Were you given enemas as a child when you were sick?

My dad (never had a mom) was a believer in enemas, not only when sick but to keep regular. I remember after telling him that I hurt my tummy, he asked some questions, including when I last went to the potty. After I told him that I could not make anything come out, he said that I needed an enema. I already knew what it was from seeing him doing it himself. He never forced me but simply asked if I wanted to try it because it would make me feel better. When I agreed he filled the red bag with water and hung it on the shower rod. Then he put some ointment or something on the nozzle and placed it against my butt hole, and told me to push it in by myself which I did. He said that when he releases the clamp I will feel warm water filling me and that it may feel uncomfortable and I will want to poo but to try not to because then the enema will not work. I told him I would ty to hold it and he said he loved me and released the clamp. Just as he said, it began to feel uncomfortable and I wanted to poo, but I did my best to hold it. He asked how I was feeling and I said I need to poo real bad. He asked if I could still hold it in and I said yes. Finally I told him I could not hold it anymore. But he said to try and that he would shut off the clamp to stop new water from going in. Then he massaged my tummy for a while and said he would reopen the clamp soon after which I felt about to burst. I told him, he pulled out the nozzle and helped me on the toilet telling me to enjoy myself, and the he left me have my privacy. I never pooed that much in my life and remembered feeling so good inside when finally done.

Whenever I was sick, an enema was usually considered. Earliest memories are of a small syringe being used "until I was full", and, later, a partially- filled bag. They were always "over the lap", and, I suppose, that is the way i still fantasize about getting an enema. Have had a few women who would do that, but they ARE hard to find.

Enemas were the "cure-all" for whatever ailed us as children. If I had been sick (stomach ache, flu, general illness, etc) for more than 2 to 3 days, it was always enema time. For me, it was the red bag while lying on a soft terry cloth towel on the bathroom floor receiving several warm Ivory SSE's administered gently by my Mom until I was cleaned out. Never a negative experience, and I always seemed to get better within a day or two. Coincidence? Who's to say? They still work fine today (solo, however)........literally!

No, or at least i can´t remember that i have ever been given an enema as a child or sibling. And it is the same for my sister. As Long as i know, she also was never given an enema. But a girlfriend told me that she got an enema in Hospital as a child, as preparation before surgery. She said i was not so bad at all and it didn´t hurt. All that happend is that she really had an urgend feeling to go to the toilet afterwards.

This was not my mom's decision to do so. Always the visiting pediatrician would tell her to give me one, or more, when he visited. She never felt that enemas were automatic for illness, but any orders by a Dr. were always followed exactly.

I was frequently given an enema before mom even called the doctor. As I recall if I did not get an enema before then the doctor or his nurse would tell mom to give me one. It was always the same routine of a warm Ivory soap enema in the family's red combination syringe administered as I laid over mom's lap in the bathroom. The rule was that I take what I could and anything more than half the bag was acceptable. Probably the worst part was when my mom would shut off the flow and keep me over her lap for several minutes as the enema churned away cleaning my insides. Then, once I was allowed to expel it was the greatest feeling in the world because one more minute and I thought I would explode. My two sisters got many more enemas than I did and generally did not tease me when they saw the bag drying in the bathroom.

I never experienced my mother giving herself enemas, although I am sure she did. However I will always remember they were frequent until I approached puberty, then they abruptly stopped.

I also now realize my father had no idea what was going on. My mother would occasionally talk to my grandmother about enemas, and I soon came to realize she was a proponent, and it is likely mom got quite a few growing up.

But my mother's coconspirator was Janet's mother, and whenever enemas were given there was a conversation, usually on the phone, and if there was a reason to give one of us an enema, well that was reason we both should get one. Janet and I were coconspirators, too, we learned the cues that would result in an enema and used them as often as we could.

The most exciting times, back in the day, was when we would go to Janet's house and be given enemas together, with absolutely no modesty.

Sadly we moved away, but looking back, had it kept up, Janet and I would have become very early sexual partners, because, in fact, some might consider we already were. We just hadn't put together what goes where and why. We were totally focused on our rectums.

When I was a child doctors made house calls. I do not remember a time that I didn't get an enema or more likely 2 [sse and a rinse] shortly after he left.

On numerous occasions this the second day I got two enemas. The first day I got them as the 1st line of attack on my not feeling good. If that didn't do the trick, the doctor got called on the second day of me not feeling well. He didn't always come out after my Mom called, but she would come into my room after talking to him and said "Dr. Lyons prescribed enemas for you, I will go get it started and you come to the bathroom when i call you."

Oh yes all the time unless I was throwing up then I was given a suppository for the nausea which I hated because it usually burned in my butt. But once I was over the nausea a couple days later I was again over my Mother's lap receiving an enema to wash out the germs she thought were there causing my sickness.

