In the movies and on TV throughout the 70's and into the 80's I recall several instances where a pregnant woman is in the bank or on the bus and says, "OMG! My water broke! I am about to give birth!" and then as everyone crowds around her to get a better look, someone always yells, "The baby is comming! BOIL SOME WATER!"
2006-12-28 01:45:37 · 11 answers · asked by Joe K 6 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Other - Pregnancy & Parenting
It's just a TV/movie tradition. I was an EMT. If I ever had an emergency childbirth patient - thankfully I never did, I'd have sent the dad to do it just to get him out of my hair (if he looked like he'd be more of a hindrance than a help).
It's just like TV/movie courtroom scenes. If I had a wild sexual experience with a luscious brunette hottie for every time a fictional judge said "this is highly irregular, but I'll allow it" I'd be a sated and happy Yahoo Answerer.
2006-12-28 02:18:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is an excert for the web page below:
"(a Norwegian translation of _Pregnancy and Childbirth_ by Sheila Kitzinger) says, retranslation mine, "Boil a little water; most of it will be used for coffee and tea, but it is also useful for washing your perineum after the birth." The perineum is the bit between the vagina and the anus. Since it says to boil the water just after calling the midwife, one presumes it will be considerably cooler than boiling hot by the time the baby makes its appearance."
Also you might want to look at this site It talks about "boiling water in movies" http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/weekly/aa042299.htm
2006-12-28 01:57:51 · answer #2 · answered by Chris 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Back then the water was used to sterilize items that were being used during the birth like a towe or to remove blood from the baby or the mother.
2006-12-28 01:50:34 · answer #3 · answered by TKloves 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sterilization. You don't did the baby in, but water that's been heated up to 5000 degrees will take the hide off a hog. It'll surely kill a few germs.
My response was, "Give me an epidural NOW!!"
2006-12-28 01:49:13 · answer #4 · answered by tinkerbell24 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it truly is in simple terms interior the action pictures. It was for the fathers to grant them something to do or for somebody else to maintain busy to get their innovations off of the mummy to be giving start. I nevertheless watch the instruct Emergency! (starring Randolph Mantooth as John Gage and Kevin Tighe as Roy Desoto) on DVD and that they went on a decision and the husband asked if he could boil water and Jonny responded "it truly is in simple terms interior the action pictures"!
2016-10-28 13:18:29 · answer #5 · answered by mosesjr 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Water was used to steralize instruments and to have clean water after the baby came. They didn't have to water systems we have now and there was a lot more bacteria in the water and it could have been harmful.
2006-12-28 02:02:49 · answer #6 · answered by angie_laffin927 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some may think it is to sterilize any instruments used in delivery, but mainly it is to keep anyone who is panicking, something to do to prevent getting in the way.
2006-12-28 01:57:02 · answer #7 · answered by nwfref 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To kill germs, they would wash thier hands and tools or towels in hot water to kill any germs. Then use the hot water to clean up the mess afterwards.
2006-12-28 01:54:36 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
possible to clean the baby w/ sterile water?
2006-12-28 01:54:06 · answer #9 · answered by lisamarie7901 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it was something they did to give the father something to do to distract him from the birth.
2006-12-28 01:57:33 · answer #10 · answered by Rob M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