decided that I was to get my temperature taken in my bottom, the nurse would get the thermometer from the glass holder and put Vaseline on a paper towel that she placed on the counter next to the examination table. She dipped the thermometer into the Vaseline, then proceeded to tell me to be still for her as she carefully inserted into me.

As a plumber I had to work in a bathroom once my eyes fell on a pot of vasaline I could not resist opening the pot and looking The vasaline was full of dots what reminded me of the sexy lady who let me in my imagination went wild

My guess, so as to not get her fingers greasy.

My mom was a dipper. I still can recall the large jar of Vaseline she kept on the linen closet. It had many divits scooped out of the pale yellow grease. And she was very liberal with the jelly, getting a big blob into the rounded bulb. It always left my bottom squishy for the rest of the day. To this day I prefer to use Vaseline if I'm playing.

She would hide it as long as possible. If i saw it i knew what time is it.

Susie: In my home, as well as in the hospital where I was transported to for appendicitis, temperatures were taken rectally and the thermometer inserted by the patient (me). No lubricant was used then, it was expected that if you stick something into your own orifice you won't be brusque, you will "bear down" to open things up, and you will know if it doesn't go in well. When mom inserted the thermometer herself (I saw it done on my little brother, and she did it once on me at an age that I can recall), she used Vaseline. I suspect the said Vaseline was used chiefly for this, for I did not see Vaseline any more when I was older.

My mother always dipped the rectal thermometer before putting it in on the other hand (no pun untended) for enemas she dipped her finger in the Vaseline and lunricated my butt directly before putting the nozzle in

I never saw mom or my aunt put the Vaseline on the thermometer. With mom, I was laying on my stomach over a bed with my eyes usually closed. With my aunt, I was laying over her lap with my head down so I wasn't able to see behind the scene.

When I would take someone's rectal temperature or myself, I would spread the Vaseline onto the thermometer with my finger and then wrip my finger with a paper towel.

By the way there is a rationale for dipping in a jar as opposed to using fingers to smear. At least you don't put Vaseline, which is difficult to clean, on your fingers.

(But you still end up with Vaseline on the patient's anus of course... thus some wiping is in order after the temperature.)

(My mother in law, when she gave enemas to her children, had the following approach: if she ended with Vaseline on her fingers after putting it on the nozzle, she would wipe her fingers on the patient's anus...)

Always use vaseline, on both the thermometer and the anus. Lubricating her anus is one of the naughty joys of taking her temperature. And her taking mine.

My girlfriend's sister is coming to visit us for a month next year. When we are at work I wonder if she will explore our bathroom and find the vaseline. It's not hard to find. I wonder if she'll look inside and see all the obvious marks where the thermometer has dipped in.

To lube the silver bulb and glass tube and the anus so it will slide in and out without any irritation. My Mom and Step-Dad loved to lube my rosebud hole around the outside and then push their index finger slowly but firmly all the way in to make sure my rectum and bowels were nice and slick so the thermometer wouldn't have any irritation as it went in and out.

What @wickerman says.

There was one tub of Vaseline in the master bath specifically for the thermometer.

In the hall linen closet, there was another tub among other lotions & notions for skin care purposes.

Imagine my youthful angst when, nearly caught by parents coming home early during chapped-skin season, I hurriedly placed each tub in the wrong location! It was a nerve-wracking span of time until I was able to switch the tubs back to their proper locations. And good thing too I was able to keep hidden the greasy thermometer in its case. Nobody found out.

After that, I continued taking my temperature -- using TP to hold a big glob only from the hall closet.

My parents were 'dippers', not smearers. When I was little and sick in bed there was always an open jar of Vaseline with a thermometer sticking out of it on my night stand ready for its next use.

I'm a dipper most of the time. A little dab will do ya!

Mom and my gram only put vaseline on the thermometer and just enough to get it to go in smoothly. Never a huge amount and never done with a finger always just pushed lightly into the vaseline jar or tube.

The thermometer was dipped at home and drs office. Even now I’ll still dip if using Vaseline. Otherwise I finger my butt to lube it before inserting the thermometer.

I guess it's preference really. A thermometer only ever requires a small dabble of any kind of lubricant. The dip in the vaseline jar would have been more then enough.

Perhaps it's a hygiene thing? If it's in the home for example the ''Taker" may not have a glove so dipping the thermometer in the jar is a way of avoiding direct contact with the anus.

I know when I have the pleasure of taking someones rectal temperature I am very liberal with the lubricant. Plenty on the anus and another dollop on the thermometer.

My mom used to dip the thermometer in the jar of Vaseline and I remember the holes when I was a kid. Now I have a specific jar of Vaseline that I only use for my thermometer because I like the holes. I also like the visual look of the thermometer and the jar of Vaseline together, I find it arousing.

Using Vaseline on a thermometer seems more of a tradition than something practical, at least for an adult. Sometimes the thermometer starts to slip out because of it. Kind of like spraying WD-40 on a kotter pin.

My parents dipped the thermometer into the vaseline jar, but in the doctor's office they used a huge glob. Every time I watched the nurse putting vaseline on the thermometer I thought to myself with the amount she used she could have taken 4 people's temperatures. In the hospital the nurses would use a tube of vaseline instead of a jar. I guess it was easier to put a big tube into the pocket of their nurse's coat. They also used a lot.

I really found exciting the couple thermometer plus vaseline jar. Probably because they are a good anticipation of what is going to happen. However i also understand the fully tip the thermometer inside tha jar really put too much vasleline on it.

Why was Vaseline so ubiquitous (not in our house, though)? Certainly many parents had a tube of K-Y jelly or Lubrifax; it cleans up so much easier.

My mom dipped the thermometer in the Vaseline first before inserting it

Vaseline is my favorite lubricant for a rectal thermometer. It reminds me of rectal temperatures growing up. Seeing the thermometer and jar of vaseline is always exciting for me. Even more so when presented by a strict female care giver.