I my 58 years, I've never heard of a child getting an enema. It sounds so...Bugtussle (home of the Beverly Hillbillies).

None of my friends has ever mentioned it either. Maybe it's a regional thing.

What disease, or ailment were they given for?

"receiving an enema to wash out the germs she though were there causing my sickness." In the 20th. century?

"Always the visiting pediatrician would tell her to give me one" In the 20th. century?

I my 58 years, I've never heard of a child getting an enema..............What disease, or ailment were they given?

I'm 65, growing up in US in New England. Mom was an RN. Constipation only, so very rarely in my home growing up. I never objected or thought the rare ones I had were inappropriate. Mom was both very loving and totally professional.

Eric

Very seldom. I can only remember three. Often thought of asking but never did. In looking back I now know that I could have had one or more just for the askng. But that is hindsight of "missed times" that was many years ago.

An enema was practically as common as taking a couple of aspirin and calling the doctor in the morning. It was a given that an enema usually accompanied any illness around our house.

This was especially true if an illness was faked or utilized to get out of some undesirable task or chore, or to stay home from school.

My mom or grandma seldom failed to give us kids an enema before calling the doctor for a housecall. If an enema hadn't resolved our ailments, the doctor was called.

I've posted elsewhere about our pediatrician scolding my mom when he was summoned due to digestive distress. His directives to "Just give that kid an enema!" rings loud and clear some 60 years later.

What's interesting is that I usually got an enema anytime my older sister did. I can only surmise it was to level the playing field because of our tendency to tease each other unmercifully.

I my 58 years, I've never heard of a child getting an enema. It sounds so...Bugtussle (home of the Beverly Hillbillies).

"receiving an enema to wash out the germs she though were there causing my sickness." In the 20th. century?

"Always the visiting pediatrician would tell her to give me one" In the 20th. century?

Vaccines cause autism??? In the 21st century?

People can be incredibly obtuse. At least the enemas were unlikely to lead to serious harm.

While I wasn't there I have a suspicion that giving enemas was at one point an accepted placebo, something that could be done without much risk. In that sense they were probably better than the indiscriminate use of antibiotics that followed (and that we're still trying to wean ourselves from).

The first enema I remember getting was around 5 years of age. I say remember because know my mother I probably received enemas as an infant but just don’t remember them. In the beginning, she used a red enema squeeze bulb syringe with a black nozzle. I’m sure it was Rexall as that is the brand that dad carried in his pharmacies. At 7 or so she switches to an open top white Victorian 2 qt. bag with a black rectal nozzle. The white bag wore out when I was about 10 and she used a Rexall red open top 2 qt. bag with a black rectal nozzle. At 12 she started using a longer nozzle (about 5”long) with bulbous tip some referred to these as barium nozzles. At 14 the red bag wore out and she got another red open top bag. The first time she gave me an enema with this bag, I felt fuller and struggled with taking it. I might add here that around 11 or so, I learned to cooperate and even prided myself on how I took an enema. After the second enema with the new bag with the same results, I decided to measure the bag’s capacity and sure enough, it was had a larger capacity when filled to the brim it had over 2.5 qt. capacity.

So DDell 2 did you continue enjoying the feeling of taking a little more water once in a while because I did ans still do enjoy up a little more. I started around age 9 but enjoyed play Dr. and taking temp's from around age 4 or 5.

Bill

As an add to this overall thread. 3 different times when I was young, my fever was so high I was ordered to be given cool water enemas to reduce my fever.

Because of having that high of a fever, I was pretty much out of it and didn't care what mom needed to do, or remember much as to how different getting a cool enema was compared to the hot ones mom usually gave.

Anyone else given a cool enema for fever reduction

If I ran a significant fever for more than a day, the remedy was a cold water enema to bring it down. Mom would even put ice in the water to get it good and cold. No soap though. And several enemas off and on all day and night until the fever broke.

So DDell 2 did you continue enjoying the feeling of taking a little more water once in a while because I did ans still do enjoy up a little more. I started around age 9 but enjoyed play Dr. and taking temp's from around age 4 or 5.Bill

I've never been a quantity type gal. I have pushed myself to take 3 qts. or so on occasions but I've never done large quantity enemas.

Anyone else given a cool enema for fever reduction

I had a few cool water enemas as a child.

It is likely but I honestly don't remember. I know I had all sorts of illnesses before having my tonsils removed at age five. As I noted elsewhere, I remember snippets of enemas at a relatively young age (say 4-7 years of age). But I don't remember whether that was a matter of routine or because I was sick. All I do know is that the memories are pleasant. I guess my mom tried and succeeded in making it a pleasant experience for me. I don't remember if she did the same for my younger brother before she and my dad split up and divorced.

