Why was she douching?
Was she trying to use that as a means of birth control or was that just something women did back in the day.
Birth control - the only thing women could use in those days, after the "act". Unfortunately it wasn't very effective - sometimes the flow of the water would actually push sperm further towards the cervix.
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Well, yeah, didn't she end up pregnant? I had to leave before the end and don't have DVR. If douching was just for birth control, why did Rachel's mother still have the equipment around? Was *she* having sex? The marketing for douching used to be huge. If you're not my age (50), you wouldn't remember, but when they came out with the disposables (Rachel, humiliated, thought to herself, I can't just go in the drug store and ask for what I need, meaning, asking for a douche bag), they tried to get women to douche 24/7 in order to create a demand for the product--before your period, after, when you didn't feel "fresh." Now we do know that that advice is wrong, that douching is pretty much unnecessary and can cause problems by upsetting the natural pH. So I was wondering what the thinking was back then--if Rachel wanted to douche because she had had sex or specifically to use for birth control
Rivergirl, have you ever seen some of the old advertizing for douching? It was unbelievably sexist, and really preyed on/tried to create insecurity in women about germs, filth, male disgust about women's bodies, etc. You have to see it to believe it.
But yeah, Rachel was using it for birth control. That's what Nick meant when he told her, "Go home and fix yourself up."
From the looks of it, the Mom just had it left from when she might have used it. Also, douchebags were used to deliver medication vaginally. For example, I think it was yeast that was treated with methylene blue. Many old porcelain tubs had a slight bluish cast for this reason.
shareWell, I guess it's a woman's decision whether she wants to douche or not. My girlfriend, who ironically is named Rachel too always douches after her monthly period. She says it makes her feel cleaner. Whether that's a psychological thing or not if she wants to use Summer's Eve that's up to her.
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"What is WRONG with me today!!! I usually hit those."
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Rachel was not pregnant. She thought she was, so she went to the Dr. out of town. Unfortunately, the do discover that she had a mass, so that's why the had to operate. She can never have children, so I assume she must have had a hysterectomy.. I thought that was for giving herself a home abortion; I didn't realize it was for douching.
shareNothing to do with the film,but-I'm one of 5 siblings and the only male-I have 2 older and 2 younger sisters...well,they were hanging out and talking about their monthly visitor and all that was needed to work with it-Douching came up and the girls were lamenting how much they hated it and questioned why they even did it-that's when my youngest sister adds-"and it tastes horrible too"The other girls were rolling on the floor with laughter and that convinced our mom that a good shower would be fine.
shareBirth control - the only thing women could use in those days, after the "act".
Birth control pills were widely used during the period this film was set. Perhaps more popular than today. Douching was a last ditch effort used to flush semen from the womb. share