Birth Practices through history.....NSFW (and graphic)....The Good Old Days?

It dawned on me that maybe preparation for birth used to be a little more sane.

So, I think I should stop reading What to Expect when You are Expecting.� They say some hospitals still shave your privates and give you an enema...seriously?????

Source: Babycenter.com

Oh, The Horror? I don't think this has been common for 30+ years, but...

It used to be normal practice to give every woman a shave and an enema before any kind of birth. Those practices fell out of favor as many more woman-centric philosophies emerged. (Yay!) I might be turning in my "crunchy feminist" card, but in retrospect, I think there might be a lot of kindness for every new mom to start with a clean slate - and empty colon.

Many women struggle with post partum hygiene and bowels. (Hell, I struggled with postpartum dishes and vacuuming and general getting out of bed). It doesn't seem like such a bad idea. For those of you who have been there, what do you think?