In our home, enemas were the cure-all for whatever ailed us for more than a couple days. This was back in the late 40's and early 50's for me. I still remember them like it was yesterday. If I had been feeling poorly for 2 to 3 days, my mother would come into my room in the early evening and take me to the bathroom for a good Ivory SSE from our standard red bag, red hose, black bakelite enema nozzle, and yes, the standard SS clamp. A heavy terrycloth towel would be laid on the floor (which was heated in the winter months), and the enema bag was hung on the towel bar just above where I would lay on my stomach on the terry towel. My Mom was always very gentle with administering the Ivory soapsuds enemas to me, and would always tell me to let her know if she needed to stop the flow. These enema's took place when I was roughly age 3 to 6. I would get 2 to 3 clean out enemas, and then a rinse enema with clear water.....then it was back to bed. Whether or not the enema actually helped my ailment, I'll never know, but I was usually up and running a day or two later. Due to the very caring and gentle nature of the enemas I received, I never disliked them......which is probably one of the reasons I still enjoy them today, some 65+ years later. Although I must admit........today's enemas are mostly for sheer enjoyment, as opposed to curing any ailments. 😃

I was not given enemas as a child when I was sick.

As an adult, hmm, maybe. Not when you're so sick that you dread having to get up to pee, but perhaps when you're a bit better and getting a little bored. The sight of my wife coming in with a towel, lube, balloon nozzle, enema bag filled with 2 quarts of steaming soapy solution and a no-nonsense manner telling me to drop'em and roll over could make things more interesting.

Of course it would do nothing to speed up recovery, and my wife is nowhere near doing that yet.

@moliere

Vaccines cause autism??? In the 21st century?

If they do, I'm not aware of evidence directly supporting that fact.

In our home , an enema was a strong point in my mother's ' wellness ' program to get me ' back on my feet ' and feeling better in the shortest amount of time . Our family doctor of the day was very ' pro-enema ' as to instructions to mom at our office exam interview . So many times have I heard him say to my mom as he was writing out my pharmacy prescription .......... ' ........ give him a liquid diet of soft drinks , soups for hydration ........ AND ....... sometime tomorrow ... let's give him a ' good enema ' ..... ' the best in the house ' ..... Doctor ____ would look over at me and smile but I knew that my mom was ' way ahead of him ' for his ' doctor's orders ' were , in our home , to become a reality without the ' orders ' .

As per her schedule , mom would enter my sickroom about mid-morning and indicate with that little smile . ' ......... in just a little while , I'm going to give you and enema .......... ' And she did !!!!

...Vaccines cause autism...

@moliere If they do, I'm not aware of evidence directly supporting that fact.

Exactly. Buttwoman was incredulous that anyone would believe that an enema would be effective to "wash out the germs causing the sickness" in the 20th century. Look around, at least in the US even now there are a scary number of people who believe that vaccines are dangerous. Their "proof" is a proven falsified study and the fact that autism generally shows up at about the same age that children are being given vaccines. You could just as easily make the wild assertion that "solid food causes autism!! AAHH!!! RUN AWAY FROM THE BURGER!!!

As I said, people can be incredibly obtuse.

Never myself, but enemas were not used in our house.

My wife received enemas for just about any sickness related to the bowels (diarrhea, too much gas, tummy ache, even nausea...), under the reasoning that emptying the lower bowel would relieve the stomach and that baking soda would soothe the bowels; in addition to the enemas for constipation.

She did not receive enemas for ailments unrelated to the stomach.

If we stayed home from school and had a temperature a call would be made to the doctor if it was more than a day it would be a visit. The initial call would be a series of questions from usually the nurse but sometimes the doctor. Last bowel movement was always a question they asked If on day two still had a fever or had not had a BM . The visit to the office was arranged almost always the ride home was like a doomed prisoner knowing You would be on the bathroom floor by the end of the day full of soapy water.

My wife received enemas for just about any sickness related to the bowels (diarrhea, too much gas, tummy ache, even nausea...), under the reasoning that emptying the lower bowel would relieve the stomach and that baking soda would soothe the bowels; in addition to the enemas for constipation.

My mom was an RN and I never stayed home sick from school if I wasn't about dead because the first thing after everyone left was a bowl of oatmeal followed directly by a soap suds enema. I hated them and never let on I was sick if I could get away with it. My enema loving Grandmother would make sure it got done every time too. It was a pretty standard treatment for kids. I always wondered which girls got one when they were out sick butt never had the nerve to ask.

Enemas were not a routine treatment when I was sick. I was told to put on pjs and get in bed. Then mom would take my temperature. She would also look down my throat to see if it was red. Then she would inquire about my symptoms with special emphasis in my last bowel movement. If I had a fever I would get an aspirin suppository or a trip to the doctor or both. Depending on the proximity of my last bowel movement I might also get an enema. Going to the doctor came with a high risk of getting a shot in my bum, so the other treatments were my preference.